The Tensions
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Chapter
1
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The
Battle of Bunker Hill
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Chapter
2
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The
History of the Boston Tea Party
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Chapter
3
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The
Gruesome War of 1812
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Introduction
Did you know that 2,200 troops and 268 British
soldiers and officers had been killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill? All these
battles and wars were very gruesome but I
thought it would be very interesting to know what happened during these battles
and what these soldiers had to go through. These wars and battles were very
interesting to learn about.The Battle of Bunker Hill, The Boston Tea Party, and
The war of 1812 were very gruesome battles and wars and some of the causes of
the Revolutionary War. I hope you have fun learning about these wars!
Chapter
1: The Battle of Bunker Hill
On June 16,
1775 knowing that the British were planning to send troops from Boston to occupy
the hills surrounding the city about 1,000 or so colonial militiamen
under Colonel William Prescott’s power built earthen fortifications. The earthen fortifications
overlooked Boston and located on the Charlestown Peninsula. The Battle of
Bunker Hill started in June 17, 1775 just a couple months after the start of
the Revolutionary War.It ended 8 years later in 1783.There were three main
locations in the Battle of Bunker Hill they were: Charlestown, Boston and
Massachusetts. All though most of the fighting occurred on nearby Breed’s Hill.
It started because Boston was besieged by thousands
of American militia. The British were trying to
keep control of the city and control its valuable sea ports.The
British were also under control of Major General William Howe and Brigadier General Robert
Pigot. One of the quotes they said were “Don’t fire until you see the whites of
their eyes”. In my opinion I think that the Battle of Bunker Hill should have
never happened and that the two colonies could have came to a compromise. As
soon the Redcoats were within seven dozen yards, the Americans let loose with lethal barrage of musket fire throwing the British into
retreat. After re-forming their
lines, the British attacked again, with much the same result. William
Prescott’s team were very low on ammunition but when the Redcoats went up went
up the hill for the third time, they reached the redoubts and
engaged the Americans in hand-to-hand
combat. The Americans were outnumbered so they had to retreat. However, by the end of the engagement, the
Patriots’ gunfire had cut down most
1,000 enemy troops, with more than 200 killed and more than 800 wounded. More
100 Americans perished, while more than 300 others
were wounded. In the end the British had won the so-called Battle of Bunker
Hill, and Breed’s Hill and the Charlestown Peninsula fell firmly under British
control. Also the the high price victory at the Battle of Bunker Hill made the
British realize that the war with the colonies would be long, tough and costly.
Chapter 2: The History of the Boston
Tea Party
The Introduction to the Boston Tea Party
Boston
Tea Party in Deeper Details
The
Tea Act (May 10, 1773) adjusted import duties in such a way that the company
could undersell even smugglers in the colonies. The company selected
consignees in Boston, New York, Charlestown, and Philadelphia, and 500,000
pounds of tea were shipped across the Atlantic in September. Under pressure
from the Patriot groups, the consignees in Charlestown, New York, and
Philadelphia refused to accept the tea shipments, but in Boston, the chosen
merchants (including two of Governor Thomas Hutchinson’s sons as well as his
nephew) refused to concede. The first
tea ship, Dartmouth, reached Boston
November 27, and two more arrived shortly thereafter. Meanwhile several meeting
were held to order that the tea be sent back to England with duty unpaid.
Tension mounted as Patriot groups led by Samuel Adams tried to persuade the consignees and the governor to accept this approach. On
December 16, a large meeting at the Old South Church is where Hutchinson
received his final refusal. About midnight, watched a large crowd, Adams and a
small group of Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded the ships
and jettisoned the tea. To Parliament, the Boston
Tea Party confirmed Massachusetts role as the core of resistance to legitimate British rule. The Coercive Acts of 1774 were
supposed to punish the colony in general and Boston in particular, both for the Tea Party.
Chapter
3: The Gruesome War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a conflict fought
between the United States, the United Kingdom, and their respected allies. The
War of 1812 started on January 18, 1812. It ended 3 years later in the year of
1815 (February 18, 1815). The locations for he War of 1812 were Eastern and
Central North America, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans.
Summary
of The War Of 1812
In the War of
1812, the United States took on the greatest naval power
in the world, Great Britain, in a conflict that would have immense impact
on the young country's future. Causes of the war included British attempts to
restrict U.S. trade, Royal Navy’s impressment of American seamen and American’s
desire to expand its territory. The United States suffered mainly costly
defeats at the hands of British, Canadian and Native American troops over the
course of the War of 1812, including the capture and burning nation’s capital,
Washington, D.C., in August 1814. Nonetheless, American were able to repulse British invasions in New York, Baltimore and New
Orleans, boosting natural confidence and fostering a new spirit of patriotism. The ratification of the
Treaty of Ghent on February 17,1815, ended the war but left many of the most contentious questions
unresolved. Nonetheless, many in the United States celebrated the War of 1812
as a “ second war of independence,” beginning an era of partisan agreement and national pride.
Conclusion
In the end, as
you finished reading my last chapter you can see how hard going through these
battles and wars were. Sometimes I try to imagine what it would feel if I were
a citizen going through this. I would feel so worried if one of my friends
joined this battle I wouldn't even be able to hold me head up. I would kinda
relate to Timmy in My Brother Sam is Dead. However, I hope that you
enjoyed my essay on these tensions! Thanks for reading!
Glossary
Gruesome: Causing great horror
Earthen Fortifications: a
fortification of Earth mostly or entirely below ground
Besieged: surrounded a place
with armed forces in order to capture it or force its surrender
Militia: A military force that
is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an
emergency
Sea Ports: a town or city with
a harbor for seagoing ships
Lethal Barrage: A heavy
barrier of artillery fire to protect one's own advancing or retreating troops
or to stop the advance of enemy troops
Redoubts: A temporary or
supplementary fortification typically square or polygonal and with flanking
defenses
Engaged: Busy or occupied
Hand-to-hand combat:Hand to
hand combat is a lethal or non-lethal physical confrontation between two or
more persons at a very short range
Retreat: Of an army withdrawal
from enemy forces as a result of their Superior power or after a defeat
Perished: Suffer death
typically in a violent side in or untimely way
Defiance: Open resistance bold
disobedience
Taxation: The levying of tax
Parliament: In the UK the
highest legislature consisting of the sovereign The House of Lords in the House
of Commons
Consignees: A person to whom
goods are sent to be sold on commission is a consignee
Concede: Admit that something
is true or valid after first denying or resisting it
Punitive: Inflicting or
intended as punishment
Jettisoned: Throw or drop
something from an aircraft or ship
Legitimate: Conforming to the
law or rules
Navel: A depression in the
middle of the abdomen that marks the point of former attachment of the
umbilical cord to the embryo called also umbilicus
Immense: Extremely large or
great especially in scale or degree
Repulse: Drive back an attack
or attacking Enemy by force
Patriotism: The quality of
being patriotic vigorous support for one's country
Ratification: The action of
signing or giving formal consent to a treaty contract or agreement making it
officially valid
Contentious: Causing or likely
to cause an argument
Era: A long and distinct
period of history with a particular feature or characteristic
Partisan: A strong supporter
of a party cause or person
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