Bellum Battle Comparator
Compare two engagements without flattening incompatible historical numbers. Bellum contrasts outcome, terrain, tactical sequence, command decisions, documented formations, primary-source depth and evidence quality while keeping each source definition intact.
March 4, 1776 · Massachusetts
The occupation of Dorchester Heights in March 1776 ended an eleven-month siege without a set-piece battle on the scale of Bunker Hill. Artillery, fortification and geography combined to make the British position in Boston strategically untenable.
May 10, 1775 · New York
The May 10, 1775 capture of Fort Ticonderoga was a small action with disproportionate strategic value. The rebels gained a key northern post, material, and a foothold on the route toward Canada, while the fort’s artillery later became part of the Boston siege story.
| Dimension | Dorchester Heights and the Evacuation of Boston | Capture of Fort Ticonderoga |
|---|---|---|
| Result | American strategic victory | American victory |
| Tactical outcome | Continental forces fortified Dorchester Heights and emplaced artillery capable of threatening Boston and the harbor, creating a position the British could not comfortably leave in American hands. | A small rebel force associated with Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold and the Green Mountain Boys surprised the lightly held British post and took Fort Ticonderoga with little fighting. |
| Strategic effect | Rather than launch another costly assault, the British evacuated Boston on March 17, 1776. The siege ended with Washington’s army holding the city and the British shifting the main war effort toward New York. | The capture opened a strategically important Lake Champlain position to the revolutionaries and gave them access to artillery and stores; guns from the northern forts later contributed to the artillery concentration around Boston. |
| Terrain problem | Dorchester Heights overlooked Boston and the harbor. Once fortified and armed, elevation converted artillery hauled from the northern forts into direct strategic leverage over the British position. | Ticonderoga sat at a narrows controlling movement between Lake George and Lake Champlain. The strategic value of the site was far larger than the number of troops inside the fort on May 10. |
| Intelligence problem | Both commands understood the significance of the heights. The American advantage came from combining surprise fortification with the arrival of heavy guns after months of siege preparation. | The attackers exploited surprise and local knowledge. The British garrison did not face a formal siege; the action turned on reaching and entering the fort before resistance could be organized. |
| Turning point | The overnight fortification of Dorchester Heights transformed the siege geometry. Britain now faced a strengthened enemy position that threatened shipping and could be costly to storm. | The decisive moment was penetration of the post itself. Once the small garrison was surprised inside a fort not prepared for a full defense, the contest was effectively settled. |
| Documented OOB records | 5 | 5 |
| Tactical phases | 5 | 5 |
| Command decisions analyzed | 1 | 1 |
| Primary-source records | 1 | 1 |
| Modern/historical geography anchors | 2 | 2 |
Bellum intentionally does not subtract or rank troop/casualty figures when their source scope differs. Open each battle’s evidence table for the exact definitions behind its numbers.