Happy Bunker Hill Day!

June 17th 2022 marks 247 years since the Battle of Bunker Hill (aka How Many Kids From New England Learned About the Concept of a Pyrrhic Victory). Considered by many to be the first true battle of the American Revolution, many thought the events starting the evening of June 16th would not result in a battle at all.

British Army Commander General Thomas Gage was under pressure to end the colonial rebellion once and for all. Along with his fellow Commanders, he decided that the best plan of action would be to seize the high grounds surrounding Boston and use the positions to strategically crush and uprisings in occupied Boston. The plan was leaked and 1,000 colonial soldiers mobilized to seize the high ground in Charlestown, and fortify both Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill (the hill where the Bunker Hill Monument stands is actually Breed’s Hill; Bunker Hill is a few blocks away and is home to the Roman Catholic church St. Francis de Sales). While colonial revolutionaries worked through the night to reinforce their hold on the hills, well over 2,000 British soldiers were mobilized to Charlestown.

When the time came to engage, it is estimated that approximately 2,400 trained British soldiers faced off against 1,500 colonists, a mix of militiamen and locals. The bloody battle that ensued lasted approximately two hours, and resulted in massive casualties, numbering over 1,000 British fighters and more than 400 Revolutionaries. While British forces did seize the hills, the casualties they suffered facing off against the colonists were devastating, and led to substantial rethinking of how the occupying British would engage with colonial forces in battle.

There is so much more to tell about this pivotal battle of American Revolution, so if you are interested, check out this National Park Service article, this Timeline of the Revolution, and this Smithsonian Magazine piece debunking some of the tales you may have learned about the battle in history class.

Of course, the best way to learn about the Battle of Bunker Hill is to visit the Boston National Historic Park sites in Charlestown! There is major renovation work taking place in the Monument and Lodge, but you can still visit the site and the Museum across the street.