Our relationship with Great Britain was deteriorating after the Boston Tea Party. The Intolerable Acts were passed to punish the colonists, mainly those in Massachusetts, for the Boston Tea Party. The colonists refused to obey the Intolerable Acts, and they began to form their own militias. Relations deteriorated further after the battles at Lexington and at Concord. Both sides suffered casualties in these battles. Many colonists believed that war was inevitable.

The relationship continued to deteriorate as more fighting occurred. During the battle at Bunker Hill, which really was fought at Breed’s Hill, the colonists were able to hold their own against the British military. It took the British three attempts to capture the hill. They succeeded only after the colonists ran out of ammunition. While the colonists didn’t want to lose the battle, they were pleased that they were able to hold their own against the British. This gave them confidence that they might be able to do well if a war occurred. These battles and disagreements continued to push the colonists closer to war with Great Britain. Once the Declaration of Independence was adopted, the Revolutionary War began.