Revolutionary_War

Revolutionary War Revolutionary War When the British fell back from Concord to Boston in April 1775, the farmer militiamen of New England immediately besieged the city. The Second Continental Congress, meeting at Philadelphia in May 1775 now took charge of the war and appointed Washington commander in chief. Before he arrived at Boston, the New Englanders had made a valiant attempt to hold Bunker Hill, preparatory to bombarding the British troops and fleet in the city. The first major battle of the American Revolution was fought at Bunker Hill in Massachusetts on June 17, 1775. Two months had passed since the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord. The British had increased their force in Boston and put General Howe in command. Thousands of colonial troops had gathered nearby. The American headquarters learned that Howe was planning to occupy some of the hills around Boston. To forestall him, Colonel Prescott was sent out on the night of June 16 to occupy Bunker Hill, on a small peninsula in the Charles River, north of the city. Prescott, however, occupied the adjoining Breed's Hill, close to the waterfront. british, men, americans, new, washington, american, force, north, states, st, howe, york, troops, fort, about, hill, general, england, army, took, during, cornwallis, city, burgoyne, war, united, south, retreated, philadelphia, forces, battle, winter, under, treaty, marched