Finish: the Boston Massacre (Primary Accounts)
Review: Attack: Chapter 4 Section 2
Check it out: Cool infographic on the American Revolution
- Read: the Smithsonian has a great article on the Battle of Bunker Hill, the most famous and least understood battle of the American Revolution. After reading the article, write a response in the comment section below. Comments should be one full paragraph about something that you learned or found interesting about the Battle of Bunker Hill.
- Literary Analysis: The 3 documents of 1776:
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ReplyDeleteThings I found interesting on the article were first how many people will say that the famous quote “Don’t shoot till you see the white of there eyes!” was not said at all! Another thing was that Boston was filled with more water than now. Boston also went by another name but you read the article I don’t want to repeat it. Another thing was that both sides didn’t want a full scale war and thought it would only take a few skirmishes. I can’t believe that the British attacked two times and didn’t win even though they were one of the strongest armies in the world. To sum it up the battle of bunker hill was painful, long, and fought hard.
ReplyDeleteSome information that I found interesting while reading about the Battle of Bunker hill is first off I find it extremely interesting that the command “don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes” is false. Instead they were told to fire from about 50 feet away or to shoot once they could see the white of their splash guards called half gaiters. But the writer Parson Weems thought that saying until you see the white of their splash gaiters sounded a bit lame so he exaggerated a bit. Also I find it very interesting that once the Americans ran out of ammunition they resorted to more gruesome and barbaric ways by throwing rocks, stabbing, and beating the British troops. And then eventually retreating back and finally ending the fight. And lastly I find that it is completely amazing that the less trained and an unorganized militia of the Americans might not have won the battle but definitely caused enormous damage to the British forces.
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ReplyDeleteThe battle of bunker hill began on June 17th, 1775. British forces under the command of General Howe and General Pigot landed on the Charleston Peninsula and marched to Breed’s hill. Prescott, in charge of the Americans told his men not to fire until they approach the British. When the redcoats were within a few yards the Americans fired their muskets, making the British withdrawal. After getting back into order, the British attacked again getting the same results. Prescott's men were becoming low in ammunition so they engaged in hand to hand combat. The Americans were outnumbered and forced to fall back. At this point many people were wounded and killed. The British had won the Battle of Bunker Hill. The Charleston Peninsula fell under British control. This battle was significant because the British had realized that wars with the colonies were going to be rough and costly. One thing I found interesting about this battle, is that it actually was not fought on Bunker hill. The battle was fought on Breed’s hill.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I found interesting from the article was the fact that the british expected to put down an angry mob rather than troops that would look them in the face. Another thing is how many soldiers the Americans were able to kill before they were over run. They were able to take down 1,054 british soldiers. Lastly, the battle of bunker hill was the bloodiest battle in the revolutionary war.
ReplyDeleteThe Battle of Bunker Hill was where the British defeated the Americans and this was a crucial importance that was fought in Massachusetts. This fight was really pricey and the British lost around 2,200 troops, 268 British soldiers, and 828 wounded. The British commander in chief, was William Howe who led the British forces and who chose to march them uphill. The Americans also suffered too. The British defeated the Americans in this battle that happened on June 17, 1775. Even though the Americans lost, the inexperienced colonial forces inflicted significant casualties against the enemy, it provided them with a confidence boost. This battle happened because Boston was trying to get control of the city and its valuable sea ports. William Prescott, and American officer, said "Don't shoot until you see the whites." The battle was fought on Breeder Hill and the British had more soldiers than the Americans did. The result of this battle was bloody and a pricey battle, many people died, but more people were injured. In fact, this battle was one of the bloodiest battles of the American Revolution.
ReplyDeleteThe Americans were defeated by the British at the Battle at Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. At the time, the inexperienced colonial Americans forces caused disaster against the British because the American forces built dirt walls and had control of the hill over the British. The Battle at Bunker Hill provided confidence for the Americans because their loss was only due to the lack of ammunition left. At the start of the battle the British started off with about 2,200 soldiers and the Americans started off with around 1,000 militiamen. By the end of the battle, 268 British soldiers were killed with around 800 wounded and about 100 American soldiers were killed with about 300 wounded. Overall the British won the battle but if it weren't for American troops lack of ammunition, they would have won the battle
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ReplyDeleteI found interesting the amount of soldiers that were killed in such a short amount of time. Almost half the soldiers that engaged in the battle died within 2 hours from the start of the battle. It surprises me that they were victorious after suffering such great losses. They lost officers in the process and being able to still lead a victory interests me. Another thing that interests me is even though the colonists got defeated, they got a boost of confidence.
ReplyDeleteOn June 16, 1775, the colonists built a 6 foot high dirt hill to make the British climb the hill so that the colonists could get an advantage. The British started firing cannons from their ships to break down the wall. The colonists were waiting on the other side of the dirt hill they built, trying to get accurate aim on the British. The colonists were "trained" by their leader to fire once they see the whites of the British' eyes. Soon the colonists ran out of ammunition and the British then broke through the fortress and the colonists started to retreat but some of their men were killed or wounded. Even though the British won, they suffered a great loss of 226 deaths and 828 soldiers were wounded. This battle only gave the colonists more confidence for their future battles.
ReplyDeleteOn June 16th, Over a thousand colonials marched east from Cambridge with orders to fortify Bunker Hill, a 110-foot rise on the Charlestown peninsula that goes into Boston Harbor. The Americans went through Bunker Hill in the dark and instead began protecting Breed’s Hill, a smaller rise much closer to Boston and almost in the face of the British. Philbrick believes it was a “purposeful act, a provocation and not the smartest move militarily.” The rebels were short on cannons, and could not do much damage from Breed's hill. But their threatening position, on high ground just across the Boston water, forced the British to try to attack the Americans before they were reinforced or fully prepared. The British defeated the Americans in the battle, but with the inexperience of the colonists, their loss actually showed significant casualties against the enemy, and the battle provided them with an important confidence boost. Some things I found interesting was the fact that the Americans could put up a fight on such low ammunition. Another interesting thing is that it was one of the bloodiest battles of the American Revolution. The last shocking thing was that the Patriots wanted to delay the attack but instead provoked it.
ReplyDeleteFunny enough, the Battle of Bunker Hill did not actually happen on Bunker Hill, it took place on Breed's Hill. The plaque on the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill is one of few monuments to an American defeat in America. In the Battle of Bunker Hill, well trained British soldiers took a hard hit from the uncoordinated, barely trained, command-chainless American militia. The pasture was such an obstacle course to the British, the Americans were given an advantage by being able to have the battle at 50 yards or less. Eventually, at this distance, the Americans ran out of ammunition and resorted to stabbing and bashing the skulls of the British. The death toll went up very quickly and eventually the British won.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this article I found the history of the hill to be interesting. The battle was fought on Breed's Hill and the Battle of Bunker Hill monument was built there, but it’s not Bunker Hill. This mix up of the hills is unrecognized to tourists and on google maps but to locals and historians it’s quite clear which is which. I also found it funny that the Bunker Hill monument has some unlikely visitors like firemen, who use it to train, and has been used in movies.
ReplyDeleteReading the Smithsonian article about the Battle of Bunker Hill, there was one particular thing I found interesting: the dark side that never really gets taught about the Sons of Liberty or the Minutemen of Lexington and Concord. For me, personally, all of my classes have glorified these historical figures and only ever shown and taught me the good attributes of them. Learning that there was a lot of ‘thuggish, vigilante’ behavior by the Sons of Liberty was definitely interesting, despite how unspecific the statement is. On top of that, learning that the ‘freedoms’ the Minutemen fought for were never intended to spread to minorities, such as slaves, Native Americans, Catholics, and women. Throughout my school life, the Sons of Liberty and Minutemen have both been held up on a sort of high pedestal, and I have only ever been shown their ‘good’ sides. Though I, of course, knew that they were not entirely good and that all men, especially historical figures, have their downfalls, the article was a great informant and eye opener for showing that we cannot simply acknowledge the ‘good attributes’ of historical figures to protect their reputations and legacies.
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ReplyDeleteI learned that in the 18th century Boston was called a "virtually an island". Boston was made up of hills and water, the hills leveled out to cover 1,000 acres of land. Boston at the time was much smaller, and many things were different. Many things were basically underwater like the south end, and bays were still bays. During the Battle of Bunker Hill they waited till the last second to start shooting, and Boston was not called "cradle of liberty" because many families had slaves.
ReplyDeleteSomething I found interesting in the article, is that the battle wasn't original fought on Bunker Hill. the battle began on Breed's hill, and the colonial army was pushed back so far they ended up at Bunker Hill, where some would retreat back to their homes to deliver the news of the battle's defeat, and others would be killed off, or captured by the British army.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article there are many things I found interesting. First what I found that was really interesting is how much Boston has changed from now. The city was covered in water in a lot of places that are part of the town today. Also What I thought was really interesting was how when we ran out of ammo the American soldiers were so determined to win that they threw their guns and the rocks from the ground at the enemy soldiers. Also I thought it was sort of interesting that they changed the quote to “Don’t fire ’til you see the whites of their eyes”
ReplyDeletebecause the Colonists thought what they originally said was too boring. The main reason that the Battle of Bunker Hill was so important was that the colonists lost but it was still a victory for the Americans side.
On June 16th,1775, Over a thousand colonials moved east. The Americans went through Bunker Hill, and eventually began protecting Breed’s Hill, a smaller rise much closer to Boston and almost in the face of the British. Philbrick believes it was a “purposeful act, a provocation and not the smartest move militarily.” The rebels were short on cannons, and could not do much damage from Breed's hill. But their threatening position, on high ground just across the Boston water, forced the British to try to attack the Americans before they were reinforced or fully prepared. The British defeated the Americans in the battle, but with the inexperience of the colonists, their loss actually showed significant casualties against the enemy, and the battle provided them with an important confidence boost. One thing I found interesting was that was that the Patriots wanted to delay the attack but instead provoked it.
ReplyDeleteWas a fought in 17 june , 1775. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts. though the majority of combat took place on the adjacent hill which later became known as Breed's Hill.
ReplyDeleteOn June 13, 1775, the leaders of the colonial forces besieging Boston learned that the British were planning to send troops out from the city to fortify the unoccupied hills surrounding the city, which would give them control of Boston Harbor. In response, william prescott, Command of the colonial troops, send 1,200 to occupied Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill. the colonists constructed a strong redoubt on Breed's Hill, as well as smaller fortified lines across the Charlestown Peninsula.
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ReplyDeleteEven though the British won the Battle of Bunker Hill they realized it was going to be harder than they thought. The Battle of Bunker Hill was vital to both the Colonist and the British. The Colonists downfall was that they ran out of ammunition. The Hill was overlooking Boston and it was a high vantage point; so it was a great place to attack. The British might of won the battle but the Colonists won the war.
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