The American Revolution

Battle of Bunker Hill

Colonel Prescott

View of Breed's Hill from Boston Harbor

The first “layer” of this palimpsest was shaped by the American Revolution: at its earliest, Breed’s Hill was the site of the first major conflict in the Patriots’ fight for independence. On June 13, 1775, colonial forces learned that the British planned to fortify all the hills in the city to gain control of Boston harbor (1). To prevent the British forces from taking command of these hills, on June 16, General William Prescott led 1200 Patriots up Breed’s Hill to build military fortifications. Standing at 110 feet on the Charlestown peninsula, Breed’s Hill was a strategic location because it provided Patriot forces with an unobstructed view of Boston harbor. In the early afternoon of June 17, the British began charging up Breed’s Hill in an attempt to reclaim it from the Patriots. Despite being outnumbered and gravely unprepared, the Patriots were able to fend off the British military during the first two attacks (2). Eventually, the British succeeded on their third attack, but not without enduring disastrous casualties – more than 1000 of the army’s 2200 men were wounded or killed. British General Henry Clinton even went on to describe Breed’s Hill as “a hill too dearly bought” (3). Although a tactical victory for the British, the Battle of Bunker Hill represented a decisive turning point in the American Revolution (4). Breed’s Hill became symbolic of the fight for independence because it demonstrated that even the inexperienced, ill-equipped, and unprepared Patriot forces could pose a significant threat to the British. Ultimately, the battle served to raise the morals of the Patriots to eventually defeat the British in the War for Independence.