Fortification of Dorchester Heights 1776
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 1776 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Early modern (1500–1799) | derived from year |
| Location | United States | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | North America | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | American Revolutionary War | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 42.3328, -71.0464 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Fortification of Dorchester Heights was a decisive action early in the American Revolutionary War that precipitated the end of the siege of Boston and the withdrawal of British troops from that city.
On March 4, 1776, troops from the Continental Army under George Washington's command occupied Dorchester Heights, a series of low hills with a commanding view of Boston and its harbor, and mounted powerful cannons there threatening the city and the Navy ships in the harbor. General William Howe, commander of the British forces occupying Boston, planned an attack to dislodge them. However, a snowstorm prevented its execution, so Howe withdrew instead. British forces and Loyalists who had fled to the city during the siege evacuated the city on March 17 and sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Fortification of Dorchester Heights (revision 1370619891), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
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- Battle of Menotomy 1775 · 13 km
- Battles of Lexington and Concord 1775 · 20 km
- Battles of Lexington and Concord 1775 · 20 km
Other battles of the American Revolutionary War
- Battles of Lexington and Concord 1775
- Capture of Fort Ticonderoga 1775
- Siege of Boston 1775
- Siege of Fort St. Jean 1775
- Siege of Savage's Old Fields 1775
- Ambush of Geary 1776
- Battle of Block Island 1776
- Battle of Fort Washington 1776
- Battle of Harlem Heights 1776
- Battle of Iron Works Hill 1776
All 190 battles of the American Revolutionary War →
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