On June 17, 1775, exactly 250 years ago today, American colonists and British troops clashed in one of the most brutal and iconic battles of the Revolutionary War: the Battle of Bunker Hill. Though commonly named after Bunker Hill, most of the fighting actually took place on nearby Breed’s Hill, just outside of Boston. This early engagement proved to be the bloodiest single day of the entire war and signaled that the conflict would be far more deadly and drawn out than many on either side had anticipated.

Following the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, thousands of colonial militia surrounded Boston, trapping British forces inside the city. To break the siege, British commanders planned to seize the heights around the city to gain a strategic advantage. On the night of June 16, colonial forces under Colonel William Prescott stealthily fortified Breed’s Hill, constructing earthworks that overlooked Boston and its harbor.

By dawn on June 17, British General Thomas Gage recognized the threat posed by the colonial position and ordered a frontal assault to dislodge the rebels. British troops, led by General William Howe, launched multiple attacks up the hill and against a rail fence line near the Mystic River under intense colonial fire. The colonists, although poorly supplied and lacking bayonets, held their ground and inflicted staggering casualties on the British ranks.

The first two British assaults were repelled with heavy losses. Only on the third attempt, when the colonists had largely run out of ammunition, were the British able to overrun the position. In the retreat, Jospeh Warren, one of main leaders of the Patriots was shot in the head and killed instantly.

The human cost was enormous. British forces suffered over 1,000 casualties. More than 200 had been killed and more than 800 wounded. The American losses were around 400, with over 100 killed and about 300 wounded. Though technically a British victory because they captured the ground, the Battle of Bunker Hill was a strategic and psychological triumph for the American cause. It showed that colonial forces, mostly farmers, tradesmen, and volunteers, could stand and fight against the professional British army.

For many in the colonies, the blood spilled on Breed’s Hill made reconciliation with Britain increasingly unlikely. The battle hardened public opinion and spurred the Continental Congress to intensify preparations for a long war. Just days before the battle, Congress had appointed George Washington as Commander in Chief. News of the battle reached him as he was traveling north to take command, and it confirmed the scale of the challenge ahead.

Looking back 250 years later, the Battle of Bunker Hill stands as a defining moment in the struggle for American independence. It was not only the bloodiest single day of the war but also the moment when the Revolution became real, marked by sacrifice, courage, and a growing commitment to liberty. The legacy of that day continues to echo across the centuries as a symbol of resistance and the high cost of freedom. While there would be hundreds more battles and skirmishes over the following eight years, no day would see as many casualties in one day as June 17, 1775.

Be sure to check out our Facebook page and YouTube channel later today to see videos from Emerging Revolutionary War historians guiding you on the battlefield today.

On June 16, 1775, George Washington stood before the Continental Congress in Philadelphia and accepted his commission as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. Washington’s election was not just a military decision; it was a deliberate political and symbolic act, one that helped unify the colonies and provided the revolution with a face of leadership, dignity, and resolve.

On June 14, 1775, the Congress established the Continental Army, and the next day (June 15), delegates unanimously chose George Washington to lead it.

Why Washington? He was a Virginian, which brought balance to a cause that, up to that point, had been largely centered in New England. He was also widely respected as a man of integrity, with military experience gained during the French and Indian War. Just as important, Washington had been an early and vocal critic of British policy. His commitment to liberty, combined with a calm and dignified demeanor, made him the ideal figure to rally support across the colonies.

On June 16, Washington formally accepted the command. In a modest speech, he thanked Congress for their confidence but expressed sincere doubts about his own abilities. “I do not think myself equal to the command I am honored with,” he told them. He went on to pledge that he would accept no salary, only reimbursement for expenses. It was a powerful gesture, signaling that he was not seeking personal gain but was instead answering a call to duty.

On June 19, Washington received his commission in writing. It read, in part: “We, reposing special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, conduct, and fidelity of George Washington, do hereby constitute and appoint him General and Commander in chief of the Army of the United Colonies.”

Washington departed Philadelphia shortly thereafter and traveled north to take command of the troops besieging Boston. His arrival at Cambridge on July 3 marked the beginning of a long and arduous campaign. Throughout the war, Washington would lead with patience, resilience, and an unwavering sense of purpose.

The choice of George Washington as commander of the Continental Army would turn out to be one of the most important decisions made in American history. The wisdom of their choice was apparent on December 23, 1783, when Washington, at his zenith following the American victory in the war, he resigned and returned the every same commission to the Congress.

On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress met in what we call today Independence Hall in Philadelphia. While the delegates met, Massachusetts soldiers under General Artemas Ward were laying siege to the British army in Boston. They were just a few days away from fighting the bloody battle of Bunker Hill. At this point, the thirteen American colonies were carrying on their resistance to British tyranny individually. But with war underway in Massachusetts, an important event occurred on June 14, 1775. That day, the Continental Congress voted to adopt the Massachusetts army and add to it soldiers from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. This was the beginning of the Continental Army. The Continental Army would become the unifying force between the various colonies, and would ultimately secure American independence on the battlefield. Today, the United States Army claims June 14, 1775 as its birthday.

The journal of the Continental Congress recorded this for the day:

“Resolved, That six companies of expert riflemen, be immediately raised in Pennsylvania, two in Maryland, and two in Virginia; that each company consist of a captain, three lieutenants, four sergeants, four corporals, a drummer or trumpeter, and sixty-eight privates.

That each company, as soon as completed, shall march and join the army near Boston, to be there employed as light infantry, under the command of the chief Officer in that army.”

Of course, the chief officer of the army had not been selected yet. John Adams rose and nominated Colonel George Washington from Virginia. Washington immediately left the room as the Congress debated choice. While the Congress would not vote on Washington’s nomination until the following day, they had taken a momentous step in creating an army, even while they hoped for an ultimate reconciliation with Great Britain with their English rights preserved.

The Continental Congress prescribed the oath for enlisting Continental troops:

“I have, this day, voluntarily enlisted myself, as a soldier, in the American continental army, for one year, unless sooner discharged: And I do bind myself to conform, in all instances, to such rules and regulations, as are, or shall be, established for the government of the said Army.”

By mid-July the Virginia Continentals would already start marching towards Boston.

This year the United States Army will be doing numerous events to celebrate the momentous event. The National Museum of the US Army in Fairfax County, Virginia also has a special exhibit on display to mark the 250th. Remember the tens of thousands of men who fought in the Continental Army over the eight year war, and the thousands who died in its ranks for our freedom.

Remember this Memorial Day the approximately 25,000 Patriots who died to secure the independence and liberty of the United States between 1775 – 1783. They died all across the continent in battle, in prisons, and in hospitals. In Philadelphia stands a monument to the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier. The memorial stands in Washington Square, just a few blocks from Independence Hall. Washington Square was an 18th-century burying ground for the destitute, a Potter’s Field. During the Revolutionary War, it was used as a burying ground for both American and British soldiers who died of disease or were killed in nearby battles.

Not as famous as the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington Cemetery, this one was completed in 1957. The year before, archaeologists found the remains of a soldier who had a musket ball wound in his skull. They took these remains and placed them in a sarcophagus with the words: “Beneath this stone rests a soldier of Washington’s army who died to give you liberty.” He lies as a representative of the thousands of men who gave their lives during the brutal war. In front of the tomb, an eternal flame flickers in remembrance of the dead. A statue of the soldier’s commander George Washington looks over him. Behind Washington are the words: “Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness.” On one side is a quote from Washington’s Farewell Address: “The independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint councils and joint efforts of common dangers, suffering and success.” On the other, an explanation of the significance of the site: “In unmarked graves within this square lie thousands of unknown soldiers of Washington’s Army who died of wounds and sickness during the Revolutionary War.”

In the plaza of the square are multiple Revolutionary War era flags. The site is somber and inspiring. It was a place of somber reflection even while the war was being fought. On April 13, 1777, John Adams walked through the burying ground and wrote to his wife Abigail what he saw:

“I have spent an Hour, this Morning, in the Congregation of the dead. I took a Walk into the Potters Field, a burying Ground between the new stone Prison, and the Hospital, and I never in my whole Life was affected with so much Melancholly. The Graves of the soldiers, who have been buryed, in this Ground, from the Hospital and bettering House, during the Course of the last Summer, Fall, and Winter, dead of the small Pox, and Camp Diseases, are enough to make the Heart of stone to melt away. The Sexton told me, that upwards of two Thousand soldiers had been buried there, and by the Appearance, of the Graves, and Trenches, it is most probable to me, he speaks within Bounds.”

Two weeks later he wrote to the unborn millions who became the beneficiaries of these mens’ ultimate sacrifice: “Posterity! You will never know, how much it cost the present Generation, to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make a good Use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the Pains to preserve it.”

Remember them this Memorial Day!

   During the recent ERW road trip to Massachusetts for the 250th events, I saw the newly marked Parker’s Revenge site at Minute Man National Historical Park. Some of our readers may know that recently the National Park Service conducted archaeology here and discovered the site of part of the April 19, 1775 battle. It was wonderful to see this site now marked and interpreted.

   Captain John Parker commanded the Lexington militia who confronted the British early that morning. Suffering eight killed and ten wounded, they fled in confusion from the Lexington green. Regrouping later that morning, they joined in the counterattack on the British column as it moved back towards Boston, the site being named Parker’s Revenge.

   Nathan Munroe, a veteran of the clash, remembered fifty years later, “About the middle of the forenoon Captain Parker having collected part of his company, I being with them, determined to meet the regulars on their retreat from Concord. We met the regulars in the bounds of Lincoln. We fired on them and continued so to do until they met their reinforcement in Lexington.”

   While park staff had a general idea of where this occurred, recent archaeology confirmed the location. Not far from a section of the road, behind the Minute Man Visitor Center, there is a large rocky outcrop that for decades had been thought to be the site of this phase of the battle. Yet there was little evidence to support this theory.

   A multi-year historical and archaeological investigation funded by the Friends of Minute Man National Park and the American Battlefield Trust, allowed archaeologists and volunteers to investigate the area. Finding musket balls and military artifacts, they could accurately determine troop positions.   

   The investigators searched the woods just north of the outcrop in the hopes of finding evidence of the British flankers, who moved ahead of and around the main body to protect it. Archaeologists found evidence of their position, as well as of the militia.   

   Today there is a maker identifying the site and discussing the recent archaeology. Another nearby provides an illustration to help envision the fighting here. These new markers are a good reminder that we are still learning and often do not have all the answers, even for a well preserved and well documented event like this.

   In the aftermath of the April 19, 1775 fighting at Lexington, Concord, Menotomy, and the road back to Boston, militia swarmed from across New England to surround the British forces in Boston. With fighting now underway, a wave of enthusiasm swept through the region, with a decade of tension now broken by actual combat.