In June 1775, the Second Continental Congress unanimously appointed George Washington commander of the Continental Army. The new general inherited a ragtag militia and no heavy artillery. The solution came from an unlikely source: a 25-year-old Boston bookseller named Henry Knox, who proposed hauling captured cannons 300 miles from Fort Ticonderoga through frozen wilderness.

Key Takeaways

• Washington was appointed commander of the Continental Army on June 15, 1775, two days before the Battle of Bunker Hill, and he accepted the commission but refused any pay.

• The Continental Army had no heavy artillery, so Washington sent Henry Knox to Fort Ticonderoga to retrieve cannons captured by Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys.

• Knox and his team moved 60 tons of cannons and armaments by ox, sled, and wagon across frozen waterways and through dense forest over nearly three months.

• When the cannons were placed on Dorchester Heights on March 4, 1776, they aimed directly at the Royal Navy ships in Boston Harbor, making the British position untenable.

• On March 17, 1776, British General Howe ordered his troops onto ships and evacuated Boston, ending an 11-month patriot siege.

Sign up here to be the first to know about new History250 releases, content & resources!

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Why was George Washington chosen to lead the Continental Army?

Washington was selected largely because of his military experience from the French and Indian War, his commanding presence, and the political importance of having a Virginian lead an army dominated by New Englanders. He attended every session of the Second Continental Congress in his military uniform, making his availability plain. The vote to appoint him was unanimous.

Q2: Who was Henry Knox and what did he do?

Henry Knox was a 25-year-old bookseller from Boston who became one of Washington's most valuable officers. He proposed retrieving the cannons captured at Fort Ticonderoga and then personally led the three-month expedition to haul 60 tons of artillery back to Cambridge through winter wilderness. Washington would rely on Knox throughout the war.

Q3: How did the cannons from Fort Ticonderoga end the siege of Boston?

When Knox returned with the artillery in late February 1776, Washington's men positioned the cannons on Dorchester Heights overnight on March 4. The guns pointed directly at the Royal Navy ships in Boston Harbor. The British couldn't maintain their position without naval support, and on March 17, General Howe evacuated all British troops from the city.

Q4: How long had the British occupied Boston before being forced to leave?

British forces had been bottled up in Boston since the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. The patriot siege lasted about 11 months. The British evacuation on March 17, 1776 is still celebrated as Evacuation Day in Boston.

Q5: What was the Prohibitory Act?

Parliament passed the Prohibitory Act in December 1775, closing all American ports to trade and authorizing the Royal Navy to seize American cargo ships as prizes of war. King George III signed it on December 22, 1775. It was a significant escalation that pushed more colonists toward supporting full independence.

A Commander Chosen by Presence

Every day George Washington attended the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, he wore his blue military uniform. The signal was clear. On June 15, 1775, the delegates voted unanimously to appoint him commander of the Continental Army. Washington accepted the commission but declined any pay. He arrived at Cambridge on July 2, 1775, to take command of roughly 14,000 militia men, mostly from New England, who had been laying siege to Boston since Lexington and Concord in April. Neither side had moved in 10 weeks. The siege of Boston was a direct consequence of the bloody fight we cover in our episode on the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Building an Army from Scratch

The militia Washington inherited was a far cry from a professional fighting force. Because few of the men had military uniforms, Washington designated rank by ribbons: generals wore them across their chest, colonels and majors on their hats, sergeants on their right shoulder. He organized the force into divisions, brigades, and regiments, and set his men to building earthen walls facing Boston. The British, still shaken by their casualties at Breed's and Bunker Hills, refused to come out and engage them. Washington's leadership through this and later trials is the focus of our episode on Washington as America's Cincinnatus.

Knox's Improbable Mission

Washington's biggest problem was simple: no heavy artillery. A 25-year-old Boston bookseller named Henry Knox, an imposing figure at 6 feet tall and 250 pounds, had a solution. Cannons were sitting at Fort Ticonderoga, captured by Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys back in May. Knox volunteered to go get them. Washington dispatched him on November 16, 1775. Knox traveled 300 miles north to Fort Ticonderoga, arriving December 5. He spent weeks organizing the transport of 60 tons of cannons and armaments back south using oxen, sleds, wagons, and horses, crossing frozen lakes and pushing through dense forest.

The Guns on Dorchester Heights

Knox's party arrived back in Cambridge on February 27, 1776. On March 4, Washington's men hauled the heavy guns up to Dorchester Heights overnight. By morning, the cannons aimed straight down at the Royal Navy ships anchored in Boston Harbor. The ships couldn't stay so exposed. Without the navy, the British couldn't hold Boston.

On March 17, 1776, General Howe ordered his troops to board the ships and sail out of the harbor. The siege was over. Boston celebrated. As for Washington, he began planning for the British return. Parliament, meanwhile, had passed the Prohibitory Act in December, closing all American ports and authorizing the Royal Navy to seize American cargo ships as prizes of war. A few months after Boston was free, the colonies formally declared independence, as we cover in our episode on the Declaration of Independence.