Battle of Bunker Hill Essay Example

a tax on printed materials such as newspapers, advertisements, playing cards, and legal documents.

The British government had expected protest due to the tax, but they were surprised by the extent of the outcry. The colonists were angry because they lacked representation in Parliament, which had passed the law. This led to the famous cry of "No taxation without representation!" In response, the colonists staged the Boston Tea Party as a protest. The British government responded by implementing the Intolerable Acts – four laws that punished Boston and Massachusetts while increasing British control over all colonies. However, these incidents were not the only causes of tension between both countries. Unrest had been growing due to the Quartering Act, which required townspeople to house British soldiers. Ultimately, this unrest resulted in the tragic event known as the Boston Massacre, causing loss of life among colonists and further eroding trust between both sides.

In response to discontent and the fear of an uprising, the British decided to go to Lexington and Concord, where they destroyed colonial military supplies. This caused intense hatred and malice towards the British among the colonists. The incidents resulted in a lack of trust between both sides and raised concerns about potential attacks from the opposition. When the British planned to occupy Dorchester Heights on the Boston Peninsula, increasing numbers of British troops along the coast alarmed the colonists. To protect themselves from an attack, they realized they had to take action to stop the advancing British forces in this territory.

Because of years of animosity and a recent incident, the colonies were in conflict with the British. The Battle of Bunker Hill arose when

the colonists learned that the British planned to take control of Dorchester Heights. This news deeply worried the colonists, who saw it as a decisive moment and felt obligated to protect their land and liberty. To achieve this goal, they hastily formed an improvised "army" to defend the hill.

The army consisted of men from different regions including Cambridge, New England, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island because there was no established nation at that time. Even though these men were brought together hastily, they obeyed the orders of their respective Generals. On June 15, 1775, the American colonists were informed about the British plan to control the Charlestown peninsula located between the Charles and Mystic Rivers. Bunker's and Breed's Hill on this peninsula offered significant strategic benefits as they overlooked both Boston and its harbor.

General Prescott strategically outmaneuvered the British by leading 1,200 soldiers, who were often poorly disciplined, disobedient, and occasionally intoxicated, to fortify Bunker Hill during the darkness of June 16. As day broke, the British were astonished to discover that Breed's Hill had been fortified with a 160-by-30-foot earthen structure overnight. In response, British General Gage sent Major General Howe with 2,300 troops to capture the hill. Consequently, it was on Breed's Hill, and not Bunker Hill itself, that General Prescott fortified (Encyclopedia Britannica 1990).

How did this happen? One proposed idea is that Colonel William Prescott, since fortifying the hill in the middle of the night, chose the wrong hill. Another theory is that the map the Colonel used was incorrect, since many maps during this period had commonly misidentified the hills. Another suggestion, and probably the most practical,

is that Breed's Hill is closer to where the British ships were positioned allowing the colonists a better attacking position than at Bunker Hill. Regardless of the reason, the Battle of Bunker Hill actually took place on Breed's Hill. The fighting began as soon as the day did.

Upon awakening, the men on the British frigate immediately commenced firing at the colonial fortifications. According to Carol McCabe, a soldier noted that there would be firing for approximately twenty minutes, followed by a temporary pause, after which the ships would resume firing. At around 3:00 pm, Thomas Gage, the British commander, instructed his men to attempt to seize control of the hill. The delay in Gage's command was caused by a scarcity of boats and an unfavorable tide.

Peter Brown, an American soldier, later recounted the events, stating that around 40 barges filled with British Regulars arrived, totaling approximately 3,000 soldiers. On the American side, there were only around 700 soldiers remaining who had not deserted, along with 500 reinforcements. The enemy landed and formed an oblong square in front of us. Once they were well formed, they advanced towards us. However, they were met with strong resistance from our side (Here's to the Losers: page 2). Once the British forces were securely positioned at the base of the hill, they began their charge.

According to the British letters and diaries, the expectation was to easily frighten the colonists and cause them to retreat by simply marching up the hill. The British Regulars, with bayonets fixed, advanced despite many of them not having loaded muskets. Heavy-loaded and donning bright red wool jackets, the British troops made their way uphill

through farm fields and low stone walls hidden in tall grass. Although the colonists observed this imposing red line approaching slowly but steadily, their composure remained intact and they refrained from initiating gunfire. The reason for their delayed attack was possibly attributed to General Prescott's alleged order, "Don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes." This command may have been aimed at preserving their limited ammunition supplies and/or preventing shots outside of effective ranges. Once the British soldiers entered range, the colonists opened fire, leading to a rapid downfall of British soldiers.

The British forces were pushed back twice, but on their third and final attack they managed to penetrate the colonists' line, overwhelming their makeshift fortifications and capturing the hill. In response, the colonists retreated up the peninsula as it was their only means of escape. Lasting around three hours, this battle was one of the bloodiest of the Revolutionary War. Despite technically winning by occupying the hill, the British incurred significant casualties and were unable to fully capitalize on their victory.

According to The Henderson Island Website, the British suffered more than one thousand casualties out of the approximate 2,300 fighters, while the colonists had 400 to 600 casualties from an estimated 2,500 to 4,000 men. Despite having fewer deaths than the British, the colonists believed they had triumphed in other ways. They demonstrated to themselves and the world their ability to confront the British army in traditional warfare. Shortly after, George Washington led a group of men to Dorchester Heights, where they pointed their canons at the British and witnessed the Red Coats retreat from the hill. Therefore, although the British achieved

victory in the battle, it was short-lived as the colonists regained control of the hill with more soldiers to defend it.

The Battle of Bunker Hill had significant importance for several reasons. Firstly, it marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War and indicated that the war would be difficult due to intense combat. It also showed that the British army was not invincible and that American troops could succeed in traditional warfare. The British losses in this battle also boosted colonists' confidence. As a result, the Battle of Bunker Hill became a crucial event for colonists to reflect upon during subsequent battles in the American Revolution. Notably, one major outcome was that the heavy losses suffered by the British made them realize victory was no longer guaranteed when facing colonists on the battlefield.

Rhode Island's Nathaniel Grenne expressed the overall sentiment of the battle, stating "I wish we could sell them the British another hill at the same price (Here's to the Losers. pg. 3)". A movement emerged in the young United States half a century later to establish a memorial on Breed's Hill. To accomplish this, the Bunker Hill Memorial Association purchased fifteen acres of land on top of Breed's Hill. The cornerstone for the monument was subsequently laid in 1825.

Construction of the monument began and continued for the next 18 years, with funding solely relying on donations. The gradual building process utilized granite sourced from nearby Quincy, despite the proximity not resulting in reduced costs. To complete the project, in 1839, the association was compelled to sell ten acres of the memorial's land to generate additional funds. Ultimately, the monument was dedicated on June 17,

1843, marking an elapsed time of 68 years since the original battle had taken place. Carol Mccabe notes that, back then, the monument held the same national significance as the Washington Monument holds today.

Bibliography

1. McCabe, Carol. "Here's to the Losers" http://www.thehistorynet.com/HistoricTraveler/articles/1998/03986_text.htm
2. The History Net 2. Unknown Author. "Major John Pitcairn" http://208.209.60.245/we/Winthrop-web jump/majpit6.html
3. Unknown year. Winthrop 3. Unknown author. "Bunker Hill, Battle of" Encyclopedia Britannica. 1990. Encyclopedia Britannica inc.

Chicago.