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Thomas Gage And His Impact On The Revolutionary War Essay

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Thomas Gage and His Impact on the Revolutionary War
Matt Thompson
Mountain View High School Back in 1774 Thomas Gage had a job that no one would envy. He would be tasked with stemming the tide of a rebellion in the colonies of North America. Many considered him the protagonist of the English cause in the Revolutionary war. Tensions were rising and Gage had just been appointed Military Governor of Massachusetts. With this title, he would effectively be the most powerful British official in the 13 Colonies. Gage had control over military, political, and diplomatic decisions (Britannica, 2015). When relations turned sour between the American colonies and their mother country, people looked to Gage to make it right. Gage was unable to take the necessary actions to prevent the war and ended up being a driving factor in the American Revolution. In the beginning of Gage’s time serving in the military and the start of his tenure as Military Governor he was fairly well liked. Gage had fought in the French and Indian War after fighting a handful of battles in Europe. He joined the military in 1741 and came to America in 1754 (Walsh, 2013). As he served his country he began to move his way up the ranks of the British Army. It was in 1763 that he reached the precipice of his military career, becoming Commander in Chief of all British forces in North America. Just a few years after being appointed Governor of Montreal, he was now the most important and influential man

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