A Brief History of British Boston
Boston was ruled by royal governors appointed by the Crown for
over 80 years. Although the
relationship was for the most part congenial, two regiments were sent in
October of 1768 to help Governor Thomas Hutchinson control the mobs that were
harassing custom officials and other royal authorities. The presence of 4,000 soldiers in a town of
about 15,000 inevitably increased the tension.
In 1774, when the troubles with the colonists continued to spiral out of
control, King George III replaced the civilian governor with the military
commander in North America, Lieutenant General Thomas Gage. Although Gage tried to appease the population
and avoid conflict, he could not overlook the building up of military stores in
the surrounding towns.
The theft of two
brass cannons from an armory on Boston Common may have been the last
straw. A swift secretive raid to find
stores in Concord, and possibly the cannons, on April 19, 1775 would hopefully diminish the growing threat. A select group of 800 grenadiers and light
infantry were transferred by boat across the river to Fiske Farm (Lechmere
Point) and began the now legendary march to Lexington and Concord. Shots were fired,
men fell on both sides, and as the returning troops were ferried back to Boston from Charlestown, the siege of Boston began. Since Boston was essentially an island, being connected to the mainland
by only a narrow neck of land, it was easy to defend but also easy for the
colonial forces to pen in the King’s troops.
During the siege, Colonel William Phillips made the following comment to
General Clinton:
“You may be lions, but you are lions
confined in a den; and the provincial rebels are your keepers.”
A month later, 4,500
reinforcements and three additional Generals arrived: Major General William Howe, Brigadier General
John Burgoyne, and Brigadier General Henry Clinton. Less than a month after their arrival, the
colonists began to build fortifications above Charlestown on Breed’s
Hill, which sparked
another battle (now remembered as Bunker Hill Day on June 17) and diminished
the likelihood of a peaceful settlement.
Although General Howe led the troops to a costly victory, the British
remained trapped in Boston. The siege continued
into the fall. On Oct 10, General Gage
was recalled and General Howe assumed command.
In March the following year, the soldiers woke up to the sight of
cannons from Fort Ticonderoga pointing down upon them from Dorchester heights. Not only
the town, but the British fleet as well was threatened. Boston could no longer be defended. On the 17th (now commemorated as
Evacuation Day), the 9,000 soldiers, along with 1,000 loyalists and their
families, left the city in 125 warships and transports, bound for Halifax, and
the royal rule of Boston ended.
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