Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The battle of bunker hill essay
French and indian war revolutionary war
The beginning of the revolutionary war
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The battle of bunker hill essay
As the British charge up Bunker Hill for the first time, their spirits high, they are soon slaughtered by the Continental Army’s superior position. British soldiers near death or already dead are scattered around the battle field; soon many more will soon meet the same fate. This is what the beginning of the Battle of Bunker Hill looked like. It was the Continental Army’s first major victory, even though the British had captured the battle field. Looking at the causalities the real victor of this glories battle is easily distinguished, did the British General Gage want to win that much that he sent many men to their demise to win? The Continental Army’s fortification stood strong, strong enough to take on almost three ferocious charges from one of the world’s greatest armies. If the Americans had the proper supplies for such a battle, maybe the outcome would have been different, or maybe it would have just prolonged the inevitable. Still the Battle of Bunker Hill was most defiantly the first major victory for the Continental Army. How could an army so powerful lose so many men, and how could an army juvenile lose so little? The casualties of the Battle of Bunker Hill were so different, it’s almost unreal. The Continental Army lost around 400 men, which was pretty respectable. England on the other hand lost a jaw-dropping 1,150 men at the end of the battle. The highly trained British army lost almost three times more men then the “infant” army of the American’s. This was because of the Continental Army’s superior defensive placement on the field. They had a complete overview of the battlefield and easily picked off the British as they charged up the hill. It was suicide for the British to charge the hill but the General ... ... middle of paper ... ...Continental Army lost a fraction of what the British lost; it is clearly the Continental Armies victory. The Battle of Bunker Hill was without a doubt the first real battle and victory of the war. It was the first formal victory for the British. They took position of the field, with the lose of almost half of their men. It was also the first moral boost for the Continental Army. They withstood two attacks from the British and suffered only a few casualties. With the right supplies they could have withstood a third charge and maybe a fourth. British soldiers near death or already dead are scattered around the battle field; soon many more will soon meet the same fate. This is what the beginning of the Battle of Bunker Hill looked like and this is how it ended. It was the Continental Army’s first major victory, even though the British had captured the battle field.
COL Prescott’s role in the Battle of Bunker Hill, or more correctly know as the Battle of Breed’s Hill, is a great example of how to properly execute mission command. An overview from The Cowpens Staff Ride and Battlefield Tour (Moncure) reveals a number of operation and strategic objectives that the American militia had to consider. In this instance, COL Prescott takes charge of 1200 men with instructions to defend against incoming British forces that were seeking to occupy the surrounding hills during the Siege of Boston campaign. COL Prescott utilized a variety of steps in the operations process that contributed to his expert utilization of mission command over his forces. Through various sources from published works by experts on the subject, COL Prescott’s mission command demonstrates its effectiveness in his understanding of the situation against the British, his visualization to create an end state for t...
Gage was the one to be a soldier who hated war. Thomas Gage took part in the battle of Culloden, the French and Indian War, and in the conquest of Canada. He witnessed the British defeat at Fontenoy which changed his outlook of battles. “He was the younger son of an aristocratic Anglo-Catholic family with its seat at Firle Place, Susses, in the south of England” (Fi...
McCullough describes washington as a leader of many qualities in which makes him successful. After making the British evacuate from Boston, washington is praised for being such a courageous and smart leader, therefore lifting morale around American troops. The war most likely would not have been won without George Washington's help most likely due to his incredible leadership skills. The colonies are virtually nothing without George Washington because he keeps them together by asking congress to support them and as McCullough describes, is relentless about doing so as we're Knox and Greene later on. George Washington was so important that even the loyalists plotted to assassinate him with hopes to derail the American rebellion. However, the colonies success wasn't just off George washington. Mccullough describes the average british soldier as strong and more fit compared to the colonial soldier, superior and overall well trained.The fact that the colonies were untrained made the British cocky, Making them think they didn't have to use their superior weaponry thinking the Americans would surrender out of free will. McCullough gives us an insight to how the Americans tried new things using their resources making great things with what little they
...e gun, it seemed, the greater the owner‘s pride in it.” (McCullough 33) The Continental army certainly did not look like an army yet these people were brought together in this fight for freedom and prevailed even winning the support of Americans who had no hope the British would be defeated.” Merchant Erving had sided with the Loyalists primarily because he thought the rebellion would fail. But the success of Washington‘s army at Boston had changed his mind as it had for many” (McCullough 108). The reader must comprehend the power of this accomplishment for the rag-tag army. “Especially for those who had been with Washington and who knew what a close call it was at the beginning-how often circumstance, storms, contrary winds, the oddities or strengths of individual character had made the difference- the outcome seemed little short of a miracle.” (McCullough 294).
In “Battles of Lexington and Concord”, the goals of the British were hindered due to American preparation. One of the goals of the British was “capturing pat...
Even though the British army was larger, the American army proved to have talented fighters. The Continental Army and the state militias were essentially the two military organizations of the Americans. Throughout the war, the Americans employed only 231,771 men, which meant that the American forces rarely numbered over 20,000. Compared to the British, the American army was small, but their military tactics and skills were excellent. From a distance of 200 yards, an American rifleman could easily kill a British soldier. Many men observed that the British plainly fired in the general direction of the Americans, while the Americans aimed for the heads of the British.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the very first battles of the Revolutionary War. The battle of Lexington was a brief fight that marked the first war-like conflict. It took place on the morning of April 19, 1775, when about 70 colonial minutemen, commanded by Captain John Parker, collided with about 800 British soldiers marching their way to Concord, Massachusetts, to steal some equipment from the colonial militia. The British soldiers were under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith (Lexington, Battle of).
In the center of the LZ was a large termite hill that was to become Moore's command post. Moore was the first man out of the lead chopper to hit the landing zone, firing his M16 rifle. Little did Moore and his men suspect that fate had sent them into the first major battle of the Vietnam War between the American Army and the People's Army of Vietnam, and into the history books.... ... middle of paper ... ...
In the summer of 1775, The Americans prepared to attack the British in Boston. But Washington was informed that they were shorthanded on gunpowder. The Americans had fewer than 10,000 pounds, roughly nine rounds per man. The situation was not expected to improve soon. During the night of March 4th, 1776 in Boston. Washington pulled the unthinkable and surprised the British by placing his army up the undefended Dorchester Heights. The British had ships anchored in the Boston Harbor, which were within range of American cannons. The British army woke up the next morning and was amazed to see how much hard work took place that night by the American army. Since the British army was surrounded they had no ot...
In 1775, Benedict Arnold had taken his first victory-Fort Ticonderoga. The Battle of the fort occured on May 10, 1775. Arnold and four-hundred soldiers stood opposite of the fort on Lake Champlain and waited for the scouting units to return (CIA). When they had returned, they told Benedict that the fort had only housed fourty-nine British soldiers, a megar amount compared to Benedict's. But the scouts had also noted that there were only two boats that could transport Benedict and his soldiers, therefore only a hundred or so men actually particapted in the capturing of Fort Ticonderoga (History Ticonderoga). Benedict still wanted to suprise the soldiers, so they attacked Ticonderoga's south gate, where only one sentry was stationed. Benedict damanded their surround once they had rose from their sleep. The British troops complied and the fort was won with no casualties and not a single shot fired (CIA). With the fort under the patriots control, the army gained a hundred cannons that the army despreately needed (fourty-three of which were transported and used by General Knox against the British at Boston) and a passage from New York into Canada( History Ticonderoga)which led Benedict to his next military excersion.
On June 17, 1775 the Battle of Bunker Hill took place. It is one of the most important colonial victories in the U.S. War for Independence. Fought during the Siege of Boston, it lent considerable encouragement to the revolutionary cause. This battle made both sides realize that this was not going to be a matter decided on by one quick and decisive battle.
The American Revolution was a long lasting war between the Americans and the British. Both sides had many obstacles to get through, but in the end the British were defeated. But there is a question. Did the Americans win or did the British lose? During this time, the American’s goal was to gain their independence, while the British’s goal was to stop the revolution all together, the end of it is well known, the Americans gained their independence. Now, to answer the question, most people would say, the Americans won and the British lost, but this is not the case. To determine a victory in war, the winning side must have obtained what they wanted in the beginning, and is what happened to the Americans. Although some may say that the British lost, since they were the ones who didn’t reach their ultimate goal. The Americans won because they were able
This entire battle was between American citizens, which is what made it so unique. There were the patriots that were led by Colonel Campbell and the Tories (or loyalists) led by Major Ferguson. The important thing to understand is how the two different sides can differ so much if they are both American. The patriots are what you call the “hardcore” activists for America. The Loyalists were American citizens, but during the American Revolution they took sides with Britain to be safe. In the end, the loyalists were wrong and America pulled through.
While many variables are vital to a successful army on the battlefield, none should be neglected. Each variable discussed in this examination will prove to be important, but the information battle will be paramount in the battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg After the Confederate victory at Chancellorsville in May of 1863, General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia embarked on their 2nd invasion of the north. General Lee’s first campaign into the north resulted in the Confederate defeat at Antietam. The failure of Lee’s first northern campaign raises the question of his motives.
The junction in Virginia had to be coordinated by two different national commands separated across an ocean without benefit of telephone, telegraph or wireless. That this was carried out without a fault seems accountable only by a series of miracles." A “miracle” is defined as “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency,” but the story of Yorktown is not really a miracle, it really is in large part the story of four generals; Washington and Rochambeau on the allies side and Clinton and Cornwallis on the British side. The generals’ traits and how they worked together helped shape the battle. Washington and Rochambeau were opposites in many ways. Washington was self-taught in military tactics but his sheer determination had carried the American army through six years without a decisive victory. Rochambeau was a battle-scarred veteran of many European conflicts, in other words a professional soldier. One of the keys to the two generals’ success at Yorktown is likely this combination of traits and the fact that they worked well together. On the other hand, Clinton and Cornwallis actually disliked and distrusted each other. Cornwallis was arrogant and ambitious. He had weakened his own army by trying to take South and North Carolina but was outsmarted by the local commanders there, losing many men and supplies. His arrogance caused him to retreat to Yorktown where he waited for rescue by Clinton. Clinton too mismanaged the campaign. He was cowardly and believed that he had to remain in New York rather than attempt to rescue