lexington and concord
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The Battle of Lexington and Concord
The British government miscalculated the determination of the 13 Colonies. George III thought the Intolerable Acts would force the colonists to give in but in actuality, both sides were drawn closer to war. All across the colonies, militias were preparing to fight. In New England, these volunteers were called Minutemen because of their ability to be ready to fight in a mere sixty seconds. In April 1775, General Thomas Gage discovered some intelligence that the colonists were hiding supplies of gunpowder and weapons in a village near Concord. Hoping to catch the colonists by surprise, British troops departed Boston under cover of night on April 18. But the Sons of Liberty were watching. Armed with this knowledge, alarm riders like Paul Revere galloped through the countryside warning the residents that the “British Were Coming.” On April 19, the redcoats reached the village of Lexington (near Concord), where Captain John Parker and 70 Minutemen were waiting for them. Shots rang out and when the fighting was over, eight colonists lay dead and ten injured while the British suffered no losses and just one injury. The British continued on their march to Concord but failed to discover any arms there and prepared to return to Boston. On a bridge outside of Concord, the British were met by 300 Minutemen and were eventually forced to retreat. The British lost 73 men and another 200 were wounded or missing. The “shot heard ‘round the world” demonstrated the colonists’ willingness to fight for their rights even if meant that some would have to pay with their lives. The American Revolution had begun.
The British government miscalculated the determination of the 13 Colonies. George III thought the Intolerable Acts would force the colonists to give in but in actuality, both sides were drawn closer to war. All across the colonies, militias were preparing to fight. In New England, these volunteers were called Minutemen because of their ability to be ready to fight in a mere sixty seconds. In April 1775, General Thomas Gage discovered some intelligence that the colonists were hiding supplies of gunpowder and weapons in a village near Concord. Hoping to catch the colonists by surprise, British troops departed Boston under cover of night on April 18. But the Sons of Liberty were watching. Armed with this knowledge, alarm riders like Paul Revere galloped through the countryside warning the residents that the “British Were Coming.” On April 19, the redcoats reached the village of Lexington (near Concord), where Captain John Parker and 70 Minutemen were waiting for them. Shots rang out and when the fighting was over, eight colonists lay dead and ten injured while the British suffered no losses and just one injury. The British continued on their march to Concord but failed to discover any arms there and prepared to return to Boston. On a bridge outside of Concord, the British were met by 300 Minutemen and were eventually forced to retreat. The British lost 73 men and another 200 were wounded or missing. The “shot heard ‘round the world” demonstrated the colonists’ willingness to fight for their rights even if meant that some would have to pay with their lives. The American Revolution had begun.