What happened after the Battle of Boston in 1776?
On March 17, the eight-year British occupation of Boston ended when British troops evacuated the town and sailed to the safety of Nova Scotia, a British colony in Canada. After the Siege of Boston, the Revolutionary War continued for seven more years.
How did the Siege of Boston start?
The Siege of Boston started after the Battle of Lexington and Concord when the Massachusetts Militia pinned British forces in Boston. The Siege of Boston, which began in 1775, ended when the British were forced out of the city in March 1776 by the Continental Army.
Why did the British leave Boston after eleven months?
British resupply and reinforcement was limited to sea access, which was impeded by American vessels. The British abandoned Boston after eleven months and transferred their troops and equipment to Nova Scotia. The siege began on April 19 after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, when Massachusetts militias blocked land access to Boston.
When did the colonists enter Boston in 1776?
More of the colonial army entered on March 20, 1776, once the risk of disease was judged low. While Washington had essentially acceded to the British threat to burn Boston, and had not hindered their departure from the city, he did not make their escape from the outer harbor entirely easy.
When did the British enter Boston Harbor?
When did the British evacuate Boston?
What was the Boston Massacre?
Who led the troops to Dorchester Heights?
Who was the British general who hoped to destroy the American position?
Who was the first person to receive the first medal ever awarded by the Continental Congress?
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What happened to the British troops that left Boston?
The British abandoned Boston after eleven months and transferred their troops and equipment to Nova Scotia.
What happened to the British troops when they marched back to Boston?
The British forces began their return march to Boston after completing their search for military supplies, and more militiamen continued to arrive from the neighboring towns. Gunfire erupted again between the two sides and continued throughout the day as the regulars marched back towards Boston.
What happened in Massachusetts after the British troops arrived?
In October 1768, British troops arrived in the city of Boston and occupied the city. Tensions led to the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770, and the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773. In response to the Tea Party and other protests, Parliament enacted the Intolerable Acts to punish the colonies.
Why did the British leave Boston for New York?
The British troops were forced to leave after the continental army heavily fortified Dorchester Heights with cannons taken from Fort Ticonderoga, which resulted in the Battle of Dorchester Heights.
Who drove the British out of Boston?
Consequently, when Gen. George Washington (who took command of the colonial army two weeks later) had collected enough heavy guns and ammunition to threaten Boston, he was able, in March 1776, to seize and fortify Dorchester Heights without opposition and to compel the British to evacuate the town and harbour.
Where were the British troops stationed in Boston?
In the end of September 1768 troop ships, accompanied by British men of war, arrived in Boston Harbor. The troops disembarked and initially encamped on the Boston Commons, as well as, in the Court House, and in Faneuil Hall.
How did colonists in Massachusetts respond to British troops?
Their hostility increased toward the British troops sent to keep order. Outside the city, individual families and towns had formed militia groups and accumulated gunpowder and weapons for the defense of their homes.
Why did the British decide to leave Boston for Halifax in March of 1776?
The British could not return fire on the colonial positions because they could not elevate their cannons. They soon realized that they were in an untenable position and had to withdraw from Boston. On March 17, 1776, the British evacuated their troops to Halifax, Nova Scotia by sea, ending the nearly year-long siege.
How did the British react to the Boston Tea Party what laws were passed after that event?
The British response to the Boston Tea Party was to impose even more stringent policies on the Massachusetts colony. The Coercive Acts levied fines for the destroyed tea, sent British troops to Boston, and rewrote the colonial charter of Massachusetts, giving broadly expanded powers to the royally appointed governor.
Where did the British go when evacuated Boston?
Halifax, Nova ScotiaRealizing their position was now indefensible, 11,000 British troops and some 1,000 Loyalists departed Boston by ship on March 17, sailing to the safety of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
What was the war of 1776 called?
In the first eighteen months of armed conflict with the British (the conflict would not become a "war for independence" until July 4, 1776), Washington had begun to create an army and forced the British army in Boston to evacuate that city in March 1776.
Where did the British try to break the Siege of Boston?
The Battle of Bunker Hill: In June, the arrival of British reinforcements prompted the British army to make plans to reclaim Dorchester and Charlestown in an attempt to break the siege.
Where did the British go when evacuated Boston?
Halifax, Nova ScotiaRealizing their position was now indefensible, 11,000 British troops and some 1,000 Loyalists departed Boston by ship on March 17, sailing to the safety of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
How did the British respond to the Boston Tea Party?
In April 1774, the British Parliament passed the Coercive (or Intolerable) Acts, which punished Massachusetts for the Tea Party incident. The Acts not only took away home rule from Massachusetts, it forced all Americans to board British troops in unoccupied buildings.
Why were Bostonians angry with the British troops?
The sudden rise in population by the British troops meant all food and fuel had to be spread more thinly. There were also constant clashes between the townspeople and British soldiers. Bostonians resented the military presence and the British looked upon the citizenry as unruly rabble.
How did the British react to the Boston Tea Party?
The British response to the Boston Tea Party was to impose even more stringent policies on the Massachusetts colony. The Coercive Acts levied fines for the destroyed tea, sent British troops to Boston, and rewrote the colonial charter of Massachusetts, giving broadly expanded powers to the royally appointed governor.
The British evacuation of Boston, 1776 | Gilder Lehrman Institute of ...
The British evacuation of Boston, 1776 | | On March 25, 1776, only eight days after the British evacuation of Boston, the Continental Congress authorized a medal, “George Washington before Boston,” to commemorate the event. During the war, Congress commissioned eleven medals in the Comitia Americana (American Congress) series depicting generals and important battles of the American Revolution.
Evacuation Day (Massachusetts) - Wikipedia
Evacuation Day is a holiday observed on March 17 in Suffolk County, Massachusetts (which includes the cities of Boston, Chelsea, and Revere, and the town of Winthrop) and also by the public schools in Somerville, Massachusetts. The holiday commemorates the evacuation of British forces from the city of Boston following the siege of Boston, early in the American Revolutionary War.
The Plot To Poison Boston
But Howe began losing control of his troops. The general had tried to create an orderly process for seizing citizens’ goods the military could use. The soldiers had to issue receipts and certificates for future payment. However, others saw this as a sign that he condoned looting.
The Damage Done
The story in Charlestown, which the British had burned, was different. Almost nothing still stood, Warren reported, save for an occasional wall or chimney.
Shocking Discovery
But what Warren and fellow physician Dr. Samuel Scott found in the British medical supplies shocked them the most. In a workhouse used as a hospital, Warren discovered a cache of medicines. They could be highly useful in treating soldiers or citizens. However, Scott found that, upon leaving, the British had mixed arsenic into the medicines.
A Shocker
Warren then asked Scott to let him see the arsenic. He did, and Warren judged the lumps of arsenic to weight 12 to 14 pounds. Surprised, he looked at the medicine carefully. He judged them as popular and useful — without the poison.
by Allen French
Thanks to History of the Siege of Boston by Richard Frothingham and The Siege of Boston by Allen French.
When did the British evacuate Boston?
Realizing Boston was indefensible to the American positions, the British evacuated the town on March 17 and the siege came to an end.
Why did the colonists surround Boston?
However, because the British maintained control of Boston Harbor, they were able to receive additional soldiers and supplies.
What was the name of the town that was occupied by the British during the American Revolutionary War?
Siege of Boston and Fortification of Dorchester Heights. Siege of Boston: Aftermath. From April 1775 to March 1776, in the opening stage of the American Revolutionary War (1775-83), colonial militiamen, who later became part of the Continental army, successfully laid siege to British-held Boston , Massachusetts.
What were the tensions between the British and the American colonies?
For more than a decade before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, tensions had been building between American colonists and the British authorities. Attempts by the British government to raise revenue by taxing the colonies met with heated protest among many colonists, who resented their lack of representation in Parliament and demanded the same rights as other British subjects. Colonial resistance led to violence in 1770, when British soldiers opened fire on a mob of colonists, killing five men in what was known as the Boston Massacre.
What rights did the Continental Congress have?
This First Continental Congress did not go so far as to demand independence from Britain, but it denounced taxation without representation, as well as the maintenance of the British army in the colonies without their consent, and issued a declaration of the rights due every citizen, including life, liberty, property, assembly and trial by jury . The Continental Congress voted to meet again in May 1775 to consider further action, but by that time violence had already broken out. On April 19, local militiamen clashed with British soldiers in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, marking the first shots fired in the Revolutionary War.
What was the last major battle of the Revolutionary War?
After the Siege of Boston, the Revolutionary War continued for seven more years. The Battle of Yorktown, which ended in October 1781 with the surrender of British forces under Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805) to a combined American and French force, was the last major land battle of the war.
When is Boston's evacuation day?
Did you know? Since 1901, Bostonians have celebrated the end of the Siege of Boston with an official holiday known as Evacuation Day, observed every March 17th.
When did the British abandon Boston?
The British abandoned Boston after eleven months and transferred their troops and equipment to Nova Scotia. The siege began on April 19 after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, when Massachusetts militias blocked land access to Boston.
Why did the British restrict movement in and out of Boston?
The British at first greatly restricted movement in and out of the city, fearing infiltration of weapons. Besieged and besiegers eventually reached an informal agreement allowing traffic on the Boston Neck, provided no firearms were carried. Residents of Boston turned in almost 2,000 muskets, and most of the Patriot residents left the city. Many Loyalists who lived outside the city of Boston left their homes and fled into the city. Most of them felt that it was not safe to live outside of the city, because the Patriots were now in control of the countryside. Some of the men, after arriving in Boston, joined Loyalist regiments attached to the British army.
How many cannonballs were fired at Boston?
The next day, the colonists went out and collected the 700 cannonballs that had been fired at them. A map showing Boston and vicinity, including Bunker Hill, Dorchester Heights, and the troop disposition of Gen. Artemas Ward during the siege of Boston. From "Marshall's Life of Washington" (1806).
What happened immediately after the siege line?
In the days immediately following the creation of the siege line, the size of the colonial forces grew, as militias from New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut arrived on the scene. General Gage wrote of his surprise of the number of rebels surrounding the city: "The rebels are not the despicable rabble too many have supposed them to be....In all their wars against the French they never showed such conduct, attention, and perseverance as they do now."
What was the name of the train that stopped the British army from moving to Boston?
Knox artillery train. Dorchester Heights. The siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776) was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. New England militiamen prevented the movement by land of the British Army, which was garrisoned in what was then the peninsular city of Boston, Massachusetts Bay.
How many ships were on the Boston march?
The troops, who were authorized to burn the town if there were any disturbances while they were marching to their ships, began to move out at 4:00 a.m. By 9:00 a.m., all ships were underway. The fleet departing from Boston included 120 ships, with more than 11,000 people aboard. Of those, 9,906 were British troops, 667 were women, and 553 were children.
Where did the Massachusetts militia block the Boston Neck?
Immediately after the battles of April 19, the Massachusetts militia, under the loose leadership of William Heath, who was superseded by General Artemas Ward late on the 20th, formed a siege line extending from Chelsea, around the peninsulas of Boston and Charlestown, to Roxbury, effectively surrounding Boston on three sides. They particularly blocked the Charlestown Neck (the only land access to Charlestown), and the Boston Neck (the only land access to Boston, which was then a peninsula ), leaving only the harbor and sea access under British control.
Why were the British sent out to Boston?
Troops were sent out to some of the islands in Boston Harbor to raid farmers for supplies. In response, the colonials began clearing those islands of supplies useful to the British.
When did the siege of Boston end?
The siege (and the campaign) ended on March 17, 1776, with the permanent withdrawal of British forces from Boston. To this day, Boston celebrates March 17 as Evacuation Day .
What happened on April 18 1775?
On the night of April 18, 1775, General Gage sent 700 men to seize munitions stored by the colonial militia at Concord. Several riders — including Paul Revere — alerted the countryside, and when the British troops entered Lexington on the morning of April 19, they found 77 minutemen formed up on the village common. Shots were exchanged, eight Minutemen were killed, the outnumbered colonial militia dispersed, and the British moved on to Concord. At Concord, the troops searched for military supplies, but found relatively little, as the colonists, having received warnings that such an expedition might happen, had taken steps to hide many of the supplies. During the search, there was a confrontation at the North Bridge. A small company of British troops fired on a much larger column of colonial militia, which returned fire, and eventually routed the British, who returned to the village center and rejoined the other troops there. By the time the " redcoats " or "lobster backs" (as the British soldiers were called) began the return march to Boston, several thousand militiamen had gathered along the road. A running fight ensued, and the British detachment suffered heavily before reaching Charlestown. With the Battle of Lexington and Concord — the " shot heard 'round the world " — the war had begun.
What was the Boston campaign?
Boston campaign. The Boston campaign was the opening campaign of the American Revolutionary War, taking place primarily in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. The campaign began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, in which the local colonial militias interdicted a British government attempt to seize military stores ...
What was the cause of the Boston Massacre?
Tensions led to the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770, and the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773. In response to the Tea Party and other protests, Parliament enacted the Intolerable Acts to punish the colonies.
Where did the Boston campaign take place?
The Boston campaign was the opening campaign of the American Revolutionary War, taking place primarily in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. The campaign began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, in which the local colonial militias interdicted a British government attempt to seize military stores and leaders in Concord, ...
When did George Washington become commander in chief?
Congress officially adopted the forces outside Boston as the Continental Army on May 26, and named George Washington its commander-in-chief on June 15. Washington left Philadelphia for Boston on June 21, but did not learn of the action at Bunker Hill until he reached New York City. A Currier and Ives print depicting George Washington accepting ...
When did the British enter Boston Harbor?
The British fleet had first entered Boston Harbor on October 2, 1768, carrying 1,000 soldiers. Having soldiers living among them in tents on Boston Common—a standing army in 18th-century parlance—infuriated Bostonians. For the victory, General Washington, commander of the Continental Army, was presented with the first medal ever awarded by ...
When did the British evacuate Boston?
British evacuate Boston. On March 17, 1776, British forces are forced to evacuate Boston following General George Washington ’s successful placement of fortifications and cannons on Dorchester Heights, which overlooks the city from the south.
What was the Boston Massacre?
The bloodless liberation of Boston by the Patriots brought an end to a hated eight-year British occupation of the city, known for such infamous events as the “ Boston Massacre ,” in which five colonists were shot and killed by British soldiers. The British fleet had first entered Boston Harbor on October 2, 1768, carrying 1,000 soldiers.
Who led the troops to Dorchester Heights?
During the evening of March 4, Major General John Thomas, under orders from Washington, secretly led a force of 800 soldiers and 1,200 workers to Dorchester Heights and began fortifying the area. To cover the sound of the construction, American cannons, besieging Boston from another location, began a noisy bombardment of the outskirts of the city.
Who was the British general who hoped to destroy the American position?
British General Sir William Howe hoped to use the British ships in Boston Harbor to destroy the American position, but a storm set in, giving the Americans ample time to complete the fortifications and set up their artillery.
Who was the first person to receive the first medal ever awarded by the Continental Congress?
For the victory, General Washington, commander of the Continental Army, was presented with the first medal ever awarded by the Continental Congress.
The Plot to Poison Boston
The Damage Done
- The story in Charlestown, which the British had burned, was different. Almost nothing still stood, Warren reported, save for an occasional wall or chimney. Other parts of Boston also bore the marks of the British occupation while under siege. The British had turned the Old South Churchinto a riding school for officers. They had dragged Deacon Hubba...
Shocking Discovery
- But what Warren and fellow physician Dr. Samuel Scott found in the British medical supplies shocked them the most. In a workhouse used as a hospital, Warren discovered a cache of medicines. They could be highly useful in treating soldiers or citizens. However, Scott found that, upon leaving, the British had mixed arsenic into the medicines. He provided an affidavit to the Le…
A Shocker
- Warren then asked Scott to let him see the arsenic. He did, and Warren judged the lumps of arsenic to weight 12 to 14 pounds. Surprised, he looked at the medicine carefully. He judged them as popular and useful — without the poison. “I advised Dr. Scott to let them remain, and by no means meddle with them, as I thought the utmost hazard would attend the using of them,” he wr…
Overview
The siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776) was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. New England militiamen prevented the movement by land of the British Army, which was garrisoned in what was then the peninsular town of Boston, Massachusetts Bay. Both sides had to deal with resource, supply, and personnel issues over the course of the siege. British res…
Aftermath
Once the British fleet sailed away, the Americans moved to reclaim Boston and Charlestown. At first, they thought that the British were still on Bunker Hill, but it turned out that the British had left dummies in place. Due to the risk of smallpox, at first only men picked for their prior exposure to the disease entered Boston under the command of Artemas Ward. More of the colonial army entered on M…
Background
Before 1775, the British imposed taxes and import duties on the American colonies, to which the inhabitants objected since they lacked British Parliamentary representation. In response to the Boston Tea Party and other acts of protest, 4,000 British troops under the command of General Thomas Gage were sent to occupy Boston and to pacify the restive Province of Massachuset…
Order of battle
The British army order of battle in July 1775 was:
• Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in America, Major General Sir William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe
• Commander of Artillery & Engineers, Colonel Cleveland (commanding officer of the 4th Battalion)
Siege
Immediately after the battles of April 19, the Massachusetts militia, under the loose leadership of William Heath, who was superseded by General Artemas Ward late on the 20th, formed a siege line extending from Chelsea, around the peninsulas of Boston and Charlestown, to Roxbury, effectively surrounding Boston on three sides. They particularly blocked the Charlestown Neck (the on…
End of the siege
Between November 1775 and February 1776, Colonel Henry Knox and a team of engineers used sledges to retrieve 60 tons of heavy artillery that had been captured at Fort Ticonderoga. Bringing them across the frozen Hudson and Connecticut rivers in a difficult, complex operation, they arrived back at Cambridge on January 24, 1776.
See also
• American Revolutionary War §Early Engagements. The siege of Boston placed in sequence and strategic context.
• Battle of Gloucester, capture of British seamen attempting to enforce blockade in Gloucester Harbor
• Battle of Machias, Boston-based ship captured in Machias Bay
Footnotes
1. ^ McCullough, p. 25
2. ^ Frothingham, p. 311 puts the military strength that evacuated Boston at 11,000. Chidsey, p. 5 puts the initial strength at 4,000.
3. ^ See Battle of Bunker Hill infobox for casualty details.