250th Anniversary of the Evacuation of Boston by the British Army
Evacuation Day – the Day Massachusetts Achieved It’s Independence
MARCH 17, 2026
On the 5th of March 1776, George Washington, Henry Knox and the officers and men of the American army’s right wing moved up onto Dorchester heights with a prefabricated fortification and some of the heavy artillery that Henry Knox brought from Fort Ticonderoga. British General William Howe considered attacking the new American position, but weather and the distressing condition of his forces convinced Howe to evacuate his 11,000 soldiers and the more than 1,200 citizens loyal to the Crown on a fleet of 120 ships. This ended a 332-day siege of Boston by 16,000–20,000 men of the Provincial and Continental armies that included men from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and what are now Vermont and Maine. Once the British left, they never again returned to Massachusetts, except to conduct a few raids. The “Washington Before Boston” medal was authorized by the Continental Congress on March 25, 1776. This was the first such medal authorized by the Congress. Washington’s original gold version of this medal is in the Boston Public Library.
Culminating in the 250th Anniversary of the Siege of Boston, Evacuation Day, marks the first victory of Washington’s Continental Army in the Revolution. The ceremony begins with a memorial service in St. Augustine’s chapel (Dorchester Street, South Boston) followed by a short procession up to Dorchester Heights for a commemorative program featuring political and community leaders from around the Commonwealth as well as reenacting units such as the Lexington Minute Men, the 2nd Massachusetts Regiment, the Henry Knox Color Guard, the Henry Knox Regiment of Artillery, General George Washington (portrayed by John Koopman) and historical assets from Fort Ticonderoga and Saratoga 250.
Commemoration Schedule
9:00 a.m. Memorial Mass in St. Augustine’s Chapel (181 Dorchester St, Boston, MA 02127).
10:00 a.m. Procession from St. Augustine’s Chapel, up Telegraph Street to Dorchester Heights.
10:30 a.m. Commemorative Exercises in front of the Dorchester Heights Monument.