Semiquincentennial

On the road to independence we find ourselves in the winter of 1775-1776 and the patriot cause has ground to a halt. The Continental Army had surrounded and laid siege to Boston but lacked the heavy artillery necessary to drive the the British garrison from the town.

Enter Henry Knox, a Boston bookseller and aspiring artillery officer who proposed a daring solution.  Knox would lead a force north; to march 300 miles to Fort Ticonderoga in New York.  From there he would disassemble and pack cannon, powder and shot and return across 300 miles of rivers, swamps and frozen wilderness to Boston; bringing the weapons of deliverance to Washington's army.  

Knox lacked any formal military training; nevertheless, he had proven himself the previous May when he, Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen ambushed the small British garrison at the fort, capturing it intact, including its artillery.  Washington approved the plan and sent newly-commissioned colonel Knox on his mission in late November.

Arriving at the fort, Knox did not delay.  Within 24 hours he selected 59 pieces of artillery, including brass and iron mortars, howitzers and cannon, each ranging in weight from 100 lbs. to 5,000 lbs.  That was the easy part.  Now he had to figure out how he would bring this enormous weight of firepower 300 miles back to Boston in the dead of winter.  It would prove to be a logistical challenge like no other: a feat of endurance, ingenuity and sheer determination.  Knox's expedition is often referred to as the Noble Train of Artillery. 

Image Credit: Tom Lovell (American, 1909-1997), The Noble Train of Artillery, 1946

Knox packed everything on wooden sledges pulled by teams of oxen.  While the frozen ground and ice made travel easier than wagons on muddy roads nothing was straightforward or without enormous challenges.  

The return route wound south along Lake George, across the Hudson River and east through the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts.  Conditions were brutal and took a toll on men and beasts.  

December 16, 2025 Reenactors

Sleds broke through the ice dumping cannon into lakes and rivers that had to be recovered.  Steep hills were a challenge to surmount and a more formidable challenge to descend as the drovers struggled mightily to keep both teams and cargo from cascading out of control. 

   

Against all odds, and in just over two months, the artillery arrived in late January 1776.  

On March 4 - 5, under the cover of darkness, Washington's troops positioned the Ticonderoga artillery behind earthworks on the Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston Harbor.  When British General William Howe woke the morning of the 5th he arose to the sight of his army and fleet now withing range of cannon positioned on the high ground. 

Faced with assaulting fortified positions or evacuating, on March 17 British troops including their Loyalist followers sailed out of Boston Harbor without a fight. 

Henry Knox's audacious plan became one of the most celebrated logistical feats of the American Revolution.  Knox commanded the Continental Army's artillery for the duration of hostilities and later served as Washington's Secretary of War.  

Notably, Knox had never received any formal military training.  He owned and ran one of the best-stocked bookshops in Boston:  the London Book Store.  Knox regularly placed orders to London on behalf of occupying British troops.  And when British military technical manuals arrived Knox made a point of putting them aside, reading them and taking copious notes.  In particular anything and everything to do with the Royal Artillery.  Only after he was finished with his studies did he deliver the order to its British soldier.

Henry Knox's London Book Store on the corner, left.

When the Ticonderoga guns were emplaced on Dorchester Heights and trained on British forces Knox organized the construction of fortifications, fields of overlapping fire and prepared for siege warfare.  He supervised and drilled the gun crews on powder load, shot size and fuse timing.  He taught the mathematics of trajectory, range and elevation and drilled the crews in the discipline of loading, firing and safety.

At the time America had no formal military academies - Knox was entirely self-taught.  He turned imperial knowledge against the empire itself; essentially beating the British at their own game.  A home-schooled artilleryman and military commander.

National Museum of the United States Army

Fun Facts: Knoxville, Tennessee, the state's first capital, was founded in 1786 and named for Knox while he was Secretary of War.  Fort Knox, Kentucky was established in 1918; named for Henry Knox and his role as Washington's chief of artillery and the first Secretary of War.  Eight states are home to counties named after Knox.

This ends the short series on the Semiquincentennial as our trip to Boston essentially ended with the end to the Continental Army's siege of Boston.  I had high hopes for a post featuring Old Ironsides; alas, the USS Constitution was closed to the public as it is undergoing extensive refitting likely in preparation for being under sail during next year's festivities.

Thanks for reading. 

Semiquincentennial

As March 5, 1770 dawned, tensions between colonists and British soldiers were running high as a consequence of troops occupying Boston to enforce civil law for two long years already.  The presence of soldiers to enforce order inflamed resentment.  The town was a powder keg ready to explode.

Trouble began in late February when a schoolboy named Christopher Snider was shot and killed by a British loyalist during a melee.  The boy's funeral, organized by Samuel Adams, drew thousands of angry Bostonians.

On March 2, a British soldier, seeking a job, was told to clean my shithouse.  This triggered rioting.

On Monday, March 5, rumor had it that there would again be trouble.  The town was filled with people, mostly boys and young men milling about.  Many from out of town.  This was one of many brawls and arguments that broke out in Boston on that day.  

This one began innocently enough with a dispute over a barber bill.  A wig maker's apprentice was pestering an army officer, tailing him all over town, insulting him about the debt - which had, in truth, been paid. Eventually the officer entered a tavern on King Street opposite the State House.  The apprentice continued his harassment outside.  A solitary sentry on guard at the nearby Custom House joined the argument and struck the boy with the barrel of his musket.  A crowd began to gather, someone rang a church bell - normally used as a fire alarm - and more people arrived.  Many had sticks and clubs.

At the 29th Regiment's nearby HQ, Captain Thomas Preston 'walked up and down for near half an hour' wondering what to do.  The lone sentry was surrounded by hostile citizens and clearly in danger.  Finally, Preston led a detail to the Custom House to escort the sentry to safety.  Upon arrival Preston and his eight men found themselves surrounded.  For fifteen minutes the crowd grew uglier as the mob confronted the soldiers.  Insults and profanities were hurled.  Ice chunks were thrown at the soldiers.  Snowballs mixed with horse dung from the street were thrown at the troopers.  A club was thrown hitting one of the redcoats and knocking him to the ground.  Under stress and confusion and presaging events at Kent State two hundred years later - the trooper stood and fired at point-blank range.  More shots followed.  

Preston frantically ordered his men to cease fire; but three already lay dead and two more were dying.  Five colonists were killed including an African American - Crispus Attucks - remembered as the first violent casualty of the Revolution.  Several other Bostonians were wounded.

Samuel Adams and Paul Revere played this for all it was worth for its value as propaganda.  Their perennial villain, Lt. Gov. Hutchinson was forced to evacuate the troops to Castle Island in the harbor.

Revere's engraving of the Bloody Massacre was plagiarized from an illustration by Henry Pelham and was factually inaccurate but was terrific agitprop.  Prints were sold throughout Boston, the other colonies and made their way to England. 

But Boston was not ready for war and with the troops removed the situation quieted-down.  Two ardent patriots, John Adams (future president) and Josiah Quincy  defended the soldiers in court and won an acquittal for all but two of them.  The two found guilty of manslaughter were branded on their thumbs and set free.  

First installed in 1887, the circular brick memorial was in the middle of the street near where it was said Crispus Attucks fell.  It's been moved three times since with the present location selected so visitors would be less likely to be struck by traffic. 

The incident deepened colonial hostility toward Britain and contributed to unifying the opposition further laying the groundwork for the Revolution.

click on image to read the grave marker

 

Semiquincentennial

On the road to independence it is 1760 and the British government has imposed the Writs of Assistance on their subjects in the American colonies.  Heretofore, the writ applied to citizens in Britain under a 1662 Act enabling customs officials to combat fraud and smuggling.  The practical impact in North America is that the writs were broad search warrants that allowed officials to enter homes, shops, warehouses, ships or businesses at any time to search for smuggled goods without having to disclose what they are looking for.

The colonists were strongly opposed to these measures because it was a violation of privacy and security of property and was without limitation.  Because the writ had previous not applied to British citizens in the colonies they became a symbol of the tyranny of King George and further fueled resentment leading up to the revolution.

Massachusetts lawyer, James Otis, famously argued against the writs in 1761 articulating core colonial grievances and popularizing the phrase - No taxation without representation.

Faneuil Hall in Boston was built in 1742 as a marketplace and meeting hall.  This building and James Otis were attached at the hip.  Otis delivered fiery speeches at this location protesting British policies and advocating for independence from British rule.  Faneuil Hall's assembly room served as a rallying location where patriots organized resistance, voiced their grievances and advocated unity in their resistance.  It eventually earned the nickname:  Cradle of Liberty. 

When the Stamp Act (1765) was imposed Boston patriots gathered at Faneuil Hall to denounce the tax and organize boycotts of British goods.  Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty used the hall to rally support and coordinate their resistance with other colonies.

The Townshend Acts (1767) imposed new duties on imported glass, paper, paint and tea.  A year later British officials seized John Hancock's ship Liberty claiming  it was involved in smuggling wine without payment of duties.  While it is true that Hancock was indeed a smuggler - and a flourishing one too - the seizure sparked outrage as Hancock was a wealthy merchant and a popular fellow.  Bostonians viewed this action as political targeting and responded with rioting and attacks on customs officials.  

The people were pissed-off.

The unrest escalated to the point that Britain sent troops to Boston later in 1768 to impose order.  The presence of troops in the city to enforce the law directly increased tensions between colonists and soldiers.  This occupation by military forces set the stage for the Boston Massacre two years later.

Semiquincentennial

On the road to independence it is worth noting a couple of key events  occurring here and abroad.  The Seven Years' War - sometimes called the French and Indian War - was a global conflict (1756-1763) between Britain and its allies against France and its allies.  Here, in North America, it was a battle against the French and their Native allies for territorial control. Britain emerged victorious and gained control over all of Canada and land east of the Mississippi making it the dominant power in North America.

Nevertheless, not all was good for the British Empire.  The conflict nearly doubled Britain's debt and in order to pay it off Parliament and the Crown imposed new taxes on their colonists.  The Sugar Act, Stamp Act and Townshend Acts and tighter enforcement of foreign trade encouraged the growth of colonial resistance.

In order to avoid conflict with Native Americans, at the close of hostilities, Britain restricted any further westward settlement.  Eager to expand into new lands the colonists were angered by the crown imposing this limitation. 

The war also involved the cooperation of colonial forces with British regulars imparting a significant measure of military training for civilian farmers and merchants.  Coincidentally, this training forced the colonies to cooperate with one another politically and otherwise; thus laying the groundwork for future collaboration against Britain.  The war also left troops in North America and a standing army was viewed by the colonists as an occupying force. 

Following the death of King George II, King George II acceded to the throne in 1760.  He was only 22 years old and his reign marked a turning point for the colonies as his policies and ministers made George a central target for colonial blame and resentment.  

He came to be viewed as a tyrant. 

Semiquincentennial

Also called the Bisesquicentennial, the Sestercentennial, America 250 or the Quarter Millenium - this marks the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.  Festivities will mark various events leading up to the Declaration's anniversary on July 4, 2026.

Nevertheless, I recommend we start celebrating now.  Why, you ask?  Because it was 250 years ago, this year, that stuff that really mattered in our history actually happened.

Consequently, The Missus and I traveled to Boston very recently and spent more than a week with a small group is similarly-motivated citizen history nerds to learn more about the history and events that led-up to our road to independence.

To facilitate this adventure we booked a tour with Road Scholar (formerly Elder Hostel) thereby utilizing their expertise in guiding the process, facilitating the participation of local historians and creating a group dynamic encouraging active participation of inquiry and search for knowledge.

Each day included a mix of lecture, Q&A, site visits with exploration and more walking than I've done in awhile.  If you've never been to Boston - as are many places in Europe and abroad - the streets and sidewalks are cobble stones strewn with potholes and other hazards to navigation.  The fact that not a person in our group turned an ankle is miraculous. 

Subsequent posts will cover some (but not all) of these significant events.  So stay-tuned and stop back periodically for a guided walk down our road to Independence.

 Key Dates and Events

1630 - Puritans arrive in Massachusetts and settle Boston 

1686 - King James II revokes the Massachusetts Bay Colony's charter and installs                          Sir Edmund Andros as governor

1689 - Bostonians force Governor Andros to resign

1756 -1763 - Seven Year's War (French and Indian War) drains the British treasury

1760 - King George III accedes to the British Throne 

1761 - James Otis argues against the Writs of Assistance in a court trail at the Old                          State House

1763 - Faneuil Hall is dedicated to the "Cause of Liberty" by Otis 

1765 - Stamp Act passed; riots occur in Boston and other cities

1766 - Stamp Act repealed; great celebrations follow 

1767 - Townshend Acts passed; non-importation boycott begins

1768 - June 10, John Hancock's ship Liberty is seized in a disagreement over the                           payment of customs duties; protesters riot in Boston

         - October 1, British troops land in Boston to maintain order

1770 - March 5, the Boston Massacre 

1772 - Committees of Correspondence formed to oppose "despotism" of Governor                        Hutchinson in a dispute over his salary

1773 - Tea Act passed; December 16, Boston Tea Party 

1774 - Intolerable Acts passed; punishes Bostonians for the destroyed tea, closes                         the town's seaport and abolishes all local elected popular government

         - General Thomas Gage appointed governor by King George III

         - Patriots "practice the military art" and organize the Minute Men 

         - September, First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia

1775 - April 19, Lexington and Concord, British troops march to Concord to seize rebel                     supplies.  Alarmed by Paul Revere and William Dawes the Minute Men stand on                 Lexington Green.  At Daybreak the first shots of the war are fired.  The Siege of                 Boston begins.  

         - June 17, Battle of Bunker Hill.  Americans fortify Charlestown overlooking Boston                from the north.  British troops suffer over 1,000 casualties to take the American's                fort.

         - July 2, General George Washington arrives at Cambridge to take command of the                Continental Army 

1776 - March 4-5, Americans fortify Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston from the south

         - March 17, Evacuation Day.  British troop, government officials, and loyalists sail                out of Boston harbor never to return  

         - July 4, Declaration of Independence adopted at Philadelphia

1781 - Battle of Yorktown (Virginia); final surrender of the British forces

1783 - Peace treaty is signed between the United States and Great Britain 

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Fast forward to today.  

In our travels we taken countless subway and bus rides.  If we don't make an advance purchase one of the first tasks after arriving and clearing Customs is the purchase of our transit passes.  Rider passes go by various names; Paris is Navigo, New York is the MetroCard, Berlin uses the WelcomeCard, London has the Oyster Card and in Boston it is called the CharlieCard.  CharlieCard you say?  There's even a song about it.....