Bunker Hill Monument Commemorates Revolutionary War Battle

In June 1775, early in the American Revolutionary War, colonial forces were still not well organized. Just weeks had passed since the first skirmishes with British troops at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. The man selected to lead them, General George Washington, had not yet assumed command. But the ragtag band of colonials had laid siege to the city of Boston, and were holding high ground at Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill in nearby Charlestown in an effort to contain the British troops.

The British commander engaged the colonial militia in an effort to break out of Boston. Twice his troops tried to take the hills, and twice the fortified citizen soldiers held them off, inflicting many casualties. By the third assault the Americans were running out of ammunition, prompting the oft-quoted command of "don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." British soldiers finally took the hills, but suffered the largest number of casualties of any battle of the war.

While the colonists did not prevail, their actions served notice to the British that they would be difficult to defeat. The world's foremost military force would be given all they could handle by a hastily-assembled militia. The Battle of Bunker Hill boosted confidence on the American side, and opened a cause for concern on the part of the British troops.

Fifty years after the battle, a 221-foot granite monument was erected to commemorate the battle. The Marquis de Lafayette laid the cornerstone and Daniel Webster delivered a dedication address. It took 18 years for sufficient funds to be raised privately to complete the project. Today, the Bunker Hill Monument and Museum are operated by the National Park Service as part of the Boston National Historic Park. The monument sits atop Breed's Hill where most of the fighting took place.

The Bunker Hill Monument is an obelisk, a forerunner of the Washington Monument, which is more than twice as tall, but which was built after the Bunker Hill version. Inside, 295 steps lead to an observation platform at the top.

Next door, the local Masonic Lodge built a memorial to one of its members, Dr. Joseph Warren, a prominent Boston figure and leader of the militia who was killed in the fighting. His statue stands in the memorial lodge. A famous painting of the battle by artist John Trumbull depicts, as its title suggests, The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Across the street is a new Battle of Bunker Hill Museum, completed in 2007. The museum features exhibits that recount the story of the battle and its importance in American history. An interactive diorama displays troop movements and the minute-by-minute events of the day of the battle.

The Bunker Hill Monument and Museum make up one of 16 stops along the Freedom Trail in Boston. The two-and-a-half mile trail includes landmarks such as the site of the Boston Massacre, the Old South meeting House where Samuel Adams organized the Boston Tea Party, Faneuil Hall and marketplace, Paul Revere's home, and the Old Granary Burial ground where Revere, Adams, John Hancock and other American patriots were laid to rest.

The Bunker Hill Monument and Museum are open daily from 9am to 5pm. There is no admission charge.