250th Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill

Proclamation 10954 of June 17, 2025 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill A Proclamation On this day 250 years ago, a fearless band of American patriots stood their ground against the mightiest military power of the age at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Outmanned, outgunned, and underestimated, these ordinary men exemplified extraordinary courage and sent a thundering message to Britain and the entire world that the American people would never waver in their fight for freedom. A new revolutionary spirit had been awakened in the American Colonies following the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775. In the weeks that followed, thousands of Colonial militiamen from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island—exhausted and fed up with the escalating tyranny of the British Crown—left behind their homes, farms, and families to rally to the cause of independence. By June, they had assembled around Boston—the center of British power in New England—to contain nearly 5,000 Redcoats, protect nearby towns, and prevent British forces from moving beyond the city. After learning of British plans to seize the Charlestown peninsula to the north of Boston, Colonial leaders acted swiftly. On the night of June 16, 1775, over 1,000 American militiamen, led by Colonel William Prescott, marched to Charlestown and constructed fortifications atop Breed's Hill—ready to defend their homeland at any cost necessary. The next day, on June 17, nearly 2,200 Redcoats arrived, initiating a direct attack to drive the Americans off the hill. Significantly outnumbered and low on ammunition, Colonel Prescott gave the famous order to his fellow soldiers: “Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” When the moment came and the British advanced, the Patriots held firm. Wave after wave, the Redcoats charged, only to be driven back as the colonists inflicted massive casualties and held their ground with unshakable grit and resol…