British Troops Evacuate Boston
The evacuation of British troops from Boston on March 17, 1776, marked a significant moment in the American Revolutionary War. Following the costly Battle of Bunker Hill, the British found themselves in a precarious position, especially after American forces, under the command of George Washington, secured Dorchester Heights. This strategic move allowed the Continental Army to threaten British positions and control the city. Despite efforts to dislodge the Americans, adverse weather conditions hindered the British army's plans, ultimately leading to a decision to evacuate.
The evacuation was not only a tactical retreat but also a pivotal point for American morale and military strategy. Nearly 1,000 Loyalists left with the British, underscoring the divided loyalties in the region. The event has since been commemorated in various forms, with the 200th anniversary celebrated during the American Revolution Bicentennial in 1976. The successful siege and subsequent evacuation of Boston are often credited with bolstering the reputation of Washington and the Continental Army at a crucial time in the fight for independence.
On this Page
British Troops Evacuate Boston
British Troops Evacuate Boston
The evacuation of Boston by British troops took place on March 17, 1776. The event became the occasion for annual celebrations for many years afterwards. The 200th anniversary was observed in 1976, during the nationwide celebration of the American Revolution Bicentennial.
At the outbreak of the American Revolution, the peninsula of Boston was highly vulnerable to attack either from Charlestown, located on an arm of land to the north, which the British had secured at a staggering cost in the Battle of Bunker Hill; or from Dorchester Heights, on another arm of land to the south. Because of miscalculation or exhaustion after their Bunker Hill engagement with the colonials, the British failed to immediately follow up their victory with what would have been the logical next step: an assault on Dorchester Heights.
George Washington, who took command of the Continental army two and a half weeks after the Bunker Hill battle, was quick to take advantage of the British oversight. After training and equipping his ill-prepared force, he proceeded with what history has termed the Siege of Boston. As soon as he had amassed sufficient ammunition and weaponry, notably the British cannon hauled from the captured Fort Ticonderoga, he was able to take Dorchester Heights without opposition. On the evening of March 4, 1776, while American forces kept up fire on British lines to obscure what was going on to the rear, the American general John Thomas took possession of the heights with 2,000 handpicked men. Since fortifications were an immediate necessity and the frozen ground made it impossible for the men to dig in, they carried with them prefabricated entrenchments consisting of timber frames. These works were loaded on 350 wagons and carts, which moved with the army in the dark. Having arrived on the heights, the men erected a timber wall, fronted it with an additional fortification made of felled trees, and placed barrels filled with stones before that. It was, in the words of one observer, “a most astonishing night's work.” When day broke on the morning of March 5, the British saw two redoubts on the heights, armed with cannons and commanding the city.
General Sir William Howe, the British commander, was astounded, and Vice Admiral Molyneux Shuldham, whose ships were now vulnerable to bombardment, stated that if the Americans could not be driven from their position he could not keep a single vessel in Boston Harbor. Accordingly, a company of 2,400 soldiers under the command of Sir Hugh Percy was dispatched in boats, under cover of darkness, to dislodge the enemy. But the New England weather was on the side of the Americans. A sudden storm drove some of the boats ashore, and it rained so hard in the morning that none of the British troops could move. Even with good weather, the attack would have been launched against almost impossible odds. With bad weather, it was delayed long enough for the Americans to make their position impervious to assault.
General Howe called a council of war, which decided that the city the British had occupied for so long should be evacuated. Howe offered to take his forces from the city if they were allowed to go without molestation. Washington consented, but maintained a close watch, ready to attack if the British made a hostile move. The actual evacuation was delayed until March 17, when the British troops were taken aboard their ships along with some 1,000 Loyalists. After pausing off Nantasket for ten days, the fleet sailed for Nova Scotia. After the evacuation was completed, the Continental Congress thanked Washington for the delivery of the city from the British and awarded him a gold medal.