Evacuation of Boston, 1776

March 16, 2026

In early 1775, Boston was bitterly divided, The British occupied the town as Patriots built fortifications, Militiamen led by Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen seized cannons and other weapons from Fort Ticonderoga, 300 miles away, The Second Continental Congress created the Continental Army, appointing George Washington as commander in chief, Henry Knox, a friend of Washington, developed a plan to retrieve the Fort Ticonderoga cannons and bring them to Boston, After several grueling months, the cannons were delivered, As British soldiers and Washington’s men traded fire in Boston, Patriots fortified the town. In a major victory for the Patriots, the British negotiated the evacuation of soldiers and loyalists from Boston, Evacuation bolstered the Patriot cause as a just and winning one. Less than four months later, Patriots took the extraordinarily daring step of declaring independence from the King.

Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-

Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

You can also find me:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson

Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe