Battle of Bunker Hill

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Back and forth, up and down, men exhausted from a long day of fighting; these are a few of the terms people can use to describe the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill. After the battles at Lexington and Concord, the British had realized that the Americans were occupying the countryside, where Bunker and Breed’s Hills had stood. They then realized that something must be done and followed right in the American’s footsteps. This battle marked the first major battle of the American Revolution and the beginning of many more battles to come. Though the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought in one day, it was still a long, gruesome battle for the men who risked their lives fighting in it (Gilje).
The British did not expect the Americans to move so fast toward the outskirts of Boston, where the hills were. It all began on June 14, when the British commander, Thomas Gage, was planning on occupying the Charleston Peninsula. The word of this was an “open secret”, meaning the whole state of Boston knew what he was planning to do. The defective part about having an open secret was that the American force found out where and what the British were planning on doing. Since the Americans found out what they were planning, the American colonel, William Prescott, led 1,200 men to Bunker Hill on the night of June 16. After arriving at Bunker Hill, which is the higher of the two hills, the commanders decided to move across Bunker Hill and go towards Breed’s Hill. Breed’s Hill was closer to the river that was surrounding the peninsula. The American force figured that if they were not so high up, they could command the town better and have a better chance of attacking the British when they first arrived. Early the next morning the Americans were put to work, const...

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...because it was such a short fight. Usually these types of things last for a couple days. Not this one though. The Battle of Bunker Hill is major to learn because it really boosted British morale and left an impact as to what was expected in the future.

Works Cited

Gilje, Paul A. “Battle of Bunker Hill.” Encyclopedia of American History: Revolution and New Nation, 1761 to 1812. Ed. Gary B. Nash. Revised ed. Vol. III. New York: Facts on File,. 2010. American History Online. Web. 5 January 2014.
Purcell, Edward L., and Sarah J. Purcell. “Battle of Bunker Hill.” Encyclopedia of Battles in North America, 1517 to1916. New York: Facts on File, 2000. American History Online. Web. 5 January 2014.
Tucker, Spencer C. “Battle of Bunker Hill.” Encyclopedia of American Military History. Gen. ed. New York: Facts on File, 2003. American History Online. Web. 19 December 2013.

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