By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Two and a half centuries ago, a valiant group of American patriots stood resolutely against the formidable British military at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Despite being outnumbered, outgunned, and largely dismissed by their adversaries, these ordinary individuals showcased extraordinary bravery. They sent a resounding signal not only to Britain but to the world: the American quest for freedom would not be subdued.
A fresh revolutionary zeal had ignited in the American Colonies, following the earlier skirmishes at Lexington and Concord in April 1775. In the weeks that ensued, thousands of militiamen from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, weary and indignant over the British Crown’s increasing tyranny, left their homes, farms, and families to unite for independence. By June, they had congregated around Boston—the epicenter of British authority in New England—to confront nearly 5,000 Redcoats, safeguard neighboring towns, and thwart British expansion beyond the city limits.
Upon discovering British intentions to capture the Charlestown peninsula north of Boston, Colonial leaders wasted no time. On the eve of June 16, 1775, over 1,000 American militiamen, under the command of Colonel William Prescott, marched to Charlestown and erected fortifications atop Breed’s Hill, prepared to defend their homeland at any cost. The following day, on June 17, nearly 2,200 Redcoats launched a direct assault to dislodge the Americans from their elevated position. Significantly outnumbered and running low on ammunition, Colonel Prescott famously instructed his troops: “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” When the British advanced, the Patriots stood resolute. Time and again, the Redcoats charged, only to be repelled as the colonists inflicted devastating casualties, demonstrating unyielding grit and determination.
After two unsuccessful assaults, the British forces mounted a third charge. The patriots, nearly out of ammunition, engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat with the British. Though ultimately compelled to retreat, the Americans inflicted staggering losses on their opponents. Over 1,000 British soldiers were killed or wounded, compared to 450 Americans. While Charlestown lay in ruins, the American spirit soared higher than ever. Although the British claimed the ground known as Bunker Hill, it was the patriots who emerged victorious in morale—demonstrating that the cause of freedom, once ignited, becomes an unstoppable force.
Today, we honor the courage, resolve, and selflessness of the patriots who fought at Bunker Hill. They conveyed a powerful message to Britain and the world: Americans would not be ruled by fear, and a free people, united in purpose, represent the most formidable force on Earth. The legacy of Bunker Hill endures in every soldier defending this land, in every citizen who cherishes their country, and in every patriot who believes that America’s finest days lie ahead.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 17, 2025, as a day of commemoration for the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
seventeenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
