Siege Of Boston Ends

On this day in 1776, the Siege of Boston ended following the withdrawal of British troops by sea. The Continental Army had surrounded Boston to prevent the British from advancing for almost a year. Finally, Henry Knox's "Noble Train of Artillery" arrived with cannon captured from Fort Ticonderoga in early 1776. After Washington's army fortified Dorchester Heights with the cannon, the British realized their ships were threatened, finally withdrawing after failed attempts to destroy or capture the Continental position.