The Battle of Bunker Hill dates back to December 1773, when a group of settlers dressed as Mohawk Indians boarded three East India Company ships. These rebels led by Sam Adams then dumped chests full of tea into Boston Harbor. This act, known as the Boston Tea Party, was the result of years of exploitation and mistreatment by the British; it was the breaking point for the colonists and symbolized a shift in their loyalties. As punishment, the British imposed the Intolerable Acts, which paved the way for the Boston Massacre and the Battle of Lexington and Concord. At Lexington and Concord, the British were unprepared to face an American militia and were forced to retreat to the Charlestown Peninsula where they were reinforced by their navy. American forces then decided to stifle the British by building a defensive position on a nearby hill, Bunker Hill. The Battle of Bunker Hill soon followed and it was a Pyrrhic victory for British General Gage. Gage demonstrated poor mission command that stemmed from his overconfidence and impaired his ability to understand, visualize, describe, and lead during battle. At Charlestown, Gage found the reinforcements and combined arms he needed to regain control of the settlers and defeat the rebels. He also found an unwelcoming population of settlers, and Gage soon felt that tensions between them and the surrounding towns were becoming too great. So on June 16, 1775, Gage ordered a meeting with his two generals, Clinton and Howe. They discussed a plan to leave the peninsula and strengthen their position by taking Dorchester Heights. News of their plan spread quickly and the settlers had no choice but to take immediate preventative measures...... middle of paper ......rect. Overall, Gage's poor mission command inflated his losses and created hope among the colonists, which turned the tide of the war. Works Cited Battle of Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill. http://www.wpi.edu/academics/military/bhill.html (accessed December 10, 2013). Ketchum, Richard M. Day of Decision: The Battle of Bunker Hill. Doubleday and Company Inc, 1974. Lockhart, Paul. The Whites of Their Eyes, Book Design and Media Inc, 2011. The Battle of Bunker Hill. http://www.cr.nps.gov/NR/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/42buNker/42lrnmore.html (accessed December 10, 2013). The Battle of Bunker Hill. http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/bunkerhillbattle.html (accessed December 13, 2013). The true story of the Battle of Bunker Hill. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/The-True-Story-of-the-Battle-of-Bunker-Hill-204119581.html (accessed December 15, 2013).