Background
Following the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, militia had surrounded Boston, pinning the British in. On May 25, Major Generals William Howe, Henry Clinton and John Burgoyne arrived from England to assist British Army Lt. General Thomas Gage. General Gage knew he was surrounded on land, so he had to keep the harbor open to British ships. To do so, he needed to control Dorchester Heights and Charlestown, both of which overlooked the Harbor.
When the Americans learned of the plan from spies still in Boston, General Artemas Ward decided to fortify the Charlestown peninsula before the British could. On June 15, he ordered ramparts to be built on Bunker Hill. On the night of June 16, the Americans set out, but ended up on Breed's Hill, which was closer to the Harbor. When the British awoke the next morning, they were surprised to find that the Americans had secured the hill and had dug substantial redoubts in one night.
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