Churchill to Roosevelt during the Quebec Conference. You see these cannon? We took them from Bunker Hill, and we still have these cannon to this day! Roosevelt to Churchill. You may have the canon, but we have the hill. :^)
@@robertsmith2956 not really but I doubt you're a Bostonian... methinks you sound like a fake American Conservative rather than a real American. Maga has no place here.
Growing up in the Boston suburbs I've always taken in interest in history of the revolution. I think we overlook or take for granted how much history was made here. I enjoy going to the battle sites and imagining what it must have been like living at that time. I just came across your page and had to watch. It`s great to see someone with so much passion for our American revolution. Great work.
Great Video. I just subscribed. My 4th great-grandfather was a member of Captain Oliver's company in Doolittle's regiment and fought in the battle. He was one of fourteen men from the minutemen company from Colrain, MA, who answered the call of the Lexington Alarm and marched 100 miles to Cambridge. They enlisted in the Massachusetts Provincial Army on May 1st. He was wounded but survived and fought in the Battle of Bennington.
Dear Miss Getty. I feel like I am late to the party. I found your page this morning and have enjoyed your research and presentations. Your research is fresh and different from the “approved” materials presented in schools. I am employed with the Freemasons here in Boston. There is a plethora of materials in our library that you may find interesting. The building is also open for tours. I hope you will take advantage of one soon. Personally, I am interested in early American history and once researched some of the documents that have been used as a reference to the founding of America. They are among the many reasons why I became a Mason myself. I am looking forward to listening to more of your videos and witnessing the American Revolution through your experiences. Thank you.
If you read my comment, I didn't mention my Boston ancestors were also Masons. When my cousin and I did our family history back to Thomas, David and Abner Hall, we didn't know the Masons had a library. They were a semi-secret organization. My Mother always wished I would be asked to join the Masons. My older brother was a Demolay and my sister a Job's daughter. They provided them with a strong sense of ethics.
Thanks for sharing. I'm from Sweden, but lived and worked in Newton, MA for a year about ten years ago. What I didn't think of before doing that journey was how much history is present in the Boston area. I think it's a really overlooked part of what Boston is. Thanks for capturing it! And I do love the accent. 🙂
There are a lot of historical sites in that area, but unfortunately, both Massachusetts and Boston governments are run by people who hate everything America was founded on. Formerly, it was an area of patriots, but now it's an area of leftist totalitarians.
My grandfather was named after Dr. Joseph Warren, and the names have now continued through three generations of my family. I had to smile at hearing your Boston accent - I moved away after college, and mine has faded almost entirely. (But it does come back when I've had too much to drink!) Great presentation!
My 5th great grandfather was Major John Dunlap from New Hampshire, a well known cabinet/furniture maker. I’ve seen some of his furniture on Antiques Roadshow. There is a plaque at his grave that reads, “Veteran 1776”.
I found one as well. The size is massive, no wonder you lost limbs and died when hit with one. But then they were hunting game before they used them on the red coats.
Hi, I just found your channel this morning and I am pleased! I have been fascinated by the Revolutionary war since I was in school during the bicentennial. Thank you for making history come alive.
“Hither the Ships aught to have come” will now be my response when someone tries to “Monday morning quarterback” me on something I have done! Awesome story and commentary. I will definitely subscribe, thanks for the story. Look forward to more!😂
I just discovered your video and I too loved the accent. I grew up in Billerica in the 50's and we learned a ton about the American Revolution and the historic part of the Nation that we lived in. One of my classmates at the Talbot School in North Billerica was a direct descendent of British General Gage and I remember that he brought a lot of historic artifacts to class. Thank you and I will forward to your next contribution.
What a great video! You taught me some things I didn't know and definitely earned my subscription. My 5x removed great grandfather was Lt. Col. Thomas Knowlton. The Connecticut Milita he led was the first to arrive in Boston following receiving the news of the battles of Lexington and Concord. William Howe was his commander in the French and Indian wars and he faced him in battle at Bunker Hill. Israel Putnam saw him on the battlefield and asked him where his brother Daniel was, saying that they had need of him that day. Daniel Knowlton was well known as a scout and a fierce fighter against the Indians and French. Lt.Col Thomas Knowlton later fell in Battle at Morningside Heights, present day Harlem, NYC and is buried under the intersection of 187th st and St. Nicolas avenue.
Katie; too often people skip from Concord to Bunker Hill. But between the two was the Battle of Chelsea Creek. Strategically more important than the other two. Chelsea Creek and later Dorchester Heights decided the British fate in Boston.
Dorchester Heights meant that not only was the British victory at Bunker Hill pyrrhic, it was pointless -- they had to evacuate Boston 9 months later anyway.
Holy crap! 2 vids into your channel --- Concord was the first one --- and your videos are absolutely enthralling. Your delivery, facts, and obvious passion on the subject has me mesmerized on what heretofore had been to me one of the driest of America war subjects, the Revolution, despite my trying desperately to find it more interesting. If only you had been one of my history teachers, I would've learned more of this history.
Admiral Graves reported "two Scows with a 12 pounder in each end, manned from the Ships of War under the direction of Colonel James, went as near to the Mill house as possible; at first to prevent fresh Forces coming over during the Fight, and afterwards the routed from getting off: But the ebbing Tide would not admit either the Scows or small Vessels to approach within the Distance desired." The small vessels stationed in that area during the battle would have been HMS Symmetry, HMS Glasgow, and HMS Spitfire. Glasgow had a deeper draft than Symmetry, and had been heaved or kedged to a position further out than Symmetry near Barton's Point. Spitfire was further south. Glasgow's log has apparently survived in the UK National Archives.
Love your descriptions. Was born in Cambridge on December 16 (Boston Tea Party day at Griffin’s Wharf), lived in Arlington and Concord. Thanx for clarifying the Breeze Hill debate. Made famous in John Huston’s Donovan’s Reef. Love your accent, so much‼️ Jack Griffin
The differing points of view - So interesting! And all captured in maps. Thank you for creating this! Please leave the maps up for longer. I found that just as I was getting oriented and starting to take in some of the details, the map was gone. I am liking that you seem to be working your videos by timeline, and that helps keep a perspective on what has and hasn't happened at this point. Well done!
Agree. She doesn't need to maximize her screentime. I'd much rather listen to her and be able to follow along on the map. That's pretty much the main reason that I won't be subscribing to this otherwise fascinating lady's channel.
@@ghost307 - Wow. Use your Windows Snipping Tool to capture however much of the screen you want. Then you can view it, then print it ... but for cry-eye, Subscribe!!
I've studied a lot about the World Wars and the American Civil War but nothing really about the Revolutionary War, so I'm not sure how TH-cam's algorithms found me, but here I am. Well, I clicked because of the title; it got the best of my curiosity, and damn, once I heard your accent I wasn't going anywhere. And more importantly, you made a rather small part of this battle, incredibly interesting. Loved your enthusiasm, and how you were able to make an interesting point by noticing a detail in a map most others would have never seen or researched further if they did. If your other videos are as compelling as this one, I have a feeling I'm going to be learning a lot about a whole new chapter in American history. And seriously, you have an amazingly cool accent. Gonna have to subscribe, I guess.
Good content, I enjoyed it. As a kid in New Bedford, I couldn't put down books on the Revolution, the Indian Wars, and colonial life in general. It started with whaling and the Nantucket Slay Ride to Paul Revere and John Paul Jones. It has been a lifelong obsession. I didn't realize until I was an adult that all the combat actions you mentioned, Including Bunker Hill, were fought before the Declaration of Independence. That is a fascinating point to me!
There were a number of actions before the "shot heard 'round the world". Around Christmas of 1774 Paul Revere rode up to Portsmouth NH to alert the NH militia to take the gunpowder and ammunition from the lightly guarded Fort William & Henry. They did so after the 8 British troops fired a symbolic volley over their heads, then surrendered. Then the New Hampshire men thought better of it, returned to the fort, and dragged away the cannon as well. One of them was dragged to the front door of the mansion of the hated Gov. John "Stamp Act" Wentworth. He got the hint and spirited his family away to Merry Olde England post haste.
The establishment types don't like reminding people that many of the early actions that preceded the actual Revolution were about citizens protecting their firearms from government confiscation.
. Well of course. The British didn't want patriots to have armaments. Second amendment protects ownership to maintain a militia and to serve against tyranny. All 7nderstsndable in those days. The entire story about guns has changed dramatically now. And we are now dealing with machine guns used to mow peopke down. I support the right to gun ownership but there has to be some logic used. No one needs a machine gun.
@debbie9929 Just to clarify, we don't have a machine-gun problem. What we have is a glock switch problem. These turn legal semiautomatic pistols into machine pistols. It has always been illegal to manufacture and install sear manipulating devices that turn semiautomatic guns into fully automatic guns. These devices are mainly manufactured in China and pushed through our open borders. So, tell me, what common sense legislation would stop a criminal from continuing to do what is already illegal? There are no laws that stop criminals from breaking the law. Only punishment inhibits criminal activity. The only thing dun laws do is infringe on the rights of the law abiding. I, for one, will no longer accept my rights being predicated on the conduct of criminals because people like you feel the need to "do something." Why don't you do something to the criminals?
So glad I stumbled onto your video. I visited the memorial at Bunker Hill whilst in Boston a couple of decades ago. I was impressed by the respect given to the British. I had ancestors fight in the Revolutionary War on the American side, for sure, and possibly on the British side as well. Everyone on my dad’s side came from England in the mid 1860’s, so there is a possibility. Love your accent, but I must say Boston was a strange place. They put me on a bus, drove about 26 miles out of town, said Boston is that way, but don’t leave ‘till we shoot the starting gun. Was running as a competitor in the 96th running of the Boston Marathon. Great experience!
@@marypasco2213 Mary, for sure the Revolutionary war WAS before 1860. That is why the possibility exists that I had ancestors fighting on the British side as well. They were STILL in England. It was ancestry on my mother's side that was here already. It was this side that the Patriot fighters came from.
@@dougberrett8094 I think that circumstance is more common than many people realise. I am a typical Englishman with English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, German, French and Scandinavian ancestry somewhere back in the mists of time. But, like you, I also had family fighting in The Colonies on the side of their new homeland, America. And I am very proud of them ! All the best from the England/Scotland border.
The British major flaw was equating the average Provincial with the common European peasant. The shock was that of being confronted by commoners raised in Liberty and schooled in the use of firearms from an early age and in possession of personal weapons with which they were expert in using at accurate fire rather than general volley fire. If not for the Provincial lack of a sufficient quantity of ammunition the British would not have been able to move in to use their bayonets with which the British were particularly good,no reloading or ammunition required, just add one impoverished subject of the Crown.
any army would have had a hard time taking a fixed, fortified position by frontal assault. also the myth of the rugged frontiersman being the majority of minute men while it sort of manifested in truth in spring/summer of 75, the reality is that Washington consistently complains after he takes command about how terrible the recruits were and how little experience they had with muskets. keep in mind the british had seen provincial troops fight in the seven years war, and apart from a few exceptional engagements, did not have much evidence that they were good soldiers at all
Nice to see some unique quality content about the Revolutionary War. Being on location certainly allows us modern folk to get a good idea of how the events must have developed!
First, I need to give your video some love. I sat here with about fifteen minutes to watch a video after my morning reading, and this populated. I really enjoyed your reflection on the map. "Monday morning quarterback." I love it! This is the first of your videos I have watched, I look forward to following along for more. As a Western Mass farm kid, I wish I had made it to that side of the state more often before I moved away. Thank you for working to preserve and understand our history better. I look forward to finding your coverage of Cowpens. This is my current thesis topic for my Masters.
In addition to the high overall casualties for the Brits, I've been told they lost an unusually high number of officers. One of the American tactics to demoralize the attackers was to target officers, easily identified at a distance by their gorgets.
The British were shocked that the Americans didn't practice the European traditions of war. First, most Americans hadn't been raised in Britain, so had done service in a colonial militia rather than the British Army. Second, the war traditions parallelled the hierarchy of the British nobles, and the revolutionaries by that point had a disdain for the monarchy and anything that smacked of it.
It was not just the forgets, it was their coats. Officers and sergeants usually had newer and better cared for uniforms, so one could pick them out because their coats were a brighter red. Shooting the leaders was not a new thing at this engagement. In Concord at the Old North Bridge, the Americans when they returned fire aimed for the officers. British soldiers of the time followed orders and were not supposed to think independently. Their units did not function without leaders.
Yet we only became more effective when regular army discipline and traditional European battlefield tactics were used. You are on to something regarding American attitudes to regular military discipline. Von Steuben noted you can't just tell an American to do something and expect him to do it like a peasant in Europe would. Only after you explain to the American why he must do something will he do it.
@@danmc7815 The men wore scarlet, and it tended to fade in the sun. Officers actually wore crimson. As you say, a different shade of red. Their uniforms were probably better maintained, as well, officers being richer. The American War of Independence was the trigger for the founding of the British Rifle regiments, who were trained specifically to shoot at the commanders. Who said the British never learn from wars, what what?
I just found your channel and have subscribed right away. I have an amateur interest in history and it is so good to see a video from someone who looks at the primary sources. There is so much repetition of accepted facts in other places so it was refreshing to see that you are interpreting the original resources. I live 20 miles from where John Paul ( Jones ) was born and 12 from Whitehaven where he did his raskally deeds during the War of 1812 and I am currently researching his early career as a seaman. I was comparing the maps you were referring to, to Google Earth and I can see there has been a lot of land reclamation in that area, so it wasn't easy to see exactly what was where. I am looking forward to watching your other videos now ! Kind regards from the England/Scotland border. Peter
I did the same! At first, I thought the harbor had "silted-in" over the centuries - found out it was filled in.... Katie does a thorough job explaining and has an excellent sense of direction - I easily followed right along!
I have some friends here in the southeastern U.S. that are from the border on the other side of Britain - Berwick Upon Tweed. They pronounced it, "Berrick," btw. I think efforts should be made to properly identify all of those "british soldiers buried here" gravesites. Personal identifications are out of the question, but ground penetrating radar should be able to pinpoint the actual graves to place markers.
Hi, Katie! This is my first time seeing your channel! I really enjoyed both your commentary and your animated delivery! I am an avid reader and I love feeling like I have time travelled back to an event when reading about history. Your video did exactly that for me! I am so glad I found your channel!
New subscriber, here! Anytime I watch something with historical maps, I like to bring up a session of Google Maps. I had a hard time recognizing the Charlestown peninsula - I thought, " Oh my gosh, it's silted in over the centuries." I subsequently pulled it up on Wiki and learned of the "filling-in" of the harbor. I think you mentioned that in this or another video. I vaguely remember the revolution in Mass., from grade school over 50 yrs ago. This has been really educating to me - the archetecture that still remains there is amazing - YES 140 yrs BEFORE the revolution - amazing!!!
How refreshing. A historian that actually does research. I'm quite impressed. Taught me a few new details in a clear and organized manner. Thanks. Subbed.
Katie you're great. I grew up in a house built in 1736. Deacon Daniel Veazey and his oldest two sons fought for our freedom in the early stages of the Revolution.
Well, maybe that's what the average colonist thought, but functionally the Revolution was colonial elites resisting the looming end to slavery and especially resistant to the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which prohibited the British colonists from crossing the Appalachian Mtns. into First nations territories. Taxes and other agit propaganda, was just the cover story to incite colonials to revolt from the Crown.
@qarljohnson4971 I've thought this EXACT same thing - I think the native treaties that were formed with the crown were much more solid than the many broken ones that would come after the revolution. Washington and company, knew of all that land west of the 1763 Proclamation, and they probably wanted it. Hence Cincinnati being named what it was (think Society of the Cincinnati)...🤔) With that being said, I do have a few lines of ancestors who fought on the American side. Not sure if there were any Tories, though.
I love those old cook-in fireplaces in those old houses. I could imagine after a cold days work on the farm retiring to several rounds of mead and brandy, a hot bowl of stew and porridge, with fresh baked bread. All the whilst enjoying the warmth of the fire!😊
I found your channel for the first time last night. You present history in a very knowledgeable and entertaining way. I am a big Revolutionary War buff and look forward to watching all your videos. I have old newspapers that have news of events during that period. It's fascinating reading these events shortly after they happened. Regards Frank
Katie, ah to hear that New England accent again warms my heart. I'm originally from Acton. Did the Isaac Davis march every year when I was a kid in the 70's. Thank you for this channel and bringing back so many memories from Acton/Boxborough and how we USED to learn so much in school about the founding of our country. Thanks.
I was thinking the same thing. The w's in the middle of words where they shouldn't be. I'm think she moved to boston from long Island 15-20 years ago and has a little of both@@fastradioburst253
Excellent channel Katie i will be looking forward to seeing more of Revolutionary War Videos, I am a Life member in The Son's of the American Revolution soi am very interested in your content. Thank You so much for what your doing.
I love looking at old maps and reading all the goofy spellings of names and words, like "Mistick River." I sometimes wonder if those were the official spellings back then, or if they were just terrible spellers in an age before dictionaries were ubiquitous, not to mention automatic spell check.
Thank you Katie. The early stages of our Revolutionary War is one of my favorite studies. I am happy that TH-cam pointed me to your channel. I will explore more of your videos.
Great video! What really occurs to me is that the Americans won the war not only because how they fought the war, but also how the British fought the war. The British preoccupation with occupying land (Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Charleston, Savannah) enabled the American forces to live to fight another day. The American way of attacking British armies and not being too preoccupied with holding land at all costs led to a long war that the British were not capable of winning from a morale standpoint. I’ve always thought that the big reason that Howe let Washington slip away at Long Island was because of his battle experience from Bunker Hill. Thanks again for everything you do to make this wonderful history come alive, Katie!
MrDodger, I had never thought of it in that way before, but it is a good point. It takes troops to hold land. Although Washington gets criticized a lot, I think he was smart in knowing that as long as he had a sizeable army at his command, the British would never be able to actually "win". I think that is why he wasn't afraid to retreat, or make a quick attack, like in Trenton, and then move on.
@@KatieTurnerGetty Love the videos. My only complaint is that as slow as I am, and in so much as I like to look at the maps, if you could leave the maps showing longer it would be great. I know I can pause the video to look at the maps, but then I can lose the thoughts of the narration. I will continue to pause to look at the maps in any case. Thanks for the videos. I have been reading about some of the founding fathers, so these videos fit in very well.
@@diffened I think the strategy that caused the British to lose the war also almost caused the Union to lose the Civil War. McClellan’s preoccupation with seizing Richmond while Lee had a formidable army almost doomed this country. It was Grant/Sherman and their relentless pounding of armies and their ability to sustain themselves that won the war ultimately.
@@MrDodgerfred yes, we have changed wars, but Grant's relentless flanking maneuvers every time Lee set up a defense and Sherman's pounding of Georgia was too much for the south. Didn't Lincoln say he wanted commanders who would actually use their armies? The British commander didn't seem to have that strategy, more of a conquer then wait.
Great video!! I instantly subscribed. My GGGG grandfather was in John Merrett’s Company of Glover’s Regt beginning in May or 75 before joining the crew of the Tyranicide until 1778 and finally in the US Navy on the Brig Resitance from 1781 to 1787. I have not spent enough time on his service but you have spurred me on. I look forward to seeing all of your videos! Thank you for such a vital service.
I walked up to the Bunker Hill monument and was surprised how steep it is getting up there. It really is a hill. I think the comment is inferring the ships should have gone there with troops. The British were overconfident that they easily could push the rebels off the hill that they didn't consider them a worthy adversary. The embarrassment and shock was that they were an adversary to reckon with.
As a born-and-bred New Englander from Rhode Island, currently living in Maryland, I can tell you that your lovely speech reminds me of the sounds I grew up with and hear seldom in the upper south and nearly gives me goosebumps. I have walked the battlefield of Bunker/Breed's Hill and never heard most of the details you provide. Bravo!
What actually happened at Bunker Hill was that British Crown forces met in battle with British Colonial forces & in taking a defended position the Crown forces were bound to suffer greater casualties, perhaps three to one. The map (which does not appear to be a nautical chart) doesn't seem to have 'soundings' which would be in fathoms (units of six feet). If soundings were present they would show if it were physically possible for those ships which would have been of known draft to have even entered the bay in which the draftsman of the map believe that they should have been stationed.
There MUST be extant nautical charts of the area which show the then soundings. Maybe the National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth (UK) could source them? I wouldn't know how to. The Navy at the time MUST have known whether or not one could drive a ship up to the Neck.
@@sarumano884 there is or was an institution know as the Hydrographer of the Navy responsible for nautical charts & it is or was situated in or near Taunton, Somerset, England.
In the 80s, my grandfather and I drove cross country several times. It was always fun listening to the different accents along the way. Recent trips finds the American non specific TV accent has really flattened out the regional accents.
Very interesting! I've casually read some histories of the Revolutionary War but I don't remember anything that went into this depth about Bunker Hill. Excellent lecture!
Came here to say something about this. The statistic that I half-remember is that a quarter of either Lieutenants or all British officers in North America at the time were either killed or wounded at Bunker Hill. Like I said, half remembered, but the point is that there was significant damage done to the British officer corps.
Very interesting historical information. Ms. Turner Getty performs a valuable public service by reminding us of our history. It's not taught to much of an extent in our schools. She also has a very pleasant New England accent.
A ship (Symmetry) was able to harass and inflict casualties. If, however, ships (multiple) had taken up firing positions and blockaded the peninsula, then reinforcements would not have played a role and the Provincials already there would have had to surrender.
Wow, you're fantastic. I love your enthusiasm. I can't stop reading about the revolution. Hopefully, I'll find the time to visit New England someday. I was at the Yorktown battlefield last October. I also went to Williamsburg and Jamestown. My next trip will hopefully be to Fort Ticonderoga, and maybe I'll swing by Valley Forge on my return to Maryland.
I believe a British officer, Clinton, advocated for the landing soldiers at the choke point thus cutting off the escape, but Gage, I believe, overruled that idea and preferred the more direct assault thinking the provincial troops would be easily swept away. I do not believe this is a case of the Monday morning quarterback but more of a frustrated expression of "we should have landed troops at the neck" where victory would be assured and with fewer casualties.
Thank you for the comment! A very fair point! Clinton did argue for landing at the neck, behind the main body of provincials to cut them off. Had the British adopted this approach, I think it might have been riskier than Clinton believed. The British had to land their troops in 2 waves. At the Neck, there's nowhere to land except the base of Bunker Hill - which provincial troops under Israel Putnam were fortifying, (though somewhat haphazardly). The first wave of British troops would've had to wait for the second wave at the base of Bunker Hill, with provincial troops flowing back and forth across the Neck, and the main body of the provincial armies with thousands more American men only 3 or 4 miles away. In this case, the first wave and then the second would've been placing themselves in between the main body of provincial troops at Cambridge, and the detachment already at Charlestown. Tough call for senior British officers to make, I think, with probably a lot that could go wrong. Lots of interesting food for thought! Thank you for watching!
@@KatieTurnerGetty My grandfather (who fought in WWII) told me that part of his job was reporting events back to command/hq/any superiors about the movements they made, and he often had to either point at incomplete maps, or draw his own maps and tell them what happened (ie, "We landed here, we were supposed to land here, we had to go this way because of XYZ, but we really wanted to go that way as ordered by CO So-and-So", etc). When "Hither the ships ought to have landed" was circled, my first thought was that the "Soldier on the Spot" was a guy who had a position like my Grandfather's, and he wasn't Monday Morning Quarterbacking as much as saying, "Well, this is where we ended up, but this is where we would've like to have gone as ordered by Clinton." I can't prove any of that, of course, but that's what the map made me think of. Great video, all the same!
The American Revolution started in 1768 during the Pine Tree Revolt. The real reason hostilities broke out into a shooting war? In the 18th century, food preservation was primitive, and resulted in a lot of spoiled food being consumed. When the word got out about the British Regulars were marching westward, the Provincials, the Minutemen, grabbed their muskets, any food they could find in the kitchen, and proceeded to the Lexington-Concord Rally Point to await the British Regulars. They ate their food while on route. The Regulars were doing the same, eating on the march. Not a pleasant experience, as any trooper can attest. So on the morning of 18 April 1775, the two sides were squared off. Everyone was carrying lethal weapons, nerves were frayed, and stomachs were grumbling. Thus leading to The Shot Heard 'Round the World. The question is, who fired that shot? In a few of the personal journals of survivors, they mentioned that the small explosive sound was not accompanied by smoke. Could it be, the American Revolution shooting was begun due to flatulence? Just an amusing thought on my part.... A war started because someone FARTED?
Love your video , love your Boston accent . My 9x grandfather was a coast watcher for the Marquis D'Laffiette in Bristol , Rhode Island . His grandfather settled the town of Scituate ,Mass . The line ends with me . After 396 years of family history in this country it is to be no more . God bless and God bless your work !
that's funny I live near Bristol, my friend found a cannon ball lodged in his wall when doing renovations, apparently the British used to harass the area now and then bombarding the town w 12 and 24 pounders as they sailed from Providence to Newport
No cousins out and about? I know the feeling. I'm in my 50s and no son. I proudly wore the uniform. But no close relative has followed. But my older brother has a son and a grandson, so God willing our line will not die out, just my wing. Instead I teach history now I'm retired. We talk about this battle but now I have a few more details to share with the boys.
very interesting. I have never considered how the British would have tried to prevent or slow the retreat from the American position. It sounds like they were effective in slowing a retreat if the some men were lost. I recently found out my great great great grand father fought in the Revolution, but I have no details, or know how to find any. It would be fascination to find out if he were at Bunker Hill. He was from Sandy Bay, now known as Rockport.
I stayed for your beautiful Boston accent (I haven't heard that since leaving the infantry in 1984) but I subscribed because the excellent content and presentation. What a gem of information. I have 8 ancestors who are Patriots so I am very interested in learning more about the Revolutionary war. Keep up the great work.
You couldn’t use that fiction to market events that happened outside if the fiction itself? Did Trump do such a thing? Canøbis. The 10 druggies live on.
I came to roll my eyes at the Breed's Hill vs Bunker Hill technicality,(but that wasn't your point at all!) and you pulled out some amazing maps, interesting anecdotes, and showed both a passion and very deep knowledge of the time period... well won my subscription. Keep the great content coming, please.
Never saw this channel before...also, never clicked on a video faster -- Was not disappointed. Subbed.....That notation is something I see a LOT when people look at surface maps, and start pontificating like they're George Patton. Maps will always tell you something, but only the good maps will give you practical details. _HMS Somerset_ did well to get as close as it did, because that whole area was extremely shallow, and the ship was in danger of running aground the entire time it was in range.
Just found your channel! I live 20ish miles from Boston. Great to hear the history spoken with a proper accent for the area. You have a new subscriber. Love the Monday morning quarterback vs colonial map info. So interesting.
First time seeing your channel. I'm impressed with your knowledge, but your delivery is the hook. That accent makes me smile, too. Wonderful. I've always been a fan of the F&IW through to 1840, and have been throughout the West, but have yet to make it back East (excluding layovers and daytrips). I'm subscribing and look forward to exploring the channel.
I just found your channel and I am hooked after 5 minutes. It is clear to me that I will watch each video at least twice, the first time just for the accent…it takes some tuning in for my Texas ears that are used to the melodic tones of the South or the screechbox accents here in Western Canada.
This vid just hit my feed and thus my radar. Subbed in 15 seconds and love the content!. As a Bicentennial Baby (born July 4, 1976) born in the Centennial State (Colorado) I just LOVE this period of history! Can’t wait to get caught up on all your content!
Katie, you are right. Further, the price paid by the British was beyond anything they anticipated. Washington, once he fully grasped the finer points of insurrection, realized his main task was to keep the Army alive, a constant problem for the British which they could not ignore. The American cause was young. Time changed hearts and minds in the colonies. Time also set the conditions later for French assistance. Excellent video.
Hi Katie, I was born in Waltham and raised in Burlington. I grew up fishing and skating on the Concord River in Billerica and Pinehurst. I left in 1964 to join the Army, but have always been right there. I love your channel, it has added a great deal on enjoyment to my life.
First time viewer and I feel that I’ve struck gold here. 70 year old whose ignorance of the Revolutionary War is appalling. My 13th great grandfather Arthur Hathaway landed in Plymouth in 1630 and married Sarah Cooke, daughter of John and Sarah (Warren) Cooke. She was the granddaughter of Francis and Hester (Mayhew) Cooke and Richard Warren. Now I need to know more about my connection to the Warren family. It certainly is refreshing to hear history from someone who doesn’t have a strange accent to my New Hampsha ear. I’ll certainly be back for more!
What great detail and events you provided about June 17, 1775. I feel like books I have read on that day are just generalizations of that history. You connect all the dots. Thank you!
I moved to Massachusetts from Washington DC in 1974, and I've lived in Somerville since 2010 (and in Brookline for ten years before that). I love your accent (it sounds like home now), and I appreciate your detailed description of that day. My wife and I celebrate Patriots Day every year by walking all or some of Battle Road (now a marvelous walking trail) and ending up at the Old North Bridge. This video reminds me of why I love Boston and Massachusetts. I'm terrified that we might have to do all this all over again. Is is coincidence that the bad guys wore red then and now?
Churchill to Roosevelt during the Quebec Conference. You see these cannon? We took them from Bunker Hill, and we still have these cannon to this day! Roosevelt to Churchill. You may have the canon, but we have the hill. :^)
Sadly for the americans the US troops are STILL in Boston today. You can't get rid of them.
Hahaa, I like this one.
@@robertsmith2956I feel like you’re trying to say something, but I can’t make out what it is…
@@rapid13 US military never leaves.
Something Iraq just found out the hard way.
@@robertsmith2956 not really but I doubt you're a Bostonian... methinks you sound like a fake American Conservative rather than a real American. Maga has no place here.
Growing up in the Boston suburbs I've always taken in interest in history of the revolution. I think we overlook or take for granted how much history was made here. I enjoy going to the battle sites and imagining what it must have been like living at that time. I just came across your page and had to watch. It`s great to see someone with so much passion for our American revolution. Great work.
Great Video. I just subscribed. My 4th great-grandfather was a member of Captain Oliver's company in Doolittle's regiment and fought in the battle. He was one of fourteen men from the minutemen company from Colrain, MA, who answered the call of the Lexington Alarm and marched 100 miles to Cambridge. They enlisted in the Massachusetts Provincial Army on May 1st. He was wounded but survived and fought in the Battle of Bennington.
Great lecture! Listening to you is like sitting down to Sunday dinn'ah back in old Daw'chesta.
Same here.
I hear some New York in her accent.
oyea very mild queens / brooklin gal, im from Boston and married a Queens girl .
Nah, weez parking in Field's Corner.
Dear Miss Getty. I feel like I am late to the party. I found your page this morning and have enjoyed your research and presentations. Your research is fresh and different from the “approved” materials presented in schools.
I am employed with the Freemasons here in Boston. There is a plethora of materials in our library that you may find interesting. The building is also open for tours. I hope you will take advantage of one soon.
Personally, I am interested in early American history and once researched some of the documents that have been used as a reference to the founding of America. They are among the many reasons why I became a Mason myself.
I am looking forward to listening to more of your videos and witnessing the American Revolution through your experiences. Thank you.
If you read my comment, I didn't mention my Boston ancestors were also
Masons. When my cousin and I did our family history back to Thomas, David
and Abner Hall, we didn't know the Masons had a library. They were a
semi-secret organization. My Mother always wished I would be asked to
join the Masons. My older brother was a Demolay and my sister a Job's
daughter. They provided them with a strong sense of ethics.
You are a delight to learn from and sound like a lot of fun, Katie!
Thanks for sharing. I'm from Sweden, but lived and worked in Newton, MA for a year about ten years ago. What I didn't think of before doing that journey was how much history is present in the Boston area. I think it's a really overlooked part of what Boston is. Thanks for capturing it! And I do love the accent. 🙂
There are a lot of historical sites in that area, but unfortunately, both Massachusetts and Boston governments are run by people who hate everything America was founded on. Formerly, it was an area of patriots, but now it's an area of leftist totalitarians.
great catch. Subscribed from here in Wal po will
I love Katie's enthusiasm for her subject and her knowledge of the subject.
@@richardlamm4826 - And eahs, having been bon in Bostin, and grew up in Medfid ;)
My grandfather was named after Dr. Joseph Warren, and the names have now continued through three generations of my family. I had to smile at hearing your Boston accent - I moved away after college, and mine has faded almost entirely. (But it does come back when I've had too much to drink!) Great presentation!
My 5th great grandfather was Major John Dunlap from New Hampshire, a well known cabinet/furniture maker. I’ve seen some of his furniture on Antiques Roadshow. There is a plaque at his grave that reads, “Veteran 1776”.
So what? My grandfather was named Dominick.
I hope you own some of his furniture pieces. 🧡
Now that... is an awesome family artifact
Thanks for sharing
The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, NH has one of John Dunlap’s pieces of furniture - a chest! Sandra M
I’m born and raised in Charlestown, on Bunker Hill (I dug up musket & cannonballs on Nanny Goat) & love your channel!
I found one as well. The size is massive, no wonder you lost limbs and died when hit with one.
But then they were hunting game before they used them on the red coats.
She's great!
Hi, I just found your channel this morning and I am pleased! I have been fascinated by the Revolutionary war since I was in school during the bicentennial. Thank you for making history come alive.
“Hither the Ships aught to have come” will now be my response when someone tries to “Monday morning quarterback” me on something I have done! Awesome story and commentary. I will definitely subscribe, thanks for the story. Look forward to more!😂
I just discovered your video and I too loved the accent. I grew up in Billerica in the 50's and we learned a ton about the American Revolution and the historic part of the Nation that we lived in. One of my classmates at the Talbot School in North Billerica was a direct descendent of British General Gage and I remember that he brought a lot of historic artifacts to class. Thank you and I will forward to your next contribution.
What a great video! You taught me some things I didn't know and definitely earned my subscription. My 5x removed great grandfather was Lt. Col. Thomas Knowlton. The Connecticut Milita he led was the first to arrive in Boston following receiving the news of the battles of Lexington and Concord. William Howe was his commander in the French and Indian wars and he faced him in battle at Bunker Hill. Israel Putnam saw him on the battlefield and asked him where his brother Daniel was, saying that they had need of him that day. Daniel Knowlton was well known as a scout and a fierce fighter against the Indians and French. Lt.Col Thomas Knowlton later fell in Battle at Morningside Heights, present day Harlem, NYC and is buried under the intersection of 187th st and St. Nicolas avenue.
Katie; too often people skip from Concord to Bunker Hill. But between the two was the Battle of Chelsea Creek. Strategically more important than the other two. Chelsea Creek and later Dorchester Heights decided the British fate in Boston.
Dorchester Heights meant that not only was the British victory at Bunker Hill pyrrhic, it was pointless -- they had to evacuate Boston 9 months later anyway.
It's pronounced Dorchestah.
"Thither the ships DID go!" lol I'm glad I found your channel, thank you!
Holy crap! 2 vids into your channel --- Concord was the first one --- and your videos are absolutely enthralling. Your delivery, facts, and obvious passion on the subject has me mesmerized on what heretofore had been to me one of the driest of America war subjects, the Revolution, despite my trying desperately to find it more interesting. If only you had been one of my history teachers, I would've learned more of this history.
I really enjoyed hearing your dialect, as well as your insight to the local history. Wicked cool!
Admiral Graves reported "two Scows with a 12 pounder in each end, manned from the Ships of War under the direction of Colonel James, went as near to the Mill house as possible; at first to prevent fresh Forces coming over during the Fight, and afterwards the routed from getting off: But the ebbing Tide would not admit either the Scows or small Vessels to approach within the Distance desired."
The small vessels stationed in that area during the battle would have been HMS Symmetry, HMS Glasgow, and HMS Spitfire. Glasgow had a deeper draft than Symmetry, and had been heaved or kedged to a position further out than Symmetry near Barton's Point. Spitfire was further south. Glasgow's log has apparently survived in the UK National Archives.
Love your descriptions.
Was born in Cambridge on December 16 (Boston Tea Party day at Griffin’s Wharf), lived in Arlington and Concord.
Thanx for clarifying the Breeze Hill debate. Made famous in John Huston’s Donovan’s Reef.
Love your accent, so much‼️
Jack Griffin
The differing points of view - So interesting! And all captured in maps. Thank you for creating this! Please leave the maps up for longer. I found that just as I was getting oriented and starting to take in some of the details, the map was gone. I am liking that you seem to be working your videos by timeline, and that helps keep a perspective on what has and hasn't happened at this point. Well done!
Agree. She doesn't need to maximize her screentime. I'd much rather listen to her and be able to follow along on the map.
That's pretty much the main reason that I won't be subscribing to this otherwise fascinating lady's channel.
I just pause the screen.
@@Mr5thWave Doesn't help. Then I freeze the audio as well.
Scrub back. I mean it helps me digest the information vs. being hurried. That's just me..@@ghost307
@@ghost307 - Wow. Use your Windows Snipping Tool to capture however much of the screen you want. Then you can view it, then print it ... but for cry-eye, Subscribe!!
I just realized all of those r’s went into “drawing.”
No r's at all in "pok my ka" but "drar-ring" evidently has three. Most amusing to Texan ears. Interesting video, though, and well done.
I don’t think anyone from Boston could ever be a pirate
The Law of Conservation of "R's". When one is dropped somewhere, another one pops up somewhere else!
Me too. 😂😆
Apparently one was taken from “Charlestown” …
I was charmed by the spinning intro. Staying for the lecture.
Thank you for bringing such joyful enthusiasm to the history of your country!
I've studied a lot about the World Wars and the American Civil War but nothing really about the Revolutionary War, so I'm not sure how TH-cam's algorithms found me, but here I am.
Well, I clicked because of the title; it got the best of my curiosity, and damn, once I heard your accent I wasn't going anywhere. And more importantly, you made a rather small part of this battle, incredibly interesting. Loved your enthusiasm, and how you were able to make an interesting point by noticing a detail in a map most others would have never seen or researched further if they did. If your other videos are as compelling as this one, I have a feeling I'm going to be learning a lot about a whole new chapter in American history.
And seriously, you have an amazingly cool accent. Gonna have to subscribe, I guess.
Who fought the civil war against the blue bellies? Indians? Confederacy didn't want to control the Union, so it couldn't be them.
Yeah, I heard the voice and right away I knew it was a Bostonian accent, before she mentioned she was from the Boston area.
Ditto
The saddest thing about the civil war is we STILL have troops quartered in Boston.
Good content, I enjoyed it. As a kid in New Bedford, I couldn't put down books on the Revolution, the Indian Wars, and colonial life in general. It started with whaling and the Nantucket Slay Ride to Paul Revere and John Paul Jones. It has been a lifelong obsession. I didn't realize until I was an adult that all the combat actions you mentioned, Including Bunker Hill, were fought before the Declaration of Independence. That is a fascinating point to me!
There were a number of actions before the "shot heard 'round the world". Around Christmas of 1774 Paul Revere rode up to Portsmouth NH to alert the NH militia to take the gunpowder and ammunition from the lightly guarded Fort William & Henry. They did so after the 8 British troops fired a symbolic volley over their heads, then surrendered. Then the New Hampshire men thought better of it, returned to the fort, and dragged away the cannon as well. One of them was dragged to the front door of the mansion of the hated Gov. John "Stamp Act" Wentworth. He got the hint and spirited his family away to Merry Olde England post haste.
The establishment types don't like reminding people that many of the early actions that preceded the actual Revolution were about citizens protecting their firearms from government confiscation.
. Well of course. The British didn't want patriots to have armaments. Second amendment protects ownership to maintain a militia and to serve against tyranny. All 7nderstsndable in those days. The entire story about guns has changed dramatically now. And we are now dealing with machine guns used to mow peopke down. I support the right to gun ownership but there has to be some logic used. No one needs a machine gun.
@debbie9929
Just to clarify, we don't have a machine-gun problem. What we have is a glock switch problem. These turn legal semiautomatic pistols into machine pistols. It has always been illegal to manufacture and install sear manipulating devices that turn semiautomatic guns into fully automatic guns. These devices are mainly manufactured in China and pushed through our open borders.
So, tell me, what common sense legislation would stop a criminal from continuing to do what is already illegal?
There are no laws that stop criminals from breaking the law. Only punishment inhibits criminal activity. The only thing dun laws do is infringe on the rights of the law abiding.
I, for one, will no longer accept my rights being predicated on the conduct of criminals because people like you feel the need to "do something."
Why don't you do something to the criminals?
Great piece. Looking forward to seeing more of your videos. Thank you.
So glad I stumbled onto your video. I visited the memorial at Bunker Hill whilst in Boston a couple of decades ago. I was impressed by the respect given to the British. I had ancestors fight in the Revolutionary War on the American side, for sure, and possibly on the British side as well. Everyone on my dad’s side came from England in the mid 1860’s, so there is a possibility.
Love your accent, but I must say Boston was a strange place. They put me on a bus, drove about 26 miles out of town, said Boston is that way, but don’t leave ‘till we shoot the starting gun. Was running as a competitor in the 96th running of the Boston Marathon. Great experience!
Sorry to say the Revolutionary War was over before 1860's. The American Civil War was on the horizon at that time.
@@marypasco2213 Mary, for sure the Revolutionary war WAS before 1860. That is why the possibility exists that I had ancestors fighting on the British side as well. They were STILL in England. It was ancestry on my mother's side that was here already. It was this side that the Patriot fighters came from.
@@dougberrett8094 I think that circumstance is more common than many people realise. I am a typical Englishman with English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, German, French and Scandinavian ancestry somewhere back in the mists of time. But, like you, I also had family fighting in The Colonies on the side of their new homeland, America. And I am very proud of them ! All the best from the England/Scotland border.
@@Crusty_Camper Wow, we may be cousins. My ancestry is just about identical. Thanks for joining the discussion.
@@dougberrett8094 I got that immediately. Two branches on this tree. LOL
The British major flaw was equating the average Provincial with the common European peasant. The shock was that of being confronted by commoners raised in Liberty and schooled in the use of firearms from an early age and in possession of personal weapons with which they were expert in using at accurate fire rather than general volley fire. If not for the Provincial lack of a sufficient quantity of ammunition the British would not have been able to move in to use their bayonets with which the British were particularly good,no reloading or ammunition required, just add one impoverished subject of the Crown.
any army would have had a hard time taking a fixed, fortified position by frontal assault. also the myth of the rugged frontiersman being the majority of minute men while it sort of manifested in truth in spring/summer of 75, the reality is that Washington consistently complains after he takes command about how terrible the recruits were and how little experience they had with muskets. keep in mind the british had seen provincial troops fight in the seven years war, and apart from a few exceptional engagements, did not have much evidence that they were good soldiers at all
Nice to see some unique quality content about the Revolutionary War. Being on location certainly allows us modern folk to get a good idea of how the events must have developed!
First, I need to give your video some love. I sat here with about fifteen minutes to watch a video after my morning reading, and this populated. I really enjoyed your reflection on the map. "Monday morning quarterback." I love it! This is the first of your videos I have watched, I look forward to following along for more. As a Western Mass farm kid, I wish I had made it to that side of the state more often before I moved away. Thank you for working to preserve and understand our history better. I look forward to finding your coverage of Cowpens. This is my current thesis topic for my Masters.
In addition to the high overall casualties for the Brits, I've been told they lost an unusually high number of officers. One of the American tactics to demoralize the attackers was to target officers, easily identified at a distance by their gorgets.
Yes it was particularly the loss of such a high percentage of officers .
The British were shocked that the Americans didn't practice the European traditions of war. First, most Americans hadn't been raised in Britain, so had done service in a colonial militia rather than the British Army. Second, the war traditions parallelled the hierarchy of the British nobles, and the revolutionaries by that point had a disdain for the monarchy and anything that smacked of it.
It was not just the forgets, it was their coats. Officers and sergeants usually had newer and better cared for uniforms, so one could pick them out because their coats were a brighter red.
Shooting the leaders was not a new thing at this engagement. In Concord at the Old North Bridge, the Americans when they returned fire aimed for the officers. British soldiers of the time followed orders and were not supposed to think independently. Their units did not function without leaders.
Yet we only became more effective when regular army discipline and traditional European battlefield tactics were used. You are on to something regarding American attitudes to regular military discipline. Von Steuben noted you can't just tell an American to do something and expect him to do it like a peasant in Europe would. Only after you explain to the American why he must do something will he do it.
@@danmc7815 The men wore scarlet, and it tended to fade in the sun. Officers actually wore crimson. As you say, a different shade of red. Their uniforms were probably better maintained, as well, officers being richer.
The American War of Independence was the trigger for the founding of the British Rifle regiments, who were trained specifically to shoot at the commanders. Who said the British never learn from wars, what what?
Quite interesting. Thank you!
The Revolutionary War vets in my family were in the Southern states, but I find this fascinating. Subscribed!
I just found your channel and have subscribed right away. I have an amateur interest in history and it is so good to see a video from someone who looks at the primary sources. There is so much repetition of accepted facts in other places so it was refreshing to see that you are interpreting the original resources. I live 20 miles from where John Paul ( Jones ) was born and 12 from Whitehaven where he did his raskally deeds during the War of 1812 and I am currently researching his early career as a seaman. I was comparing the maps you were referring to, to Google Earth and I can see there has been a lot of land reclamation in that area, so it wasn't easy to see exactly what was where. I am looking forward to watching your other videos now ! Kind regards from the England/Scotland border. Peter
I did the same! At first, I thought the harbor had "silted-in" over the centuries - found out it was filled in.... Katie does a thorough job explaining and has an excellent sense of direction - I easily followed right along!
I have some friends here in the southeastern U.S. that are from the border on the other side of Britain - Berwick Upon Tweed. They pronounced it, "Berrick," btw.
I think efforts should be made to properly identify all of those "british soldiers buried here" gravesites. Personal identifications are out of the question, but ground penetrating radar should be able to pinpoint the actual graves to place markers.
Super interesting video. I am hooked. Great research. Can't wait to dig into this channel and see more.
Hi, Katie! This is my first time seeing your channel! I really enjoyed both your commentary and your animated delivery! I am an avid reader and I love feeling like I have time travelled back to an event when reading about history. Your video did exactly that for me! I am so glad I found your channel!
Your accent is certainly authentic. Love the channel!
New subscriber, here! Anytime I watch something with historical maps, I like to bring up a session of Google Maps. I had a hard time recognizing the Charlestown peninsula - I thought, " Oh my gosh, it's silted in over the centuries." I subsequently pulled it up on Wiki and learned of the "filling-in" of the harbor. I think you mentioned that in this or another video. I vaguely remember the revolution in Mass., from grade school over 50 yrs ago. This has been really educating to me - the archetecture that still remains there is amazing - YES 140 yrs BEFORE the revolution - amazing!!!
How refreshing. A historian that actually does research. I'm quite impressed. Taught me a few new details in a clear and organized manner. Thanks. Subbed.
Which historians don’t do research, in your estimation?
Favorite new channel!!😃
Katie you're great. I grew up in a house built in 1736. Deacon Daniel Veazey and his oldest two sons fought for our freedom in the early stages of the Revolution.
Well, maybe that's what the average colonist thought, but functionally the Revolution was colonial elites resisting the looming end to slavery and especially resistant to the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which prohibited the British colonists from crossing the Appalachian Mtns. into First nations territories.
Taxes and other agit propaganda, was just the cover story to incite colonials to revolt from the Crown.
@qarljohnson4971 I've thought this EXACT same thing - I think the native treaties that were formed with the crown were much more solid than the many broken ones that would come after the revolution. Washington and company, knew of all that land west of the 1763 Proclamation, and they probably wanted it. Hence Cincinnati being named what it was (think Society of the Cincinnati)...🤔)
With that being said, I do have a few lines of ancestors who fought on the American side. Not sure if there were any Tories, though.
I love those old cook-in fireplaces in those old houses. I could imagine after a cold days work on the farm retiring to several rounds of mead and brandy, a hot bowl of stew and porridge, with fresh baked bread. All the whilst enjoying the warmth of the fire!😊
I found your channel for the first time last night. You present history in a very knowledgeable and entertaining way. I am a big Revolutionary War buff and look forward to watching all your videos. I have old newspapers that have news of events during that period. It's fascinating reading these events shortly after they happened. Regards Frank
Katie, ah to hear that New England accent again warms my heart. I'm originally from Acton. Did the Isaac Davis march every year when I was a kid in the 70's. Thank you for this channel and bringing back so many memories from Acton/Boxborough and how we USED to learn so much in school about the founding of our country. Thanks.
You marched by our house on Barrett’s Mill road in the 70’s‼️
@@johngriffin825 Very cool! That was you?!?
That sounds like a Long Island accent, not New England.
That's the Boston / Massachusetts accent, fading fast now. The New Hampshah accent is not as pronounced. Aayaah.@@fastradioburst253
I was thinking the same thing. The w's in the middle of words where they shouldn't be. I'm think she moved to boston from long Island 15-20 years ago and has a little of both@@fastradioburst253
Excellent channel Katie i will be looking forward to seeing more of Revolutionary War Videos, I am a Life member in The Son's of the American Revolution soi am very interested in your content. Thank You so much for what your doing.
Awesome video. It's funny what you find when you look at the fine prints
LOL - that’s a great way to put it! 😆
I love looking at old maps and reading all the goofy spellings of names and words, like "Mistick River." I sometimes wonder if those were the official spellings back then, or if they were just terrible spellers in an age before dictionaries were ubiquitous, not to mention automatic spell check.
Thank you Katie. The early stages of our Revolutionary War is one of my favorite studies. I am happy that TH-cam pointed me to your channel. I will explore more of your videos.
Great video! What really occurs to me is that the Americans won the war not only because how they fought the war, but also how the British fought the war. The British preoccupation with occupying land (Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Charleston, Savannah) enabled the American forces to live to fight another day. The American way of attacking British armies and not being too preoccupied with holding land at all costs led to a long war that the British were not capable of winning from a morale standpoint. I’ve always thought that the big reason that Howe let Washington slip away at Long Island was because of his battle experience from Bunker Hill.
Thanks again for everything you do to make this wonderful history come alive, Katie!
Thank you so much for the comment, Fred, and for watching! 🍀 great point about the occupations!
MrDodger, I had never thought of it in that way before, but it is a good point. It takes troops to hold land. Although Washington gets criticized a lot, I think he was smart in knowing that as long as he had a sizeable army at his command, the British would never be able to actually "win". I think that is why he wasn't afraid to retreat, or make a quick attack, like in Trenton, and then move on.
@@KatieTurnerGetty Love the videos. My only complaint is that as slow as I am, and in so much as I like to look at the maps, if you could leave the maps showing longer it would be great. I know I can pause the video to look at the maps, but then I can lose the thoughts of the narration. I will continue to pause to look at the maps in any case. Thanks for the videos. I have been reading about some of the founding fathers, so these videos fit in very well.
@@diffened I think the strategy that caused the British to lose the war also almost caused the Union to lose the Civil War. McClellan’s preoccupation with seizing Richmond while Lee had a formidable army almost doomed this country. It was Grant/Sherman and their relentless pounding of armies and their ability to sustain themselves that won the war ultimately.
@@MrDodgerfred yes, we have changed wars, but Grant's relentless flanking maneuvers every time Lee set up a defense and Sherman's pounding of Georgia was too much for the south. Didn't Lincoln say he wanted commanders who would actually use their armies? The British commander didn't seem to have that strategy, more of a conquer then wait.
Great video!! I instantly subscribed. My GGGG grandfather was in John Merrett’s Company of Glover’s Regt beginning in May or 75 before joining the crew of the Tyranicide until 1778 and finally in the US Navy on the Brig Resitance from 1781 to 1787. I have not spent enough time on his service but you have spurred me on. I look forward to seeing all of your videos! Thank you for such a vital service.
I walked up to the Bunker Hill monument and was surprised how steep it is getting up there. It really is a hill. I think the comment is inferring the ships should have gone there with troops. The British were overconfident that they easily could push the rebels off the hill that they didn't consider them a worthy adversary. The embarrassment and shock was that they were an adversary to reckon with.
Love your channel and your accent! Subscribed!
Love you Bahstan accent!
Thank you! 😀
Absolutely delightful. It sounds “American” and feels right. More scholars should embrace their region and accent. I listen closer, frankly.
American History enthusiast. Grew up in Medfield. The subject drew me in. As soon as I heard your accent, I HAD to subscribe. Interesting episode.
Another great video Kate!
Hi Katie! I’ve just recently found your channel and I’m hooked! I can’t wait to watch your older videos in the upcoming days. Aloha!
Please say “Petah, the horse is here”
Or, "park your car at the corner"
Fantastic channel ! Keep up the great work! Absolutely love the enlightened history lessons! Beautiful ❤️
Perhaps the MMQB wanted HMS Symmetry to land troops there to cut off their retreat, not just fire cannons? Rather than letting the Patriots escape...
Precisely my thought.
As a born-and-bred New Englander from Rhode Island, currently living in Maryland, I can tell you that your lovely speech reminds me of the sounds I grew up with and hear seldom in the upper south and nearly gives me goosebumps. I have walked the battlefield of Bunker/Breed's Hill and never heard most of the details you provide. Bravo!
"Based in the Boston area" -- least necessary explanation ever. We can tell you're one of us the moment you started speaking!
I love old maps and charts! Keep 'em coming please!
What actually happened at Bunker Hill was that British Crown forces met in battle with British Colonial forces & in taking a defended position the Crown forces were bound to suffer greater casualties, perhaps three to one.
The map (which does not appear to be a nautical chart) doesn't seem to have 'soundings' which would be in fathoms (units of six feet). If soundings were present they would show if it were physically possible for those ships which would have been of known draft to have even entered the bay in which the draftsman of the map believe that they should have been stationed.
Excellent.
There MUST be extant nautical charts of the area which show the then soundings. Maybe the National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth (UK) could source them? I wouldn't know how to. The Navy at the time MUST have known whether or not one could drive a ship up to the Neck.
@@sarumano884 there is or was an institution know as the Hydrographer of the Navy responsible for nautical charts & it is or was situated in or near Taunton, Somerset, England.
@@pcka12 Well, there you go, whoever wants to go for this... Thanks pcka12!
That area is all tidal and shallow. Later filled in ("reclaimed").
Thank you for using primary sources. Love your videos. We can’t all live in the historical area to personally walk how you do! Thanks Ms Getty
It’s great fun to hear a good lecture from someone who doesn’t have an American Nonspecific TV Accent.
She must be from the south....🙄🙄
(I'm kidding. I'm 100% sure she is from Boston. I thought the eye roll emojis would indicate that but I guess not)
@@yeildo1492southie
It sounds like a Boston accent, not one of those extreme stereotypical Boston accents.
Its a Boston accent... everyone I know who actually grew up there... not a transplant.. have it.
In the 80s, my grandfather and I drove cross country several times. It was always fun listening to the different accents along the way. Recent trips finds the American non specific TV accent has really flattened out the regional accents.
Very interesting! I've casually read some histories of the Revolutionary War but I don't remember anything that went into this depth about Bunker Hill. Excellent lecture!
Cover the number of British Lieutenants and Captains lost. The losses impact on the British Army and how long it takes to fully train a Lieutenant
Came here to say something about this. The statistic that I half-remember is that a quarter of either Lieutenants or all British officers in North America at the time were either killed or wounded at Bunker Hill. Like I said, half remembered, but the point is that there was significant damage done to the British officer corps.
Very interesting historical information. Ms. Turner Getty performs a valuable public service by reminding us of our history. It's not taught to much of an extent in our schools. She also has a very pleasant New England accent.
A ship (Symmetry) was able to harass and inflict casualties. If, however, ships (multiple) had taken up firing positions and blockaded the peninsula, then reinforcements would not have played a role and the Provincials already there would have had to surrender.
Makes since.
Wow, you're fantastic. I love your enthusiasm. I can't stop reading about the revolution. Hopefully, I'll find the time to visit New England someday. I was at the Yorktown battlefield last October. I also went to Williamsburg and Jamestown. My next trip will hopefully be to Fort Ticonderoga, and maybe I'll swing by Valley Forge on my return to Maryland.
I believe a British officer, Clinton, advocated for the landing soldiers at the choke point thus cutting off the escape, but Gage, I believe, overruled that idea and preferred the more direct assault thinking the provincial troops would be easily swept away. I do not believe this is a case of the Monday morning quarterback but more of a frustrated expression of "we should have landed troops at the neck" where victory would be assured and with fewer casualties.
Thank you for the comment! A very fair point! Clinton did argue for landing at the neck, behind the main body of provincials to cut them off. Had the British adopted this approach, I think it might have been riskier than Clinton believed.
The British had to land their troops in 2 waves. At the Neck, there's nowhere to land except the base of Bunker Hill - which provincial troops under Israel Putnam were fortifying, (though somewhat haphazardly). The first wave of British troops would've had to wait for the second wave at the base of Bunker Hill, with provincial troops flowing back and forth across the Neck, and the main body of the provincial armies with thousands more American men only 3 or 4 miles away. In this case, the first wave and then the second would've been placing themselves in between the main body of provincial troops at Cambridge, and the detachment already at Charlestown. Tough call for senior British officers to make, I think, with probably a lot that could go wrong.
Lots of interesting food for thought! Thank you for watching!
Philbrick, BUNKER HILL.
@@KatieTurnerGetty My grandfather (who fought in WWII) told me that part of his job was reporting events back to command/hq/any superiors about the movements they made, and he often had to either point at incomplete maps, or draw his own maps and tell them what happened (ie, "We landed here, we were supposed to land here, we had to go this way because of XYZ, but we really wanted to go that way as ordered by CO So-and-So", etc). When "Hither the ships ought to have landed" was circled, my first thought was that the "Soldier on the Spot" was a guy who had a position like my Grandfather's, and he wasn't Monday Morning Quarterbacking as much as saying, "Well, this is where we ended up, but this is where we would've like to have gone as ordered by Clinton." I can't prove any of that, of course, but that's what the map made me think of. Great video, all the same!
Excellent work, just found your site; hoping to learn more / God bless
The American Revolution started in 1768 during the Pine Tree Revolt. The real reason hostilities broke out into a shooting war? In the 18th century, food preservation was primitive, and resulted in a lot of spoiled food being consumed. When the word got out about the British Regulars were marching westward, the Provincials, the Minutemen, grabbed their muskets, any food they could find in the kitchen, and proceeded to the Lexington-Concord Rally Point to await the British Regulars. They ate their food while on route. The Regulars were doing the same, eating on the march. Not a pleasant experience, as any trooper can attest. So on the morning of 18 April 1775, the two sides were squared off. Everyone was carrying lethal weapons, nerves were frayed, and stomachs were grumbling. Thus leading to The Shot Heard 'Round the World. The question is, who fired that shot? In a few of the personal journals of survivors, they mentioned that the small explosive sound was not accompanied by smoke. Could it be, the American Revolution shooting was begun due to flatulence?
Just an amusing thought on my part.... A war started because someone FARTED?
On may 16th 1771 the first battle was fought against the British in Alamance county in North Carolina.
Totally enjoyed this and look forward to hearing more regarding the American Revolution. Thank you!
Fascinating story, Katie. By the way, I love your Boston accent.
Love your video , love your Boston accent . My 9x grandfather was a coast watcher for the Marquis D'Laffiette in Bristol , Rhode Island . His grandfather settled the town of Scituate ,Mass . The line ends with me . After 396 years of family history in this country it is to be no more . God bless and God bless your work !
The Boston accent is why I could only take 23 seconds of her. Ugh.
that's funny I live near Bristol, my friend found a cannon ball lodged in his wall when doing renovations, apparently the British used to harass the area now and then bombarding the town w 12 and 24 pounders as they sailed from Providence to Newport
No cousins out and about?
I know the feeling. I'm in my 50s and no son. I proudly wore the uniform. But no close relative has followed. But my older brother has a son and a grandson, so God willing our line will not die out, just my wing. Instead I teach history now I'm retired. We talk about this battle but now I have a few more details to share with the boys.
very interesting. I have never considered how the British would have tried to prevent or slow the retreat from the American position. It sounds like they were effective in slowing a retreat if the some men were lost. I recently found out my great great great grand father fought in the Revolution, but I have no details, or know how to find any. It would be fascination to find out if he were at Bunker Hill. He was from Sandy Bay, now known as Rockport.
I think you may have missed a few greats out, 25 years is an average generation so most probably (great x7) might be feasible but I doubt it
I looked it up, he would be my great-great-great grandfather @@optimist3580
Enjoying these Katie!
Why do I feel like I just got a history lesson from Fran Drescher lol. Very good!
I stayed for your beautiful Boston accent (I haven't heard that since leaving the infantry in 1984) but I subscribed because the excellent content and presentation. What a gem of information. I have 8 ancestors who are Patriots so I am very interested in learning more about the Revolutionary war. Keep up the great work.
According to trump the Continental Army overran British airports thereby denying them air superiority.🤭
You couldn’t use that fiction to market events that happened outside if the fiction itself?
Did Trump do such a thing?
Canøbis. The 10 druggies live on.
@johndiversey8646 Yes he did.
Ignorance is bliss and you appear to be a very happy person
@@djcoffman6505 Hey, it was in a trump speech. Don't shoot the messenger.
While I think Trump and Biden are both banker boss puppets, at least Trump can speak a coherent and complete sentence, even if complete BS.
I came to roll my eyes at the Breed's Hill vs Bunker Hill technicality,(but that wasn't your point at all!) and you pulled out some amazing maps, interesting anecdotes, and showed both a passion and very deep knowledge of the time period... well won my subscription. Keep the great content coming, please.
Never saw this channel before...also, never clicked on a video faster -- Was not disappointed. Subbed.....That notation is something I see a LOT when people look at surface maps, and start pontificating like they're George Patton. Maps will always tell you something, but only the good maps will give you practical details. _HMS Somerset_ did well to get as close as it did, because that whole area was extremely shallow, and the ship was in danger of running aground the entire time it was in range.
Fantastic commentary! Learned something new not heard anywhere else
Always fascinating, Katie. Thanks.
MS Katie, I love your jacket! Olive drab green and the regionals form button motif. Classy
Just found your channel! I live 20ish miles from Boston. Great to hear the history spoken with a proper accent for the area. You have a new subscriber. Love the Monday morning quarterback vs colonial map info. So interesting.
First time seeing your channel. I'm impressed with your knowledge, but your delivery is the hook. That accent makes me smile, too. Wonderful.
I've always been a fan of the F&IW through to 1840, and have been throughout the West, but have yet to make it back East (excluding layovers and daytrips).
I'm subscribing and look forward to exploring the channel.
I just found your channel and I am hooked after 5 minutes. It is clear to me that I will watch each video at least twice, the first time just for the accent…it takes some tuning in for my Texas ears that are used to the melodic tones of the South or the screechbox accents here in Western Canada.
Very interesting history video. My compliments, well done!
Excellent detail pickup!! Bravo.
This vid just hit my feed and thus my radar. Subbed in 15 seconds and love the content!. As a Bicentennial Baby (born July 4, 1976) born in the Centennial State (Colorado) I just LOVE this period of history! Can’t wait to get caught up on all your content!
Katie, you are right. Further, the price paid by the British was beyond anything they anticipated. Washington, once he fully grasped the finer points of insurrection, realized his main task was to keep the Army alive, a constant problem for the British which they could not ignore. The American cause was young. Time changed hearts and minds in the colonies. Time also set the conditions later for French assistance. Excellent video.
In awe of your research. I wish I could!
As a member is SAR on two sides of my family… I greatly appreciate your channel.
I love this stuff! so glad I found your channel.
Hi Katie,
I was born in Waltham and raised in Burlington.
I grew up fishing and skating on the Concord River in Billerica and Pinehurst.
I left in 1964 to join the Army, but have always been right there.
I love your channel, it has added a great deal on enjoyment to my life.
First time viewer and I feel that I’ve struck gold here. 70 year old whose ignorance of the Revolutionary War is appalling. My 13th great grandfather Arthur Hathaway landed in Plymouth in 1630 and married Sarah Cooke, daughter of John and Sarah (Warren) Cooke. She was the granddaughter of Francis and Hester (Mayhew) Cooke and Richard Warren. Now I need to know more about my connection to the Warren family. It certainly is refreshing to hear history from someone who doesn’t have a strange accent to my New Hampsha ear. I’ll certainly be back for more!
What great detail and events you provided about June 17, 1775. I feel like books I have read on that day are just generalizations of that history. You connect all the dots. Thank you!
I moved to Massachusetts from Washington DC in 1974, and I've lived in Somerville since 2010 (and in Brookline for ten years before that).
I love your accent (it sounds like home now), and I appreciate your detailed description of that day.
My wife and I celebrate Patriots Day every year by walking all or some of Battle Road (now a marvelous walking trail) and ending up at the Old North Bridge.
This video reminds me of why I love Boston and Massachusetts. I'm terrified that we might have to do all this all over again. Is is coincidence that the bad guys wore red then and now?