Page 25 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Boston

THE HIST OR Y OF BOST ON  23

Evacuation of Boston 1776
Following the Battle of Bunker Hill,
Boston remained under British
control. For almost a year American
troops lay siege to the city, until in
March 1776 George Washington
masterminded a strategy that finally
led the British to evacuate.

John Hancock
A key participant in the
Revolution, Hancock
was chosen as a delegate
of Massachusetts to
attend the first ever
Continental Con­
gress, held in 1774.

British soldiers were
sent to protect customs
commissioners.
Declaration of Independence (1776)
Events surrounding the Battle of Bunker Hill and the
evacuation of Boston inspired insurrection throughout
the 13 colonies. This led, in July 1776, to the signing of
the Declaration of Independence. Freedom from Britain
finally came in 1781.

Paul Revere’s Ride
On April 18, 1775 the British planned
to march to Lexington to capture
Samuel Adams and John Hancock,
and then on to Concord to seize
arms. To signal the route of British
troops, sexton Robert Newman
hung lanterns in the tower of the
Old North Church (see p73) and, so
legend has it, Paul Revere undertook
his “midnight ride.” Revere’s ride is
immortalized in Longfellow’s 1863
verse book Tales of a Wayside Inn.
During the ensuing skirmish at
Lex ington Green, eight American
militiamen were killed – the
first battle of the American Warning lights in the
Revolution had been fought. Old North Church

1774 Intolerable Acts 1776 Siege of Boston ends. 1781 General Cornwallis
passed; Boston Declaration of Independence adopted surrenders at Yorktown,
Harbor is closed by Continental Congress Virginia
1775 1780

1775 Midnight ride
of Paul Revere Grand Union,
America’s first 1783 U.S. and Britain
1777 U.S. victory at Battle of Saratoga national flag sign Treaty of Paris
is the turning point of the war

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