06/05/17 - Day 63 - Boston, MA - Bunker Hill Memorial

June 12, 2017

The Battle of Bunker Hill took place very early during the American Revolution in June 1775 on the north bank of the Charles River across from downtown Boston. Although the Americans ultimately had to retreat from their fortifications, they inflicted significant damage on the British forces and changed the way the British would view the American forces for the remainder of the conflict. The British commander at the time wrote in his diary, "A few more such victories would have shortly put an end to British dominion in America."

The Bunker Hill Memorial (a National Historic Landmark) actually resides on Breed's Hill where most of the fighting took place. I guess Bunker Hill sounds better because the name has since stuck. The construction took place between 1825 - 1843 as there were frequently stops due to lack of funds. It looks a lot like the Washington Monument, but at 221ft it's less than half as tall, though it was completed five years before construction of the Washington Monument started. Unlike the Washington Monument, this one is still open to tourists to climb. It's a total of 294 steps. Yeah, I climbed it.

The views from the top were little muted due to the lousy weather.

The museum across the street was small but had some good information. It included a large diorama recreating the battle and several exhibits with artifacts from the battle and the period in general.