A History Hit special marking the 250th anniversary of the Siege of Boston (1775-1776), the first chapter in the eight year war for American Independence. It saw the war’s first pitched battle, Bunker Hill - a bloody day and a hollow British victory, won at great cost.
Dan Snow joins American experts to explore this turning point in the drive for independence, when skirmishes fought by militia turned into a fully-formed military campaign, as colonial forces laid siege on Boston for 11 months while the British Army tried desperately to maintain control of the town and the harbour.
A Virginian, called George Washington, arrived in July 1775 to take charge of the newly formed Continental Army. It was the birth of the United States Army.
And Dan gets hands on with the frontline tactics of the time, drilling with a British re-enactment unit to discover how his Majesty’s troops maintained discipline in the teeth of heavy fire.
History Hit is tracing key events in the War of Independence - exploring the ground with experts, experiencing the conditions and digging deep into real events. We plan to continue to do this over the course of the 250th anniversaries of this defining conflict in the coming years.
_________
More information about the places featured in this film:
Once again we received superb assistance from the National Parks Service
https://www.nps.gov/bost/learn/historyculture/bhm.htm
https://www.nps.gov/long/index.htm
The Museum of the First Corps of Cadets is a fascinating visit - it requires an appointment:
https://www.vafcc.org/
Up Next in Revolution!
-
American Revolution: The First Battle
250 years ago, on April 19th 1775, the first muskets were fired in the American War of Independence - the famous "shot heard round the world".
In this special History Hit film, Dan Snow explores the key sites where it happened on this day - Battle Green, Lexington; The Old North Bridge, Concord...
-
American Revolution - The Boston Tea ...
250 years ago, on December 16th 1773, an event happened that shocked an Empire and fired the starting pistol for the American Revolution. At the time it was known simply as the Destruction of the Tea, an act that shook the world from Bengal to Britain to Boston.
In this specially made film to ma...
-
Could You Survive the American Revolu...
Step back 250 years as a British Redcoat Soldier defending the American colonies during the War of Independence, and you were likely to face some of the most horrific and violent conditions seen just about anywhere around the world.
What might have first seemed an exhilarating and patriotic end...
10 Comments