battle of bunker hill june, 17 th 1775 “don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes“ -...

Battle of Bunker HillJune, 17th 1775

“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes“- William Prescott an American Officer, at the Battle of Bunker Hill

Lesson Objectives

Understand causes of the Battle of Bunker Hill

Learn about battle’s strategy

Understand the consequences and effects of the battle

Learn basic facts about the Battle of Bunker Hill

Watch Videos for visual understanding of the battle

Compete at “Who wants to be millionaire”

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The Important Sign:Indicates that a question will be asked in the competition from this slide.

Revolution's Battles

American Revolution

Battles

Lexington and

Concord

Battle of Trenton

Battle of Yorktown

Battle of Saratoga

Bunker Hill

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Battle’s Details

Place: On the Charlestown Peninsula on the North side of Boston Harbour.

Opponents: British troops of the Boston military base against troops of the American Continental Army.

Generals: General Howe against Colonel William Prescott

Size of the armies: 2,400 British troops against 1,500 Americans.

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Leaders of the Battle

Americans

Colonel William Prescott

Israel Putnam was the

General in charge

leading patriot Dr.

Joseph Warren

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Leaders of the Battle

British

General William Howe

Major John Pitcairn was

also one of the British leaders

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Causes of the Battle

With the "Intolerable Acts" (the British response to the Boston Tea Party) the British had occupied Boston.

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Causes of the Battle

The Battle of Bunker Hill (or Breed's Hill) was a natural extension of the battles of Lexington and Concord, which were fought in April 1775.

Following the battles of Lexington and Concord, the British withdrew (under heavy fire) to Boston.

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Causes of the Battle

The British were besieged by angry, armed colonists. When those colonists began fortifying Breed's Hill, on the Charlestown Peninsular, the British had to act.

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Battle’s Strategy

On 16th of June 1775, Americans knew that the British were planning to send troops from Boston to occupy the hills surrounding the city.

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Battle’s Strategy

About 1,000 colonial military men under Colonel William Prescott (1726-95) built earthen defenses on top of Breed’s Hill, overlooking Boston and located on the Charlestown Peninsula.

The men originally had been ordered to construct their defenses on the top of Bunker Hill but instead chose the smaller Breed’s Hill, closer to Boston.

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Battle’s Strategy

The next day, the Americans were ordered not to fire until they can see "the whites of their eyes.“

As the British get within 15 steps, the Americans let loose a deadly shower of rifle fire and stop the British advance.

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Battle’s Strategy

The British then regroup and attack 30 minutes later with the same result.

A third attack, however, succeeds as the Americans run out of bullets and are left only with spears and stones to defend themselves.

The British succeed in taking the hill, but at a loss of half their force, over a thousand dead.

The Americans loss was about 400, including important colonial leader, General Joseph Warren.

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Battle’s Consequences

The British had taken the ground but at a great loss.

The British had many dead and wounded included most of their officers. Of General Howe's entire field staff, he was the only one not shot.

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Battle’s Consequences

Colonel James Abercrombie, a British Army Officer fatally wounded.

The American withdrawal and British advance swept through the entire peninsula, including Bunker Hill as well as Breed's Hill.

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Facts about the battle

From the British soldiers, 1054 were shot (226 dead and 828 wounded), an uneven number of these were officers.

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Facts about the battle

The American losses were only about 450, of whom 140 were killed (including Joseph Warren), and 30 captured (20 of whom died later as prisoners of war). Most American losses came during the withdrawal.

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Facts about the battle

British General William Howe was astonished at the American defences saying "The rebels have done more work in one night than my whole army would have done in one month."

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Facts about the battle

Officer Andrew McClary was the highest-ranking American officer to die in the battle. He was honored by the dedication of a fort in Kittery, Maine as Fort McClary.

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Any Questions?

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Competition Time

Choose one letter from each column

A

B

C

D

A

B

C

D

A

B

C

D

Where was the actual location of the Battle of Bunker Hill?

Bunker Hill

Breed’s Hill

Charlestown

Cambridge

A

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Time’s up!

Who were the Americans lead by?

William Prescott

John Pitcairn

William Howe

Joseph Warren

B

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Time’s up!

Why were Americans ordered not to fight until they “see the whites of their eyes”?

Not to get recognized

They weren’t trained soldiers

To make the British confused

To save weapons and Bullets

C

Back

Time’s up!

When did the Americans run our of ammunition

From the first attack

From the third attack

From the second attack

They didn’t run our of ammunition

D

Back

Time’s up!

Rearrange the below letters to find:

The name of the river between Boston and Charlestown?

A

L

IC E

R

A

R

E

V

HR

S

Back

Time’s up!

Rearrange the below letters to find:

The name of who was honored by the dedication of a fort in Kittery

B

A

RW A

R

N

M

E

C

DL

C

Y

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Time’s up!

Rearrange the below letters to find:

A set of acts that were one of the revolution’s causes

C

E

EC B

LA

N

R

I

TO

L

A

T

S

Intolerable

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Time’s up!

Rearrange the below letters to find:

The name of the city occupied by British

D

NS

B

T

OO

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Time’s up!

Why were the Americans considered victors though they lost the battle?

A

Because they caused the British to lose about half of their soldiers and they demonstrated strong attack and defence strategies.

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Time’s up!

At what time in the battle did the Americans have the greatest loss of soldiers?

B

When they ran out of ammunition and bullets, during the British 3rd attack.

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Time’s up!

What happened to the British officer Colonel James Abercrombie during the battle?

C

He was fatally wounded.

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Time’s up!

Explain: “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes”

D

A famous command attributed to William Prescott, an American Officer, at the Battle of Bunker Hill in the Revolutionary War. Prescott's command has become a proverb, meaning “Don't act before you have some chance of success.”

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Time’s up!

Well done!

Wrong Answer

Thank you for your kind Attention!