Independence Day: 7 important victories in the American Revolution

The Siege of Boston – April 19, 1775 to March 17, 1776

For nearly a year, militia and Continental Army forces laid siege to British forces in Boston, Massachusetts, with multiple minor battles being tied to the effort to take the city.

A turning point came when General George Washington was able to move artillery taken from Fort Ticonderoga and elsewhere onto Dorchester Heights, threatening Boston’s defenders.

“Conditions within the town were harsh for all who remained; although the British maintained control of Boston Harbor, provisions dwindled while they waited for supply ships to arrive,” noted the Massachusetts Historical Society.

“Using artillery captured by an expedition led by Henry Knox from Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point, Washington's forces aimed cannons at British ships anchored in the harbor. On 17 March, the British were finally forced to evacuate Boston.”