Evacuation Day (Massachusetts)
Evacuation Day is an annual holiday celebrated on March 17 in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, commemorating the withdrawal of British troops from Boston in 1776, which ended their eight-year occupation of the city. This event marked a significant turning point in the American Revolutionary War and was the first major victory for the Continental Army. The holiday was officially proclaimed in 1901 by Mayor Thomas N. Hart and has since involved closures of government offices and schools in the region. Interestingly, March 17 is also celebrated as St. Patrick's Day, reflecting the area’s strong Irish heritage in conjunction with the historical significance of the day.
Historically, British troops occupied Boston as a response to colonial protests against taxation without representation, leading to heightened tensions and conflict. The evacuation occurred after General George Washington's forces successfully positioned cannons overlooking the harbor, compelling the British to abandon the city during a storm. Evacuation Day has evolved into a local holiday celebrated in various ways, including commemorative ceremonies, and it remains an important part of the cultural identity in cities like Boston, Chelsea, and Revere.
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Evacuation Day (Massachusetts)
Evacuation Day is a holiday celebrated annually on March 17 in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. It commemorates the day in 1776 when British troops withdrew from the area and ended their eight-year occupation of Boston. Government offices and schools are closed as part of this local government holiday, which was officially proclaimed in 1901. Evacuation Day was also the name of a similar holiday that was once celebrated in New York on November 25 and also commemorated the withdrawal of British troops from that city in 1783.
Overview
The conflict that became known as America’s Revolutionary War (1775–1783) originated in the 1760s. British troops had been deployed to protect the American colonies during the French and Indian War (1754–1763). The British Parliament began enacting taxes on the colonies to help pay the huge debt incurred during the war. These included the Stamp Act in 1765, which imposed a tax on paper, and the 1767 Townshend Acts, which imposed taxes on paint, glass, tea, and other items.
American colonists objected to these steep taxes because they had no voice in Parliament. Some actively protested or refused to pay the taxes. The British government sent troops to the colonies to stop the protests and enforce payment of the taxes. Some Bostonians were particularly outspoken against the taxes and drew the attention of the British government. In late September of 1768, British ships were anchored in Boston Harbor. By October, troops had moved from the ships and had taken up residence in Boston. This was the start of an eight-year occupation of Boston and the surrounding areas. At its height, one-third of the people living in the greater Boston area were British soldiers.
The areas around Boston played a key role in many of the battles of the American Revolutionary War, which officially began in nearby Concord, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775. The British were strongly entrenched in the region, but that changed in March of 1776. Under the orders of General George Washington, a young colonel in the Continental Army named Henry Knox led a regiment that moved fifty-nine cannons from Fort Ticonderoga in New York to Dorchester Heights, which overlooked the harbor in Boston. The wagons carrying the cannons made the last stretch of the 300-mile journey at night and with straw wrapped around the wheels to make them quieter.
The British soon realized that their eleven thousand troops could no longer defend their positions in Boston. Under cover of a violent storm, the troops and about one thousand Bostonians who were loyal to the British Crown boarded ships on March 17, 1776, and evacuated the area. This withdrawal ended the occupation of Boston and marked the first major victory for the Continental Army.
The day took on special significance for citizens of Boston and was often celebrated in informal ways. In 1901, Mayor Thomas N. Hart proclaimed March 17 a legal holiday. The day recognized St. Patrick’s Day and the area’s strong Irish heritage as well as the day Boston became free of British occupation. For the first formal Evacuation Day celebration in 1901, the city’s one hundred thousand school children received special commemorative medals. The holiday is still recognized in Suffolk County, including the cities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and surrounding areas.
Bibliography
“Boston Celebrates First Evacuation Day.” Mass Moments, www.massmoments.org/moment-details/boston-celebrates-first-evacuation-day.html. Accessed 26 Sept. 2019.
“Boston Occupied—Historical Background.” Revolution 250, revolution250.org/boston-occupied-historical-background/. Accessed 26 Sept. 2019.
“Evacuation Day.” Tufts University, sites.tufts.edu/reslife/event/evacuation-day/. Accessed 26 Sept. 2019.
Federer, Bill. “Henry Knox and the Miracle of Dorchester Heights.” Allied War Veterans of South Boston, MA, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, southbostonparade.org/history-of-evacuation-day/. Accessed 26 Sept. 2019.
Hattem, Michael D. “The Story of Evacuation Day.” Junto, earlyamericanists.com/2014/11/25/the-story-of-evacuation-day/. Accessed 26 Sept. 2019.
Margino, Megan. “Evacuation Day: New York’s Former Holiday.” New York Public Library, 25 Nov. 2014, www.nypl.org/blog/2014/11/24/evacuation-day-new-york-holiday. Accessed 26 Sept. 2019.
“Road to Revolution: The Occupation of Boston.” Secretary of the State of Massachusetts, www.sec.state.ma.us/mus/pdfs/Occupation-of-Boston.pdf. Accessed 26 Sept. 2019.
Safran, Steve. “It’s Evacuation Day! (What’s That?).” Boston.com, 17 Mar. 2014, www.boston.com/news/local-news/2014/03/17/its-evacuation-day-whats-that. Accessed 26 Sept. 2019.