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The Battle of Lexington 

If you ask a historian (better prepare for a long-winded answer) the American Revolution began at Lexington and Concord. But, throughout 1774 & 1775 the good people of Massachusetts colony were busy overthrowing their government— one vigilante mob at a time.

 

Tensions Explode

By the spring of 1775 there was so much tension building between British soldiers stationed in Boston and the colonists that if this were a video game you would literally see the exclamation marks hovering above people’s heads. Three thousand British regulars were stationed in Boston to keep the peace and the crowds didn’t miss a beat to taunt them every chance they got.

Militia companies began drilling in preparation for what seemed like the eventual showdown with British troops. If Parliament was intent on taking away their constitutional rights as British citizens, the colonists weren’t going down without a fight. Egged on by Sam Adams, the people of Massachusetts held their own illegal county conventions. The Sons of Liberty began what it called Tory-hunts, finding those still loyal to the king and running them out of town. Governor-General Thomas Gage was sent over by the king to restore law and order. But it seemed that everyday things in Massachusetts were spiraling out of control. Gage wrote back to London that he would need 20,000 troops to put down the rebellion before it spread to other colonies. King George thought Gage was being ridiculous. Surely, it didn’t take that many soldiers to deal with a bunch of “raw, undisciplined, cowardly” Americans? On February 2, 1775 Parliament declared the colony of Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion.

The Continental Congress urged the colonial militia to mobilize. Military drills began in the town commons. Men were told to be ready on a minute’s notice, which earned them the nickname “Minute Men”. In New England, a British armory had been robbed and its contents of guns and ammunition were hidden somewhere in the Boston suburbs.

The Governor of Massachusetts, General Thomas Gage, sent out a small detachment of troops to were to recover the stolen ammunition rumored to be hidden in the village of Concord. In addition, arrest colonial troublemakers like Sam Adams and John Hancock.  

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A slightly inaccurate hand-colored map depicting the 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord and the Siege of Boston. J. DeCosta. 1775. Library of Congress.

The British Are Coming!

On the evening of April 18, 1775, 700 elite British troops set out on their mission. Meanwhile, colonial Patriots had gotten word of the plan and sent two riders by the names of Paul Revere and William Dawes to ride ahead, each taking a different route, in order to warn nearby towns. They succeeded in reaching Lexington around midnight, warning Adams and Hancock in time to escape.  When the British troops reached Lexington the next morning, they found a small group of colonial militia lined up on the town green waiting for them. Their intention was not to fight but to make a silent protest. The Americans had been told that the British were not allowed to fire unless they fired first. A British officer began shouting for the militia to “lay down your arms”, coming up the road were the 700 British regulars who began to charge. The militia broke and ran. In the tension, someone fired the shot "heard 'round the world", as the line goes. The Americans claimed it was a British officer on horseback, the British claimed the militia fired first. But it really doesn’t matter. The battle was on. The British charged, stabbing with bayonets. The militia began firing back from behind trees and tavern windows. By the time order was restored four militiamen were dead and ten wounded. The British continued on in their mission to Concord, but the missing ammunition was already long gone.

Word spread like a pee in a community pool that the British troops had killed American militiamen. Drums and gunfire brought farmers racing to Lexington. As the British retreated back to Boston, they found themselves surrounded at every turn by angry militiamen who, fighting Indian style, fired at the British regulars from the woods and behind rocks. The British literally had to fight every inch of the way back to Boston. By the time the British reached their headquarters in Boston, 250 were dead. War had begun.

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Reenactment of British soldiers on their way to Lexington and Concord to seize the store gunpowder

Paul Revere: Night Rider

The Patriots also had their spies and sprung into action to get to Concord first. Around 10 p.m. two riders, Paul Revere and William Dawes break curfew and slip past British sentries. The locals have set up a prearranged code of lanterns “one if by land, two if by sea” to communicate the movement of British troops. To confuse the Patriots Gage set up a feint, sending troops down the Charles River, but the real force is marching down the road towards Concord. Dawes and Revere each take a different route to evade the British sentries who patrol the streets at night.  But forget the nonsense about yelling the “British are Coming.” Remember, this is supposed to be a covert mission. Hence, the sneaking past the guards.  Anyone fool stupid enough to go around shouting in the middle of the night would totally deserve the arrest and beating that they would have received.

 

Around midnight the duo rolls into Lexington and sounds the alarm, giving Adams and Hancock enough time to high-tail it out of town. Dawes and Revere pick up a friend, local leader Samuel Prescott who happened to be returning from a one a.m. “visit to a lady friend.” The trio head off to Concord to raise the alarm there but was spotted by a unit of sentries. (You know, the same ones that they were supposed to be avoiding.)

 

Dawes and Prescott outrun the soldiers leaving Revere to fend for himself. British troops are now questioning Revere. With a gun to his head, Revere spun a story about large numbers of militia who were setting up an ambush back in Lexington. The sentries take the bait and march back to Lexington to investigate.

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Paul Revere's Nigt Ride

Revere attempting to outrun the British sentries.

The Battle of Lexington & Concord

When the 700 redcoats reach Lexington the next morning, they find a tiny group of colonial militia lined up on the town green waiting for them. It turns out that Revere had lied about the numbers. But the Lexington militia wasn't here to fight, but to make a silent protest. The Americans had heard that the British were not allowed to fire unless they fired first. An anonymous British officer demanded the militia to “lay down your arms.” But the militia stood firm. In the tension, someone fired the shot "heard 'round the world," as the line goes. The Americans claimed it was a British officer on horseback. Naturally, the British pointed the finger at the Americans. But it doesn’t matter; shots had been fired.

 

The British charged, stabbing with bayonets. The militia fired back from behind trees and tavern windows. By the time order was restored four militiamen were dead and ten wounded.The British continued to Concord, but the missing ammunition was already long gone.

 

When news spread like pee in a community pool that the British troops had killed Americans, farmers armed with muskets raced to Lexington. As the British marched back to Boston, they found themselves surrounded at every turn by angry colonials who, fighting Indian style, fired at the British regulars from behind trees and rocks. The British had to fight every inch of the way back to Boston. By the time the British reached their headquarters in Boston, 250 Red Coats were dead. The American Revolution had begun, even if nobody realized it yet.

 
Paul Revere's Ride
Sybil Ludington: The Unknown Paul Revere
Sybil Ludington

On the night of April 26, 1777, a Patriot messenger rode to the house of  militia leader Colonel Henry Ludington with a message that 2,000 British regulars had just staged a suprise raid on Danbury, Connecticut. Most of the troops were drunk and out of control burning Patriot ammunition, food, and other badly needed supplies. After giving his dire warning the messenger collapsed from exhaustion. The Colonel was needed to gather his men and beat the British out of Danbury. But who was going to get word to his men?

 

​Up steps, Sybil Ludington, the colonel's 16 year old daughter. The colonel probably wasn't pleased at sending his eldest daughter out on such a dangerous mission. But he really didn't have much of a choice. Sybil leaps on her horse and takes off into the moonless night. Not only did Ludington have to keep a look out for British troops on the lookout for spies and messengers, she also had to keep her eyes on the notoriously bad dirt roads. With nothing but a big stick and her horse, Ludington manages to make it to the door of every man in her father's milita company. Although the militia arrived too late to save Danbury they caught up with the Red Coats at the Battle of Ridgefield and drove the British back to Long Island. 

 

 

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