Name/Title
StereographEntry/Object ID
2023.055.3.0201Description
A black and white stereograph. Image is of the Bunker Hill monument in Boston. Above teh image "T61 (Star)" is printed, below the image "26509T Sacred to the Cause of American Liberty - Bunker Hill Monument, Boston, Mass." is printed, to the left of the image "Keystone View Company COPYRIGHTED Manufacturers MADE IN U.S.A. Publishers" is printed, to the right of the image "Meadville, Pa., New York, N. Y., Chicago, Ill., London, England." is printed. On the reverse the following is printed:
26509
BUNKER HILL MONUMENT, BOSTON, MASS.
It was on this hill, June 17th, 1775, that the famous battle was fought between the American patriots and the British troops of King George. The provincial leaders learned that General Gage meant to fortify this hill, and forestalled the British movement by erecting breatsworks of their own during the night of June 16th. At daybreak the situation was discovered and a British force of 4000 men came from Boston to attack the redoubt, the enemy firiing meanwhile from their own fortifications at Copp's hill. The American patriots numbered only 1500. General Prescott issued his brief order, "Don't fire till you see the whites of their eyes!"
When the withering and sustained fire came, it broke the ranks of the English soldiers and they retreated. A second charge was made with a like result. But the British soldiers on the third charge drove the Americans from the hill. The importance of the battle, however, was much greater than might have been expected. The Americans were volunteers, who it was supposed, could not stand before the well-trained British regulars. Yet they had driven back superior numbers of them, not once but twice. This gave the Americans great courage and made them believe that they would succeed in winning their independence.
The corner stone of this granite monument was laid in 1825 by Lafayette, and Daniel Webster made one of his greatest speeches on that occasion. Eighteen years later when it was completed and dedicated in 1843 Webster was again the orator of the day. The structure is 221 feet high. A staircase inside leads to the observatory at the top where one gets a magnificent view of the city, the harbor and a wide semi-circle of surrounding country.
Copyright by The Keystone View CompanyCollection
Photograph Collection