Are We Worth The Fight For Freedom

He believed that they needed about 20k soldiers to scare the colonists in to obeying their rule. Whig leaders knew that Massachusetts should remain defensive. Then General Gage ordered “the troops… marched over the people’s land—some where their grain sown—and gardens; broke down their fences, walls.” Then the Battle of Lexington and Concord took place. “An assault on unresisting militiamen at Lexington common, a military confrontation at Concord’s North Bridge, and a classic guerrilla action by ill-disciplined provincials, drawing on Indian fighting experience to harry the Britain retreat to Charles-town on the bloody Battle Road.” Americans then met the British soldiers at the east end of the bridge. Shots’ begin to ring off killing Abner Hosmer and Isaac Davis. The battle was about two to three minutes

The American Revolution was a critical turning point in American history. Following the French and Indian War, Britain ignored its previous policy of salutary neglect and began intervening in the colonies affairs through taxes, occupation of soldiers, violation of civil liberties, all the while ignoring colonial pleas for representation in Parliament. These events led to the “shot heard ‘round the world” at the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775. America was now at war with Britain. Nevertheless, the impact of

Most people did not expect the colonists with their under trained militia to last long against the British superpower. The colonists did just that. In the night of June 16, 1775, a detail of 1200 troops under orders from Artemas Ward, and led by William Prescott was supposed to entrench themselves on the rise on Bunker Hill, but instead misunderstood the instructions and went to Breed’s Hill by mistake. The next morning, the British were shocked to see Americans threatening them. In the 18th century, British military custom urged that the British soldiers attack the American soldiers, even though the Americans were in a superior position. Major General William Howe, leader of the British forces could easily have surrounded the Americans with his ships, but chose to march his troops up the hill; to the Americans. Howe might have believed that the Americans would retreat in the face of a smashing, head-on attack. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how a person looks at it, William Howe was wrong. The Americans stood their ground, dug in their heels, and stood firm. In the first wave, the Americans waited until they were within forty meters, then opened fire. The British force retreated with their wounded for a second wave. The British rushed up yet again. Again they retreated, suffering a great number of casualties. By the time the

When the colonists got mad and were rebelling British acts, Thomas Gage, governor of what is now Massachusetts, also took action by making orders to seize Patriot supplies. Gage started taking responsibly on April 14th, 1775 when he got a letter to take force against the Patriots. In response to the letter he ordered to seize and destroy colonists artillery, ammunition, small arms, and tents and the only way for this plan to be successful was to make it very secretive. If word got out Gage knew the Patriots would gather up and face his troops, so he made the strategy so private his own troops didn’t know what they were going to be ordered to do only his most authorized men knew. The colonists were suspicious of British movement and watched all their activity. On April 15th, 1775 Patriots knew that the British were up to something when they started testing boats and

On April 19, 1775 the Revolution finally began on the footsteps of Concord. After days of rumors British forces finally moved into the small town. Unlike most expected the minutemen held their own and protected the town of Concord along with militia from neighboring towns. When the fighting in town died down and everything was calm in Concord WIlliam Emerson claimed “This month [is] remarkable for the greatest Event taking Place in the present Age(132).” This attitude

The importance of this raid lay in the fact that they captured much-needed cannons and gunpowder.

Paul revere was riding home with Samuel Dawes and William Prescott and noticed the British were marching toward Lexington in large numbers. He also noticed the were heavily armed and were ready to fight. He rode north through the streets of Lexington, Concord, and other various small

Most of the colonists rebelled against Parliament’s decisions of passing new laws, they were angered by the creation of the Tea Act, and rebelled by dumping 18,000 pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor, which was known as the Boston Tea Party. The colonists were determined to get their independance from Great Britain, so after the battles of Lexington and Concord, the Second Continental Congress met to decide what was to be done next. For example, “Americans had a grand cause: fighting for their rights, their independence and their liberty” (American and British Strengths and Weaknesses). This shows that the colonists were not just fighting to win, they were fighting for their freedom, their rights, and their independance from Great Britain. Most of the American military were civilians that were fighting because they wanted freedom and they were determined to do

On 19 April 1775, the battle begun. The colony protected by local militiamen was vastly outnumbered, armed with only 77 men including “minutemen,” named for their ability to be ready to fight in a minute’s notice were

On an “unremarkably clear and pleasant” day in April 19, 1775, the shot that was said to had been able to be heard around the world was fired. (A Guide to Battles) This began the battles in which we know as Lexington and Concord, and the war we know as the Glorious/American revolution. It was fought between the British whom had feared American retaliation for some time, and the American Colonies whom were tired of feeling oppressed by the British. General Thomas Gage advised his British superiors to prepare for war, but this advice was refused and when the time finally came, they were not prepared for the fight at hand. (History of AM Rev) Many events, rules, and regulations helped to lead up to the retaliation of the Americans.

On April 19th, 1775, infantrymen of the British Army clashed with colonial Patriots near Boston, MA. British troops, also known as redcoats, had been in Boston for seven years to ensure that the Intolerable Acts were enforced. Colonists had already demonstrated their displeasure for their king with the Boston Tea Party, and now the British were on the offensive attempting to confiscate the arms of the rebels. Militiamen were alerted and a standoff occurred at Lexington and Concord. History has left us in doubt about which side fired first, triggering the Revolutionary War. But various stories give different accounts. American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson called it the "shot heard 'round the world," and described it as coming from the colonials. There is more reason to believe that the first shot did come from the side of the Patriots simply because they had more to gain by initiating a war. This paper will show why it is more reasonable to believe that the Patriots fired first.

III. As a result of the harsh treatment and strict regulations put on the colonists by the British such as the Boston Massacre, the Tea Act, Stamp Act, and other taxes, the colonists were ready for a change. They are tired of being controlled by a government on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, and are ready to start fighting for their freedom. The colonists form many rebellious groups such as the Sons of Liberty, to protest and rebel against the British involvement in their country. They hold meetings and help carry out acts against the British such as the Boston Tea Party. When the British don't change their ways it is time for war. The fighting starts at Lexington and Concord in the spring of 1775 with the first shots being fired. People all over wanted to help in the war effort by joining the army and forming small militia groups to fight the British. Benjamin Martin's army was one of these groups. The British won many battles

The colonists call for self-rule increased with each new act passed. Instead of listening to the American colonists, Britain kept passing new acts. An example that shows the extent to which politically the American Revolution can be called an accelerated evolution rather than a cataclysmic revolution are the battles of Lexington and Concord. The increased want for independence led the colonists to create a continental army and begin their fight for change. In 1775, Massachusetts was proclaimed to be in an open rebellion and British General Thomas Gage was ordered to put a stop to it. On April 18, 1775 General Gage dispatched 700 soldiers to capture colonial leaders and supplies at Concord. Fortunately, Paul Revere and other riders were able to warn the patriots of the attack and at dawn militiamen confronted the British troops first at Lexington and then Concord. After these battles 73 British soldiers were dead, 174 wounded and 26 were missing. Americans suffered too with 49 Massachusetts militiamen killed and 39 wounded. The battles at Lexington and Concord show a more radical way that the colonists chose to achieve independence from Britain. Due to violence and a want for rapid change, the battles of Lexington and Concord show politically how the American Revolution can almost be a cataclysmic revolution. The American Revolution did not happen suddenly, but built up more as each new act

England made any town meeting, except authorized by the governor illegal, and housed British soldiers in select public buildings. In Massachusetts the British military governor, General Gage, ordered his 3,500 British soldiers in Boston to seize armories and storehouses in Charlestown and Cambridge. After the seizure, 20,000 colonial militiamen mobilized to protect other military supply depots and in the town of Concord the famous defensive force, the Minutemen, were organized.2 With these acts Parliament declared that Massachusetts was in open rebellion. British Secretary of State, Lord Dartmouth, quickly ordered Gage to send his soldiers on a search and destroy mission to capture colonial leaders, and military supplies in Concord. “At the same time Gage would attempt to find, capture, or kill John Hancock and Samuel Adams.”3 The stage was set for the first major engagements of the American Revolution.

The Boston Massacre is considered by many historians to be the first battle of the Revolutionary War. The fatal incident happened on March 5 of 1770. The massacre resulted in the death of five colonists. British troops in the Massachusetts Bay Colony were there to stop demonstrations against the Townshend Acts and keep order, but instead they provoked outrage. The British soldiers and citizens brawled in streets and fought in bars. “The citizens viewed the British soldiers as potential oppressors, competitors for jobs, and a treat to social mores”. A defiant anti-British fever was lingering among the townspeople.