Battle+of+Bunker+Hill



The Battle of Bunker Hill began on June 17, 1775. Bunker and Breed's Hill were located in Massachusetts, near Cambridge, and near the Mystic and Charles rivers. They were located on the Charleston Peninsula across from Boston.



The Commander in Chief for the British was Thomas Gage. The three other major generals were John Burgoyne, Henry Clinton, and William Howe. The “Boston Army” was made up of tens of thousands of men from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. Technically the Maj. Gen. Artemus Ward (French and Indian War Veteran) was in command but Israel Putnam, hero of French and Indian War, and William Prescott, a Massachusetts Colonel, played the biggest parts in the battle.

The Battle of Bunker Hill was the first battle of the American Revolution.

In this battle, the continental army fortified Bunker Hill and other hills around Charlestown because the Americans heard rumors that the British were going to march out of Boston. The colonists did this because they figured that they could command the city and its harbor if they get enough artillery from Fort Ticonderoga. In the middle of the night, on June 16th, about twelve hundred men set out for Bunker Hill. Once they arrived they passed the hill and went on to Breeds Hill because it was closer to key rivers. The men went on to fortify the hill in the early morning and by first light they were done. When they came under fire by British ships, the American troops took positions behind their fortifications. At midday about twelve hundred troops landed and moved into position. The British sent in several attacks but the Americans seemed invincible behind their protection of the earthworks. On the British’s third assault the Americans fire weakened and enough British soldiers made it over the wall. The Americans resistance crumbled and with little to no ammunition left and extreme pressure on them, the patriots retreated.

The style of this fight influenced battle field fighting for years to come.

1. The painter is unknown. 2. The time period in which this was painted is unknown. 1. We do not know what was going on during this time period because the date was not given. 2. Before this painting the colonies were under British rule but this painting shows The Battle of Bunker Hill which was the first battle of the revolution. After the American Revolution the colonies were free of British rule. 1. Colonists are fortifying Breeds Hill. You can see them using the land to form protection from British fire and moving weaponry to tactical positions. This image also shows what seems to be a leader directly all of the activity. It was probably one of the few, skilled soldiers. 1.The image is very similar to what we read. It shows the building of the fort and all the weaponry in the setup that the multiple sources we read told us about.
 * Sourcing**
 * Contextualizing**
 * Close Reading**
 * Corroborating**

Ward decided not to send more soldiers and ammunition to Putnam. The lack of supply led to the loss of the Battle of Bunker Hill.

The Americans learned for future battles they need to be more prepared (especially with ammunition) and to believe in themselves because they proved they were capable of fighting the British. This battle made the British nervous about the colonists' abilities.

Purcell, L. Edward, and Sarah J. Purcell. "Battle of Bunker Hill." Encyclopedia of Battles in North America, 1517 to 1916. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2000. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE52&iPin=bna047&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 8, 2012)..,

"Battle of Bunker Hill ." Military History Encyclopedia on the Web. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. John R. Elting. //The Battle of Bunker's Hill// (Monmouth Beach, N.J.: Philip Freneau Press, 1975) Thomas Fleming. //Now We Are Enemies: The Story of Bunker Hill// (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1960) Richard M. Ketchum. //Decisive Day: The Battle for Bunker Hill// (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1974).

Gilje, Paul A. "Battle of Bunker Hill." In Gilje, Paul A., and Gary B. Nash, eds. //Encyclopedia of American History: Revolution and New Nation, 1761 to 1812//, Revised Edition (Volume III). New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. //American History Online//. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE52&iPin=EAHIII054&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 13, 2012).

**By:** **Mackenzie and Tom**