Qualla: Bunker Hill

Bunker Hill: Introduction

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Public domain. The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on Breed's Hill. This geographic confusion - never corrected, perhaps never correctable - is fitting for a battle full of contradictions. On June 17, 1775, American militia fortified a hill overlooking Boston Harbor, and British regulars attacked uphill into murderous fire. The British eventually took the hill, but at catastrophic cost: over 1,000 casualties, including a staggering percentage of their officers. American losses were lighter, though they included the death of beloved leader Joseph Warren. The British won the battle and lost the war's strategic calculus. They had proven that American farmers could stand against professional soldiers, and they had demonstrated that victories in America would be bought at prices Britain couldn't afford. 'Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes' - the famous command, probably apocryphal - captures the disciplined defiance that shocked the British Empire.

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Image: Public domain

Bunker Hill: The Fortification

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit George E Ellis, Public domain. After Lexington and Concord in April 1775, American forces besieged Boston. On the night of June 16, Colonel William Prescott led 1,200 men to fortify Bunker Hill on the Charlestown peninsula, which overlooked the city. Instead, they fortified Breed's Hill, closer to Boston and m...

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Image: George E Ellis | Public domain

Bunker Hill: The Battle

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit William Waterway, CC BY-SA 3.0. The British attacked in the early afternoon, 2,200 men advancing uphill in formation against 1,500 Americans. The first assault was stopped cold by disciplined volleys from the redoubt. The British regrouped and attacked again. Again they were thrown back, leaving the hillside ca...

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Image: William Waterway | CC BY-SA 3.0

Bunker Hill: The Cost

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Francisco Seoane Perez, CC BY 2.0. British casualties were staggering: 226 dead and 828 wounded - over 40% of the attacking force. American losses were 140 dead and 301 wounded. Among the British dead and wounded were an extraordinary number of officers, targeted by American marksmen. The psychological impact exce...

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Image: Francisco Seoane Perez | CC BY 2.0

Bunker Hill: The Monument

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit User:Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0. The Bunker Hill Monument, a 221-foot granite obelisk completed in 1843, actually stands on Breed's Hill - perpetuating the geographic error. It was one of America's first major memorial projects, taking 17 years to complete and requiring multiple fundraising efforts. Daniel Webst...

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Image: User:Chensiyuan | CC BY-SA 4.0

Bunker Hill: Visiting Bunker Hill

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Dariusz Jemielniak ("Pundit"), CC BY-SA 4.0. The Bunker Hill Monument is located in Charlestown, Boston, part of Boston National Historical Park and the Freedom Trail. The monument grounds are free; climbing the monument's 294 steps offers panoramic views of Boston. The Bunker Hill Museum at the monument's base has exhibits...

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Image: Dariusz Jemielniak ("Pundit") | CC BY-SA 4.0