Boston Liberation 1776, Dorchester Heights, Henry Knox: How Washington Forced the British Out

American troops have liberated a great many places from tyrants and occupying armies in our history. The very first place we liberated was Boston — 250 years ago today.

By March of 1776, Boston had been groaning under the British heel for a long time. Military force arrived eight years earlier in the form of the HMS Romney, which pulled into Boston Harbor in May 1768 to enforce the Stamp Act and promptly seized a ship owned by John Hancock. Occupation followed. Six years had now passed since the Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770, when the city’s garrison fired on a mob of Bostonians, killing five. Following the Boston Tea Party in December 1773, Boston Harbor was closed on June 1, 1774, and Lieutenant-General Thomas Gage was appointed as military governor.

About the Author

Dan McLaughlin

Dan McLaughlin is a senior writer at National Review Online and a fellow at National Review Institute.

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American troops have liberated a great many places from tyrants and occupying armies in our history. The very first place we liberated was Boston — 250 years ago today.

By March of 1776, Boston had been groaning under the British heel for a long time. Military force arrived eight years earlier in the form of the HMS Romney, which pulled into Boston Harbor in May 1768 to enforce the Stamp Act and promptly seized a ship owned by John Hancock. Occupation followed. Six years had now passed since the Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770, when the city’s garrison fired on a mob of Bostonians, killing five. Following the Boston Tea Party in December 1773, Boston Harbor was closed on June 1, 1774, and Lieutenant-General Thomas Gage was appointed as military governor.