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BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL The American Revolution ended two centuries of British rule for most of the North American colonies and created the modern United States of America. It lasted for eight years, from 1775-1783. The Battle of Lexington and Concorde is the battle that kicked off the American Revolution, however, the first large-scale engagement of the war was The Battle of Bunker (Breed’s) Hill. After retreating from Lexington in 1775, the British Army occupied Boston for several months. After realizing the need to strengthen their position because of anti-British sentiment in and around the area, plans were developed to seize nearby Dorchester Heights and Charlestown, in present day Massachusetts. These two peninsulas offered a commanding view of the seaport and harbor and were important to preserving the security of Boston. The Americans caught word of the British plan and decided to get to the Charlestown peninsula first, fortify it, and present enough threat to cause the British to leave Boston. On June 16,1775, under the leadership of Colonels Putnam and Prescott, about twelve hundred American troops arrived at the Charlestown Peninsula with instructions to establish defensive positions on Bunker Hill, however, Colonel Prescott instead chose the neighboring Breed’s Hill to the southeast.
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