Early Life
Henry Knox was born on July 25, 1750 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the seventh of ten children to William Knox and Mary Knox. In 1759 William Knox a migrant captain died at the age of fifty after suffering financial difficulties. Three years after the death of his father and at the age of twelve, Henry Knox was forced to leave the “Boston Latin Grammar school” and went to work to support his family. He was hired as a apprentice to a bookseller were he mastered the trade and opened his own shop, “The London Book Store” at the age of 21. Henry was an enthusiastic reader and spend his time reading about military topics focusing on artillery.
In 1770 Knox was involved in the Sons of Liberty, supported the American Colonial rights and was present at the Boston massacre. Two years after, his military reading came in handy when he joined the Boston Grenadier corps. On June 16, 1774 , Knox married Lucy Flocker, the daughter of the royal secretary of the province of Massachusetts. Knox was not well received by the family and after the city fell to the American forces in 1776 they left the city. In 1775” Knox volunteered to serve with Colonial Forces and participated in the battle of Bunker Hill.”
American Revolution He remained in the military, and served with Massachusetts forces in the Army of
Observation during the beginning of the Siege of Boston. While there he caught the eyes of the new army commander General George Washington when he inspected fortification that was Rodriguez 2 designed by Knox and they developed a friendly relationship. In 1775, because the army desperately needed artillery Washington asked Knox for advice in November 1775. Knox advised Washington to transport the canons captured at fort Ticonderoga to the siege lines around Boston. Washington commissioned Knox as a Colonel in the Continental army and was sent north as the winter approached. When he