The colonies actually ended up winning the battle of Saratoga.... It DEFINITELY was not Great Britain that won. The Battle of Saratoga was known as the turning point of the war, when the COLONIES proved to the French that they could hold their own. This caused the French to fight with the United Colonies.
This expression is by far mostly likely ascociated with President Lincoln during the Civil War. He famously did not want to punish the southern states in order to headl quickly.
