American Revolution
Name: _________________
Subler Style
Continental Congress and Battle of Bunker Hill
• Where we left off
o Lexington and Concord
§ Reports started that England raided property back to Boston
§ Within 48 hours, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts = New England
Army
• 7,600 troops in Cambridge
• Where do you proceed from here?
o Connectivity
§ 1st Continental Congress- 1774 Philadelphia
• John and Sam Adams – Massachusetts Delegates
• Patrick Henry, John Jay, Richard Sherman, George Washington
§ Goal: End abuses from England
• Obtain Constitutional Rights
o Granted from English Bill of Rights
§ Accomplishments:
• English imports dropped 97% = Boycotts
• Organize a second Congress
o
•
WHAT’S THE PLAN?!?!?!?!?!?!
Bunker Hill
o Colonial spies catch wind that the English are preparing to attack
§ Ward ordered Prescott to fortify Bunker Hill – 110 Ft.
• Men had no idea of the orders
• Marched in the middle of the night
• Instead fortified Breed’s Hill – 62 Ft
§ Patriot soldier who build the fortifications were expected to defend it…to their
surprise
• 1st Offense
o British lines broke, as Patriots fired with accuracy.
nd
• 2 Offense
o British lines fell, yet again. They were weighed down by 60 pounds of
supplies and an uphill climb.
rd
• 3 Offense
o Americans had one round of ammunition left.
o British received reinforcements
§
Who won the battle?
Morale Victory?
Patriots
English
Bunker Hill
Artemas Ward- Commander
Capt. Samuel Prescott
Gage- Commander
Burgoyne
Howe
Clinton
Casualties
115 killed and 305 wounded
2,200 troops, 268 British soldiers
and officers had been killed;
another 828 were wounded.
Bunker Hill Sneak Attack!!!!
On the night of June 16, 1775, a detail of American troops acting under
orders from
ARTEMAS WARD
moved out of their camp, carrying picks,
shovels, and guns. They entrenched themselves on a rise located on
Charleston Peninsula overlooking Boston. Their destination:
BUNKER HILL.
From this hill, the rebels could bombard the town and British ships in
Boston Harbor. But Ward's men misunderstood his orders. They went
to
BREED'S HILLby
mistake and entrenched themselves there — closer to the
British position.
Cannon for Breakfast
The next morning, the British were stunned to see Americans threatening them. In
the 18th century, British military custom demanded that the British attack the
Americans, even though the Americans were in a superior position militarily (the
Americans had soldiers and cannon pointing down on the British).
Major General William Howe, leading the British forces, could have easily surrounded
the Americans with his ships at sea, but instead chose to march his troops uphill.
Howe might have believed that the Americans would retreat in the face of a
smashing, head-on attack. He was wrong.
His Majesty's ships opened fire on the Americans. Early in the afternoon, 28 barges of
British soldiers crossed theCHARLES RIVER and stormed the hills. The Americans waited until the British were within 15
paces, and then unleashed a bloody fusillade. Scores of British troops were killed or wounded; the rest retreated down
the hill.
Again, the British rushed the hill in a second wave. And again they retreated, suffering a great number of casualties.
By the time the third wave of British charged the hill, the Americans were running low on ammunition. Hand-to-hand
fighting ensued. The British eventually took the hill, but at a great cost. Of the 2,300 British soldiers who had gone
through the ordeal, 1,054 were either killed or wounded.
On July, 2, 1775, George Washington rode into Cambridge, Massachusetts, to take command of the new
ARMY.
He was appointed to this position from the 2
position.
nd
Continental Congress. John Adams nominated him for the
He had a formidable task ahead of him. He needed to establish a
of action for a war — if there would be a war.
AMERICAN
CHAIN OF COMMAND
and determine a course
Why Washington
Washington was one of the few Americans of the era to have military experience. He had served with distinction in the
French and Indian War.
Washington was also a southerner. Politicians from the north (such as John Adams) recognized that, for the
Americans to have any shot at defeating the British, all regions of the country would have to be involved. The uprising
had to be more than just New England agitation.
In London, the news of Bunker Hill convinced the king that the situation in the Colonies had escalated into an
organized uprising and must be treated as a foreign war. Accordingly, he issued a Proclamation of Rebellion.
Questions to Consider about the Battle of Bunker Hill
Some can be answered from the reading above. All questions should be answered in your
notes for a quiz tomorrow.
1. What events lead to the “first” Battle of Bunker Hill?
2. Were the colonists united in their fight against the British? In what ways did the Northerners
try to involve all of the colonies in the War?
3. Why would both the British and the colonists have wanted to control the Charlestown
Peninsula?
4. What do the hills around Charlestown look down upon?
5. Why isn’t the battle known as the Battle of Breed’s Hill?
6. Even after this battle, why did some colonists still not know if there would be a war?