April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776 · Northern Theater
April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776
Colonial militia surrounded the British garrison in Boston immediately after Lexington and Concord. Gen. Washington took command of the besieging Continental Army in July 1775 and spent months struggling to organize, supply, and discipline his raw force. The decisive stroke came in February 1776 when Col. Henry Knox arrived with 59 artillery pieces dragged 300 miles by oxen from captured Fort Ticonderoga. Washington secretly fortified Dorchester Heights overnight, placing cannon that commanded both the city and harbor. General Howe, recognizing his position untenable, evacuated Boston with 9,000 troops and 1,000 Loyalists on March 17.
Commanders