Joseph Warren was the embodiment of the American colonists’ struggle to secure their rights within the British empire. In June of 1775, Warren had just turned thirty-four. He was a widowed father of four young children and an esteemed Boston physician. His political leadership in Massachusetts started in 1765. A protege of Samuel Adams, Warren’s influence began through his writings and orations as a staunch defender of the right …
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Sep 2025
A serious historian must carefully consider his or her subject. Hours of diligent research and conscientious, consuming deliberation go into the presentation for accuracy of an individual’s reputation as well as historical fact and circumstances. In his book Bunker Hill, Nathaniel Philbrick states in his notes, pages 319-320, that with the encouragement of Samuel Forman, author of Dr. Joseph Warren, they created the fictitious narrative of a thirteen-year-old child …
Americans enjoy July 4th as a day to celebrate summer. Can we take a few moments from our cookouts and firework displays to acknowledge the significance of the signing of the Declaration of Independence? Might we reflect on the courage not only of the members of the Continental Congress — but also those on the battlefield who were charged with making this Declaration of Independence a reality. It would …
On June 11, 1775, as the 16,000 American forces surrounded Boston, Dr. Joseph Warren – president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and chairman of the Committee of Safety turned thirty-four. His wife had died two years prior leaving him with four children ages one to nine. Though the children had been in the care of his mother and brother Sam at the family home in Roxbury, Warren made plans …
Commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill (actually Breed’s Hill) cannot be properly achieved without tribute to Liberty’s martyr – Joseph Warren. A prominent young physician and widowed father of four small children, Warren was the foremost Patriot leader in the months leading to the Battles of Lexington and Concord until his ultimate sacrifice on Breed’s Hill. Joseph Warren ignited the American Revolution! Anticipating an …
In 1768, 1,200 British troops occupied Boston to quell the protests of the townspeople against arbitrary taxation – a standing army in time of peace was contrary to the accepted rights of Englishmen. The soldiers, seeking extra money to supplement their army pay by moonlighting, competed with the townsmen for jobs. (They also competed for the attention of Boston’s maidens.) Tension was in the air. Townspeople suffered abuse at …
Great Britian’s Seven Years War with France proved a great financial drain. Those in England were already burdened with taxes. The American Colonies, well established by 1760, seemed the perfect means for new revenue. The King of England had sent troops to fight the French forces on the American frontier. Certainly, the colonies needed to show their appreciation by their submission in providing the monies necessary for this defense–or …
To comprehend why the American Revolution was fought, one must first understand the mindset and struggles of the people first involved–those of Massachusetts, and more specifically Boston. Why was the focus on Boston? And what could have riled these hard-working folk enough to gradually incite them to take up arms against the King of England and the mightiest military force on the face of the Globe? The Massachusetts Bay …