Lexington And Concord

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

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'; (Mahin 1). A defiant anti-British fever was lingering among the townspeople.     

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.

Though the Shot Heard 'Round the World began the Battle of Lexington, the Shot Heard 'Round the World was caused by the Boston Tea Party. Samuel Adams led the Sons of Liberty in a rebellion against the Stamp Act. They disguised themselves as Indians and dumped tons of

The two sides eyed each other and waited for the first move. No one is sure who made the first move, all we know is that a shot rang out and the fighting started. This first shot is called the “shot heard round the world”.The militia or residential army alongside the minutemen who claimed to able to be ready to fight within a minute were no match for the British troops. The Americans were defeated and the British moved on to concord to seize the gunpowder. The British troops were met by more minutemen and more of the militia. This time the battle was much harder for the British and eventually they had to retreat. The British retreated toward Boston and were again sucked into combat with the colonial minutemen and militia. The colonists killed over 125 people including British officers. These fights where the British had killed Americans were taken and made into propaganda to increase the tension between the two

“Throw down your arms! Ye villains, ye rebels” (1775, 04/19: Battles of Lexington and Concord. (2007, June 26). The militiamen, who were greatly outnumbered, were ordered to leave when a shot rang out. No one really knows who fired first, but the British, hearing the shot, fired upon the small group of militia, killing eight and wounding 10 (1775, 04/19: Battles of Lexington and Concord. (2007, June 26).

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

“At the Concord North Bridge, a small group of militia battled a force of Bristish soliders.” The commander of the British decided to retreat back to Lexington. While they were retreating

By 1775, tension between the colonies and the mother country had reached the breaking point. British troops in Boston learned that the colonists had hidden a large collection of weapons in nearby Concord. Sons of Liberty Paul Revere and William Dawes rode to warn of the impending British attack by way of the Charles River; the most direct route. Just as the sun was rising on April 19, 1775, British soldiers reached Lexington. Eight Minutemen were killed and several others

It is uncertain who fired first, probably the British given several firsthand accounts but shots were exchanged with the Militia. The Battle lasted but a few moments killing and wounding several of the Militia and wounding one of the British Soldiers. The British then proceeded on to Concord to

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” (Emerson). Although Emerson suggests that it was in Concord where the “shot heard around the world” was fired, descendants of the towns Lexington and Concord still debate this fact today. “Tensions had been building for many years between residents of the 13 American colonies and the British authorities, particularly in Massachusetts”(History). 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 command. John Parker was a farmer and had previously fought alongside the British. The militia men were not near as well trained or well equipped as the British regulars. There were over one hundred onlookers at the battle of Lexington. Both John Parker’s militia 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, shots were exchanged by Captain Parker and General Gage’s men, and the Revolutionary War had begun. After the musket smoke cleared, 8 Americans lay dead with little to no casualties to the British. The American militia retreated to the town of Concord where the second battle of the Revolutionary War would soon take

A significant moment occurred for the founding of the United States at Lexington and Concord. This significant moment is know as “The shot heard round the world.” The British heard that the colonists had a good amount of guns and gun powder in Lexington they decided to act. On April 18, 1775 General Thomas Gage sent 1,000 from Boston. He did this in the night hoping to catch the colonists by surprise. Gage did not know that the colonists had patriots watching out for them. This is when Paul Revere rode back to town and warned the colonists the British are

In another point, the first major battle of the American Revolution was the battle of Lexington and Concord. The battle started April 19, 1775. The first part of the battle took place in Lexington. There were 240 British soldiers and 70 Americans. The main goal of the battle of concord was to secure supplies. By the end of both of the battles, the British had lost 273 men while the Americans only lost 95 men.