British Fired First Analysis

The years of 1763-1765 were truly defining moments for colonist of the colonies, soon to become the United States of America. ‘’War! War! This is the only way!” American Colonist shouted,as they took to the streets proclaiming defiance of British rule. “We as a people shall fight for our freedom and have victory.No more shall we continue to let others control our countries and give our money to a monarch who has no concern for our right’s, dedication that was put forth to help fight and respect us as loyal subjects.We must fight for our freedom!” When American colonist waged war it proved to be the only way for the colonies to become free from Britian. In turn, the colonist were justified in breaking away from England because of: The

Over the first few months of 1775 Concord struggled to gain and train a functional militia. After month of angry talk amongst citizen and leader in Concord action became more prominent, Gross stated “Nearly all of local life took on a military cast” towards mid spring point of 1775(69).

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

The first shots of the Revolution rang out April 19 1775 at Lexington green. Reports say the British fired first killing eight patriots. I believe these reports to be true. There was a lot of controversy surrounding this, since none of us were there, no one can be certain on who fired first. Evidence shows the British fired first. I think based on the evidence provided it was very easy to see the British were the first to fire the shot of the revolution.

Similar to the way that the colonial and British perspectives greatly varied for the Boston Massacre, their opinions are once again vastly different for the Battles of Lexington and Concord. In this event as well, both parties attempt to place the blame on the other which is not unusual due the nature of the sources. However, this highlights the large amount of bias evident in all of the accounts. For the colonial perspective, there are two statements, each from a member of a colonial militia that fought during the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Both of these sources place the blame on the British soldiers and claim that the British fired first, killing several colonists. One account, from the Battle of North Bridge, claims that the colonists were ordered to hold their fire and that they didn’t fire until the British opened fire upon them. The other account, from soldier who fought during the skirmish at the Lexington Green, states that the colonists did not even get a single shot off, at least not before the soldier whose account this is was wounded. This source also claims that the British commanding officers were yelling at and insulting the colonists as their ranks closed on the milita. Both these sources are very similar to the colonial perspectives of the Boston Massacre because they all place the blame on the British soldiers and attempt to make themselves appear as the victims.

The textbook and the diary entry are both similar on how the massacre began, but the textbook states that the soldiers came to assist White, ending in the soldier being surrounded by the crowd and one of the soldiers being knocked down. The soldier that was knocked down, got up and fired his musket according to the textbook, but the diary entry stated that Captain Preston commanded the soldiers to fire. The textbook does not state anything about the soldiers being immediately removed, but states that the redcoats left for Canada.

As previously mentioned, the militia were already expecting the arrival of the British Troops. Six troops were being led by Major John Pitcairn while reinforcements were being requested. The militia that awaited Pitcairn and his troops consisted of 137 men who were assembled by Captain John Parker. The militia waited in taverns while a few men were sent out to locate the British troops and figure out their estimated time of arrival. Unfortunately, many of these men did not return. They were mostly arrested by the British.

The soldiers lined up, facing the crowd to try and dissolve the problem but the people were not backing down. Bostonians continued to taut the soldiers, yelling at them to fire their weapons. Not long after, shots were fired killing five Bostonians and wounding six others. The big question still unanswered today is whether or not Captain Preston yelled for the soldiers to fire or not.

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem, “Concord Hymn” supports that the first shot was fired at the North bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. The first stanza of the Concord Hymn is, “By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired the shot heard round the world.” Although, Emerson suggest that it was in Concord where the “shot heard around the world” was fired, desendents of the towns Lexington and Concord still debate this fact today. On Wednesday, April 19, 1775 at the village green in the village of Lexington in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay. Captain John Parker and around 60 militia men, many of the men being related to Parker faced off against 240 redcoats under General Gage’s comand. John Parker was a farmer and had previously fought along side the british. The militia men were not near as well trained or well equipt as the british regulars. There were over one hundred onlookers at the battle of Lexington. Both John Parker’s milita men and Gage’s redcoats were under orders to hold their fire. Nobody is exactly sure who fired the first shot at Lexington, some people believe that it could have been a spectator. Regardless of who fired the first shot.

The British did indeed fire first but fell back when more and more militiamen showed up. By the time British soldiers were prepared to return back to Boston, almost 2000 militiamen arrived and more were arriving. Fighting had started yet again with militiamen hiding behind bushes in trees. British soldiers pulled back to Lexington where they had came into contact with more reinforcements of Redcoats. This didn’t stop the Patriots from continuing to resume attacks. The British tried and tried with Redcoats flanking and canon fire. The Patriots had a chance to finish the Redcoats off but were commanded not to. The British Redcoats retreated to Charlestown Neck. The Americans had won the battle, neither Samuel Adams or John Hancock had been taken and they only destroyed very little military supplies! By the end of the day Britain lost 293 soldier and the colonials 93. The colonial Patriots proved they were more than a group of unorganized colonial rebels.

On October 1, 1780, Ferguson received intelligence that the Patriot militias were approaching. Ferguson quickly summoned his men and hurriedly left the outposts at Ninety-Six. Ferguson concerned about the size of the Patriot militias, appealed to Loyalist from the surrounding area for their support, and dispatched a courier with a message to Cornwallis requesting for reinforcement. (Walker, 2012) Ferguson and his men left the campsite at Ninety-Six, ordered his men to retreat to Charlotte and join Cornwallis’s

militias were composed of volunteer minutemen. These soldiers had to be quick to act and transform

The person who I guess, who first shot in the battle is the British. The reason why I conceive that because on the Diary Ezra Stiles. The reason why I chose Ezra Stiles's diary, is because in one subdivision in his diary it straightly said that the colonists fired first. The evidence that supports my answer is, “ Major Pitcairn who was a good man in a bad cause, insisted upon the day of his death, that the colonists fired first…” (Stiles, 11).

The evening of May 26, 1637, the English retaliated against the murder of Captain John Stone by brutally attacking a large Pequot village in Missituck. The invasion began around 2 A.M. on the twenty-sixth proceeding the all day march and short rest the men were permitted. The English, led by Major John Mason and Captain John Underhill, split forces and attacked through the only two village entrances. Instead of engaging the Englishmen, many Pequots stayed huddled in their shelters. Mason quickly was engulfed with irritation that his enemy would not fight in traditional European ways. He took a torch and set fire to one side of the village while Underhill set fire to the other end. In a matter of less than an hour, several Pequot men, women,

The militia was strictly a local institution to a colony's townships or counties. They consisted of males usually between the age of sixteen and sixty, who were obliged to keep weapons in their homes and be prepared to be called in the event of Indian attack. Periodically throughout the year, the militias were called to train at their local county or town seat (Bell 28). Although the local militia trained together, they rarely fought together. Whenever a colony was threatened, the government of the colony directed the militia commander of the locality that was threatened to assemble his men. This commander would then muster the most able of his militia, usually the youngest, in the number he thought he would need. This was also similar to the process used to form a militia for an expedition into Indian country. Upon completion of the defense of the colony or the expedition, the men would immediately disband and return to their homes (Bell 29).