repairing battery operated mower

[TomFromStLouis]

I have a tiny lawn and a smallish battery mower to cut it with. I recently used the mower to mulch some leaves and repeatedly stressed the power by choking on too many leaves. It worked though, until the motor simply stopped. I figured the battery ran low and recharged it but the switch between the battery and the handle on/off no longer even lights up when switched on. 

This thing has got to be simplicity itself in its design with the battery, intermediate connection switch, and final on/off handle switch. One of the first two is screwing up. How do I determine which?

Be warned that anything electrical confuses me. Could I have killed the battery permanently by taxing its reserves so? This is my most likely fault IMO. Why would the intermediate switch suddenly go bad? I do not own a second battery (yet) so what steps should I take to trouble shoot this?

[Roly]

is there a fuse somewhere ?   Roly

[EricU]

there is a very real possibility that you smoked part of the motor

[goaliedad]

Maybe a thermal overload on the motor?

[JosephP]

there is a very real possibility that you smoked part of the motor

That is what I was thinking. Smell the motor...you'll know if you burned it.

[EricU]

Maybe a thermal overload on the motor?

if by thermal overload you mean armature bar, maybe. Do brushes fail from overload?  I don't know .

I don't know if these things have a parts breakdown in the manual, but if the manual is online I will look at it to see if there is anything that could fail.  I doubt a switch would fail from prolonged overload.

[TomFromStLouis]

It was essentially the fuse suggested at first. Turns out there was a "safety key" between the battery and the on/off switch that I completely overlooked. Thank you all.

Yes, I really am this stupid (about some things anyway).