Battles of BUNKER HILL and GREAT BRIDGE in the American Revolution

Battles of BUNKER HILL and GREAT BRIDGE in the American Revolution

On Traveling Through History, we take on 2 pivotal battles in the early parts of the American fight for Independence, one kicked off the Northern colonies conflict with British troops, Bunker Hill, and the other precipitated the conflict between southern colonies and the British, Great Bridge.  Both battles were crucial to give colonists confidence that they could in fact take on the world's most powerful army in the British, and gain independence.

The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War.  The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved. It was the original objective of both the colonial and British troops, though the majority of combat took place on the adjacent hill, which became known as Breed's Hill.  On June 13, 1775, the leaders of the colonial forces besieging Boston learned that the British were planning to send troops out from the city to fortify the unoccupied hills surrounding the city, which would give them control of Boston Harbor.  In response, 1,200 colonial troops under the command of William Prescott stealthily occupied Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill.  By daybreak of June 17th, the British became aware of the presence of colonial forces on the Peninsula and mounted an attack against them. Two assaults on the colonial positions were repulsed with significant British casualties but the redoubt was captured on their third assault, after the defenders ran out of ammunition.  The colonists retreated over Bunker Hill, leaving the British in control of the Peninsula.

The Battle of Great Bridge was fought December 9, 1775, in the area of Great Bridge, Virginia, early in the American Revolutionary War.  The refusal by colonial Virginia militia forces led to the departure of Royal Governor Lord Dunmore and any remaining vestiges of British power over the Colony of Virginia during the early days of the conflict.  Following increasing political and military tensions in early 1775, both Dunmore and colonial rebel leaders recruited troops and engaged in a struggle for available military supplies.  The struggle eventually focused on Norfolk, where Dunmore had taken refuge aboard a Royal Navy vessel.  Dunmore's forces had fortified one side of a critical river crossing south of Norfolk at Great Bridge, while colonial forces had occupied the other side.  In an attempt to break up the rebel gathering, Dunmore ordered an attack across the bridge, which was decisively repulsed.  Colonel William Woodford, the Virginia militia commander at the battle, described it as "a second Bunker's Hill affair"

We watch several short videos about the history of these two important battles and their significance in the American Revolution.

Check out our video on Lexington and Concord -- https://youtu.be/oQnMV2JKioE?si=0GEWtk9IXsFbzbPr 

Check out our video on Lord Dunmore and the book "A Perfect Frenzy" -- https://youtu.be/CY6AJZPE6r4?si=IoIQtvv3OPXpiezK 

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