What is the significance of dorchester heights

After the occupation of Dorchester Heights by the Continental Army and the evacuation of Boston by the British, Washington sent in a letter to his brother:.

Boston was considered by Washington to be the most easily defended city in the nation because of its peninsular status in the eighteenth century. The absolute key importance of the occupation of Dorchester Heights is clear here, as it was the only military action which forced the British to end months of siege in a key military stronghold.

Dorchester Heights importance and integration into the city of Boston is seen early here; the hilly area in South Boston is detached from the rest of the city and yet is absolutely essential in a full understanding of Boston's history. The artist depiction of how Boston looked from Dorchester Heights shows a very different Boston than the Boston we know today.

How would they roll the guns into place without tipping their hand to the British? On the night of March 4, , colonial militia and local volunteers stealthily fortified the summit of Dorchester Heights. Wrapping their wagon wheels with straw to deaden the sound, they moved the cannon from Roxbury and entrenched them on these hills south of Boston. British General Howe planned an attack, but a violent storm prevented his soldiers from landing.

Within a few days, Howe, his troops, and a thousand colonial loyalists set sail for Nova Scotia, abandoning the city to Washington's forces and its jubilant citizens. The army improved the fortifications and again stationed troops on Dorchester Heights during the War of After , however, the twin hills declined in military importance. Since Boston had annexed Dorchester Neck in , developers eyed the Heights as a source of raw material for the expanding city.

During the second half of the nineteenth century the hills of South Boston underwent the same excavation that lowered Mount Vernon and Pemberton and Beacon Hills, the "tri-mountains" of the Boston peninsula. In , the General Court of Massachusetts commissioned a monument to stand on the remaining hill of the Heights. Designed by the architectural firm of Peabody and Stearns, the white marble Georgian revival tower commemorates the victory.

At that time, it joined the eight other sites which comprise Boston National Historical Park, established in Dorchester Heights adds a valuable dimension to the Park. Its historical significance and the development of the surrounding community vividly reflect the history and growth of the city of Boston. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!

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