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Prelude to Revolution
By coincidence, on the day of the Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770, Lord North, the successor to
Townshend as Minister, was addressing the British Parliament urging them to repeal many of the
provisions of the Townshend Acts most abhorred by the colonists. The boycott of English goods in
America had significantly diminished the profits of manufacturing in England and the manufacturers were
blaming the Crown for their problems. The Act was repealed on April 12, 1770.
The Townshend Act was repealed because of its effects on business in England; however, Parliament was
not willing to give up its futile efforts to extract taxes from the colonies. They repealed the tax on those
items manufactured in England but kept the tax on tea as a token of their claimed authority to tax English
subjects in America. In response, the colonists maintained their boycott on tea imported from England and
increased their consumption of Dutch tea smuggled in from Holland. In what Parliament considered as a
clever move on its part, it passed the Tea Act on May 10, 1773. As already noted, this Act gave the East
India Company a monopoly on tea sales to the colonies, lowered the tax on it, and permitted the company
to ship tea directly to the colonies without first going through customs in England; thereby, significantly
undercutting the price of smuggled tea sold by local merchants.
However, it did not solve the problems for England caused by the colonies boycott. The Ports of New
York and Philadelphia refused to allow ships carrying British tea to unload at their docks, sending them
back to England with their cargo. In Massachusetts, however, Governor Hutchinson insisted that the
ships be allowed to dock and unload their cargo, possibly because two of his sons were among the special
merchants to whom the privilege of selling English tea was assigned. In late November, three ships arrived
from England carrying tea destined for the consignees in Boston. On Monday morning, November 29,
handbills appeared all over town. "Friends! Brethren! Countrymen!--That worst of plagues, the
detested tea, shipped for this port by the East India Company, is now arrived in the harbor” the
handbill announced.
The colonists refused to allow the ships to be unloaded while the Governor and the Customs Agents
refused to allow them to leave the harbor without collecting the duty on their cargo. Things remained at a
stalemate for over two weeks. On December 16, with as many as 7,000 people, many of them from as
far away as Maine, milling about the wharfs where the ships were docked, a meeting led by Sam Adams
was held at the Old South Meeting House. At the meeting it was resolved that the ships should leave the
harbor without payment of the duty. They selected a committee to carry the message to the Custom
House where the Collector of Customs rejected their demand.
It was now early evening. A group of about 200 assembled on a nearby hill. As a disguise, they painted
their faces with soot from a nearby blacksmith and otherwise made themselves to look like Indians. This
ploy was symbolic and not an attempt to lay blame on Indians for what was to happen. Wearing Indian
dress when engaging in protests or formal ceremonies was a custom of the Sons of Liberty. To the
colonists, Indians were symbolic of freedom. The group then marched to the docks in columns of two.
They divided into three groups with a commander over each. Each group then boarded one of the ships
and demanded from the Captain, keys to the cargo hold. They met no resistance from the ships’ captains
or crews and the British troops on other ships in the harbor did not interfere. The order and precision with
which the raid was carried out is another indication that the participants were members of the Sons of
Liberty, a group of patriots that had grown considerably since the Boston Massacre three years before.
In a span of three hours between 7 and 10 P.M., they destroyed and dumped, 90,000 pounds of tea in 342
containers. A full container weighed 400 lbs each and a half-container weighed 100 lbs. Each container
was hauled on deck and broken open with hatchets. The contents, along with the containers were then
dumped into the harbor. Large quantities of the tea thrown into the harbor collected on the surface. Other
men in row boats stirred and beat at the floating tea with paddles until it sank, assuring that none of it
could be salvaged and used later.
The Boston Tea Party Historical Society claims that 116 people took an active part in the action. Many of
the participants were later identified and interviewed by journalists and others. One of those identified was
our ever-present friend, Paul Revere. Another participant, George Hewes, later described the order and
precision with which the mission was executed.
By coincidence, on the day of the Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770, Lord North, the successor to
Townshend as Minister, was addressing the British Parliament urging them to repeal many of the
provisions of the Townshend Acts most abhorred by the colonists. The boycott of English goods in
America had significantly diminished the profits of manufacturing in England and the manufacturers were
blaming the Crown for their problems. The Act was repealed on April 12, 1770.
The Townshend Act was repealed because of its effects on business in England; however, Parliament was
not willing to give up its futile efforts to extract taxes from the colonies. They repealed the tax on those
items manufactured in England but kept the tax on tea as a token of their claimed authority to tax English
subjects in America. In response, the colonists maintained their boycott on tea imported from England and
increased their consumption of Dutch tea smuggled in from Holland. In what Parliament considered as a
clever move on its part, it passed the Tea Act on May 10, 1773. As already noted, this Act gave the East
India Company a monopoly on tea sales to the colonies, lowered the tax on it, and permitted the company
to ship tea directly to the colonies without first going through customs in England; thereby, significantly
undercutting the price of smuggled tea sold by local merchants.
However, it did not solve the problems for England caused by the colonies boycott. The Ports of New
York and Philadelphia refused to allow ships carrying British tea to unload at their docks, sending them
back to England with their cargo. In Massachusetts, however, Governor Hutchinson insisted that the
ships be allowed to dock and unload their cargo, possibly because two of his sons were among the special
merchants to whom the privilege of selling English tea was assigned. In late November, three ships arrived
from England carrying tea destined for the consignees in Boston. On Monday morning, November 29,
handbills appeared all over town. "Friends! Brethren! Countrymen!--That worst of plagues, the
detested tea, shipped for this port by the East India Company, is now arrived in the harbor” the
handbill announced.
The colonists refused to allow the ships to be unloaded while the Governor and the Customs Agents
refused to allow them to leave the harbor without collecting the duty on their cargo. Things remained at a
stalemate for over two weeks. On December 16, with as many as 7,000 people, many of them from as
far away as Maine, milling about the wharfs where the ships were docked, a meeting led by Sam Adams
was held at the Old South Meeting House. At the meeting it was resolved that the ships should leave the
harbor without payment of the duty. They selected a committee to carry the message to the Custom
House where the Collector of Customs rejected their demand.
It was now early evening. A group of about 200 assembled on a nearby hill. As a disguise, they painted
their faces with soot from a nearby blacksmith and otherwise made themselves to look like Indians. This
ploy was symbolic and not an attempt to lay blame on Indians for what was to happen. Wearing Indian
dress when engaging in protests or formal ceremonies was a custom of the Sons of Liberty. To the
colonists, Indians were symbolic of freedom. The group then marched to the docks in columns of two.
They divided into three groups with a commander over each. Each group then boarded one of the ships
and demanded from the Captain, keys to the cargo hold. They met no resistance from the ships’ captains
or crews and the British troops on other ships in the harbor did not interfere. The order and precision with
which the raid was carried out is another indication that the participants were members of the Sons of
Liberty, a group of patriots that had grown considerably since the Boston Massacre three years before.
In a span of three hours between 7 and 10 P.M., they destroyed and dumped, 90,000 pounds of tea in 342
containers. A full container weighed 400 lbs each and a half-container weighed 100 lbs. Each container
was hauled on deck and broken open with hatchets. The contents, along with the containers were then
dumped into the harbor. Large quantities of the tea thrown into the harbor collected on the surface. Other
men in row boats stirred and beat at the floating tea with paddles until it sank, assuring that none of it
could be salvaged and used later.
The Boston Tea Party Historical Society claims that 116 people took an active part in the action. Many of
the participants were later identified and interviewed by journalists and others. One of those identified was
our ever-present friend, Paul Revere. Another participant, George Hewes, later described the order and
precision with which the mission was executed.
“When we arrived at the wharf, there was three of our number who assumed an
authority to direct our operations, to which we readily submitted. They divided
us into three parties, for the purpose of boarding the three ships which contained
the tea at the same time. The name of him who commanded the division to which
I was assigned was Leonard Pitt. The names of the other commanders I never
knew. We were immediately ordered by the respective commanders to board all
the ships at the same time, which we promptly obeyed. The commander of the
division to which I belonged, as soon as we were on board the ship, appointed
me boatswain, and ordered me to go to the captain and demand of him the keys
to the hatches and a dozen candles. I made the demand accordingly, and the
captain promptly replied, and delivered the articles; but requested me at the
same time to do no damage to the ship or rigging. We then were ordered by our
commander to open the hatches and take out all the chests of tea and throw them
overboard, and we immediately proceeded to execute his orders, first cutting and
splitting the chests with our tomahawks, so as thoroughly to expose them to the
effects of the water.”
authority to direct our operations, to which we readily submitted. They divided
us into three parties, for the purpose of boarding the three ships which contained
the tea at the same time. The name of him who commanded the division to which
I was assigned was Leonard Pitt. The names of the other commanders I never
knew. We were immediately ordered by the respective commanders to board all
the ships at the same time, which we promptly obeyed. The commander of the
division to which I belonged, as soon as we were on board the ship, appointed
me boatswain, and ordered me to go to the captain and demand of him the keys
to the hatches and a dozen candles. I made the demand accordingly, and the
captain promptly replied, and delivered the articles; but requested me at the
same time to do no damage to the ship or rigging. We then were ordered by our
commander to open the hatches and take out all the chests of tea and throw them
overboard, and we immediately proceeded to execute his orders, first cutting and
splitting the chests with our tomahawks, so as thoroughly to expose them to the
effects of the water.”
Reaction from the British government was swift and harsh. In May and June of 1774 the retaliatory Acts
known as the Coercive or “Intolerable” Acts were passed by Parliament with the full approval of George
III.
The Coercive Acts or “Intolerable Acts”
On April 22, 1774 British Prime Minister Lord North addressed the Parliament, saying in part,
known as the Coercive or “Intolerable” Acts were passed by Parliament with the full approval of George
III.
The Coercive Acts or “Intolerable Acts”
On April 22, 1774 British Prime Minister Lord North addressed the Parliament, saying in part,
“The Americans have tarred and feathered your subjects, plundered your
merchants, burnt your ships, denied all obedience to your laws and authority; yet
so clement and so long forbearing has our conduct been that it is incumbent on us
now to take a different course. Whatever may be the consequences, we must risk
something; if we do not, all is over.”
merchants, burnt your ships, denied all obedience to your laws and authority; yet
so clement and so long forbearing has our conduct been that it is incumbent on us
now to take a different course. Whatever may be the consequences, we must risk
something; if we do not, all is over.”
At his urging, Parliament passed four pieces of legislation in retaliation for the Boston Tea Party: The
Boston Port Act, A new Quartering Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Massachusetts
Government Act. They followed these with passage of the Quebec Act. These Acts had the effect of
hardening the radical sentiments prevalent in the colonies and led to the calling of the First Continental
Congress at Philadelphia in September 1774.
The Boston Port Act Closed the Port of Boston until it reimbursed the East India Company for the tea
destroyed in the Boston Tea Party and paid for the damage done to the Customs Offices during the
uprising.
The Massachusetts Government Act abrogated the Massachusetts’ royal charter and gave the British
government more control over its affairs. It removed the right of Bostonians to elect members of the
governing council and allowed the Crown to appoint and dismiss council members. Other officials that
had been previously elected by the people were now to be appointed by the royal Governor. Town
meeting were also forbidden or seriously restricted by the Act.
The Quartering Act provided that the governor could provide housing for soldiers in any available
building but did not continue the requirement of the previous Quartering Act of 1765 that necessary
provisions should be provided by the citizens of Boston.
The Administration of Justice Act, also referred to locally as the “Murdering Act”, provided for a
change of venue for government officials charged with any crime growing out of their enforcement of the
law or suppressing riots or insurrections. This was to avoid their being tried by hostile juries.
The Quebec Act of 1774 expanded provisions of the 1763 Treaty of Paris ending the Seven Years War.
It defined the boundaries of the Quebec colony and territory as covering the area now occupied by the
states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. A new oath of allegiance was
instituted without reference to the Protestant religion. It guaranteed the freedom to practice the Catholic
religion and restored the use of French Civil Law for civil matters.
The combined Intolerable Acts proved to be “one bridge too far” for the British. One year later on April
19, 1775 the “shot heard round the world” was fired on the Lexington Green setting off the Revolutionary
War.
When the Boston Port was closed by the Boston Port Act, Bostonians did not sit idly by or acquiesce to
Parliament’s demands. One of their first actions was to call for the First Continental Congress. The
Congress convened at Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774 with 55 participants
representing 12 of the 13 colonies. Georgia, embroiled in problems with the local Indian population and
dependent on protection by British troops did not think it was in their best interest to participate. Among
those who did attend were George Washington, Samuel and John Adams, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry
Lee, John Dickinson and John Jay.
The first order of business was the consideration of a plan of reconciliation presented by Pennsylvania
loyalist Joseph Galloway. His plan called for an American Parliament acting in cooperation with the
English Parliament. On matters relating to the governing of the colonies, each would have veto power over
the others actions. Opinion was sharply divided in the group, and while they were debating the proposal,
Paul Revere rode in with results from another meeting in Suffolk. The proposal brought by Revere, is
known as the Suffolk Resolves. It was anything but conciliatory, and set off a bitter debate among
Congress participants. The Suffolk Resolves declared the Coercive Acts to be unconstitutional and void;
they also resolved that;
Boston Port Act, A new Quartering Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Massachusetts
Government Act. They followed these with passage of the Quebec Act. These Acts had the effect of
hardening the radical sentiments prevalent in the colonies and led to the calling of the First Continental
Congress at Philadelphia in September 1774.
The Boston Port Act Closed the Port of Boston until it reimbursed the East India Company for the tea
destroyed in the Boston Tea Party and paid for the damage done to the Customs Offices during the
uprising.
The Massachusetts Government Act abrogated the Massachusetts’ royal charter and gave the British
government more control over its affairs. It removed the right of Bostonians to elect members of the
governing council and allowed the Crown to appoint and dismiss council members. Other officials that
had been previously elected by the people were now to be appointed by the royal Governor. Town
meeting were also forbidden or seriously restricted by the Act.
The Quartering Act provided that the governor could provide housing for soldiers in any available
building but did not continue the requirement of the previous Quartering Act of 1765 that necessary
provisions should be provided by the citizens of Boston.
The Administration of Justice Act, also referred to locally as the “Murdering Act”, provided for a
change of venue for government officials charged with any crime growing out of their enforcement of the
law or suppressing riots or insurrections. This was to avoid their being tried by hostile juries.
The Quebec Act of 1774 expanded provisions of the 1763 Treaty of Paris ending the Seven Years War.
It defined the boundaries of the Quebec colony and territory as covering the area now occupied by the
states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. A new oath of allegiance was
instituted without reference to the Protestant religion. It guaranteed the freedom to practice the Catholic
religion and restored the use of French Civil Law for civil matters.
The combined Intolerable Acts proved to be “one bridge too far” for the British. One year later on April
19, 1775 the “shot heard round the world” was fired on the Lexington Green setting off the Revolutionary
War.
When the Boston Port was closed by the Boston Port Act, Bostonians did not sit idly by or acquiesce to
Parliament’s demands. One of their first actions was to call for the First Continental Congress. The
Congress convened at Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774 with 55 participants
representing 12 of the 13 colonies. Georgia, embroiled in problems with the local Indian population and
dependent on protection by British troops did not think it was in their best interest to participate. Among
those who did attend were George Washington, Samuel and John Adams, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry
Lee, John Dickinson and John Jay.
The first order of business was the consideration of a plan of reconciliation presented by Pennsylvania
loyalist Joseph Galloway. His plan called for an American Parliament acting in cooperation with the
English Parliament. On matters relating to the governing of the colonies, each would have veto power over
the others actions. Opinion was sharply divided in the group, and while they were debating the proposal,
Paul Revere rode in with results from another meeting in Suffolk. The proposal brought by Revere, is
known as the Suffolk Resolves. It was anything but conciliatory, and set off a bitter debate among
Congress participants. The Suffolk Resolves declared the Coercive Acts to be unconstitutional and void;
they also resolved that;
- officers appointed by the crown for enforcing them should be asked to
resign or be considered as “enemies of the country”; - urged the establishment of Massachusetts as a free state until the Acts were
repealed; - resolved that any taxes collected should be retained by the government of
the new state and not passed on to British officials; - called for a boycott of all British goods;
- called for the development of more manufactures in America;
- suggested that all current militia officers be asked to resign to be replaced
by others elected by each county or town; - resolved that any political arrests made by British officials would result in
the detention of the arresting officers until the release of said political
prisoners; - and they declared that subjects do not owe loyalty to a King who violates
their rights.
Many members of the Congress thought the Suffolk Resolves were too radical and amounted to an
invitation to war. Nevertheless, the Congress rejected the Galloway proposals and approved the Suffolk
Resolves.
Another consequence of the Boston Tea Party and its aftermath, was a reemphasis on the establishment
and training of militia companies. The frequency and quality of training was increased and special units
were formed called “minutemen”. The minutemen received more extensive and specialized training, and
were intended to be used for rapid deployment and special duty. They were equipped and trained in the
use of rifles instead of the muskets used by British soldiers and regular militias. Regular troops used
muskets because of the speed with which they could be reloaded. Minutemen used rifles because of their
greater range and improved accuracy. In normal combat they would fight alongside of regular militiamen
who would provide “cover” for them as they took longer to reload after firing.
Another important action was to establish a system of “alarm riders” and improve their methods of
communication and intelligence gathering.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
Just as the prelude to the Boston Massacre was the riot following the seizure of Hancock’s Liberty, two
year before, the prelude to the battles of Lexington and Concord was a British munitions raid on the town
of Salem. The Intolerable Acts of 1774 had closed the port of Boston and dissolved the Massachusetts
Legislature. In response, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress had been organized in Salem, in direct
defiance of General Gage. The Massachusetts Congress was to be its governing body until the
establishment of a new government after Independence was declared.
In February 1775 General Gage learned the Salem militia had 19 cannons in its possession and were
building carriages to transport them, possibly for use against the British. On February 25, he sent 250 men
to Salem to destroy the armaments. The landing of the troops at Marblehead was seen by the alarm riders
however, and they warned the militia at Salem. By the time the British arrived, the cannons were moved
and the troops returned to Boston without success. Although no shots were fired and no harm was done,
the Militias now knew of the British desire to disarm them, and the effectiveness of the patriot’s
intelligence and alarm systems were demonstrated. The event also provided a drill for the militia that
proved encouraging. Militia from surrounding towns arrived quickly to reinforce those at Salem, although
no action proved necessary.
The British had occupied Boston for the past seven years, but still had no control over Massachusetts
outside of Boston. In hopes of minimizing future problems, British authorities devised a plan to disarm the
colonists by conducting quick, secret raids on their ammunition stores. On April 14,1775 General Gage
received orders to destroy arms allegedly stored in the town of Concord. He also had orders to arrest
Samuel Adams and John Hancock, who were rumored to be staying at a house in Lexington after
returning from the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Although, Gen. Gage attempted to maintain
secrecy by not issuing orders to his officer until the last minute, his plans were well known by the
Massachusetts militia.
A group of minutemen led by Dr. Joseph Warren were given the task of monitoring Gage’s troop
movement and alerting the militia. Alarm rider and minuteman, Paul Revere crossed the forge to
Charleston and awaited a signal from the Old North Church in Boston. The church sexton, Robert
Newman and Captain John Pulling were stationed in the church with signal lanterns. Just before midnight,
revere saw the signal from two lanterns, indicating that the British troops were crossing the forge at
Charlestown rather than taking the longer land route off the peninsular. He immediately rode for Lexington
to warn Adams and Hancock. Another alarm rider, William Dawes took the longer land route. The hope
was that if one was captured, the other would get through. Along the way they alerted other militia
members.
After warning Adams and Hancock, Revere rode on to Concord to alert the militia there. Most of the arms
stored at the arsenal in Concord were moved to a safer location before the arrival of the British. When the
British troops entered Lexington at sunrise on April 19th, they were confronted by the Lexington Militia
under the command of Captain John Parker. As the two armies faced each other on the Lexington green, a
shot was fired by an unknown soldier. At least one historian suggests that the first shot was fired by
Major Pitcairn from his pistol as a warning shot. The exact shooter was never identified. After a brief
battle there, the militia, greatly outnumbered, retreated.
When the British arrived at Concord, the militiamen from Concord and Lincoln were mustered there.
Again, they were outnumbered having only about 250 men compared to almost 700 on the British side.
Militia Colonel James Barrett surrendered the town and withdrew his men to a hillside about a mile north,
where he could watch the activity going on in town. The British troops searched Concord and several
farms destroying what arms they could find. They then began their march back to Boston. Minutemen and
militia continued to arrive and by this time the colonial troops had swelled to five full companies of
minutemen and five full companies of militiamen from the surrounding countryside.
Major Pitcairn’s troops marched back to Boston under continuous fire from Minutemen and Militia along
the way. By the time they reached the safety of Charlestown, his men had suffered almost 300 casualties
compared to around 90 for the colonials. The next morning General Gage awoke to find Boston
surrounded by between 15,000 and 20,000 colonial militia. The militia cut off land access to Boston
forcing the British to rely on what supplies they could get from the sea. As the siege wore on, the
colonials were somewhat successful in establishing a blockade of sorts with cruisers and privateers.
The siege of Boston lasted from April 19, 1775 to March 17, 1776. In June of ‘75, the British seized
Bunker Hill and Breeds Hill on the Charlestown Peninsular but their casualties were so great they were
unable to break out. Both sides were short of ammunition and other supplies and the eleven months siege
was relatively uneventful. The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775 and
voted to form the colonial militia at Boston into the Continental Army. They appointed George Washington
as Commander, who arrived at Boston in July to take command.
In November, Washington sent Henry Knox to bring heavy artillery captured earlier at Fort Ticonderoga to
Boston. The large cannons arrived in the Boston area in January 1776. Some of them were used in March
to fortify Dorchester Heights, located on another peninsular Southeast of Boston, overlooking both Boston
and its harbor, making re-supply by sea hazardous and difficult. Realizing that he could no longer hold the
city, Howe offered to abandon it, and agreed not to burn the city in return for being allowed to evacuate
with his troops and other personnel unmolested. The British fleet sat in the harbor for a week while
residents loyal to the Crown and Howe’s soldiers were loaded aboard. There were no attempts on the part
of the Washington’s army to fire on them.
On March 17th, with favorable winds, the fleet departed. All ships were underway by 9 o’clock in the
morning. All total there were 120 ships with more than 11,000 people aboard, including 9,906 British
troops, 667 women and 553 children. Many Massachusetts loyalists left Boston with the British ships.
Some returned to England, others chose to stay in Nova Scotia. After the war some of the former loyalists
returned to America and attempted to reestablish their lives there.
invitation to war. Nevertheless, the Congress rejected the Galloway proposals and approved the Suffolk
Resolves.
Another consequence of the Boston Tea Party and its aftermath, was a reemphasis on the establishment
and training of militia companies. The frequency and quality of training was increased and special units
were formed called “minutemen”. The minutemen received more extensive and specialized training, and
were intended to be used for rapid deployment and special duty. They were equipped and trained in the
use of rifles instead of the muskets used by British soldiers and regular militias. Regular troops used
muskets because of the speed with which they could be reloaded. Minutemen used rifles because of their
greater range and improved accuracy. In normal combat they would fight alongside of regular militiamen
who would provide “cover” for them as they took longer to reload after firing.
Another important action was to establish a system of “alarm riders” and improve their methods of
communication and intelligence gathering.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
Just as the prelude to the Boston Massacre was the riot following the seizure of Hancock’s Liberty, two
year before, the prelude to the battles of Lexington and Concord was a British munitions raid on the town
of Salem. The Intolerable Acts of 1774 had closed the port of Boston and dissolved the Massachusetts
Legislature. In response, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress had been organized in Salem, in direct
defiance of General Gage. The Massachusetts Congress was to be its governing body until the
establishment of a new government after Independence was declared.
In February 1775 General Gage learned the Salem militia had 19 cannons in its possession and were
building carriages to transport them, possibly for use against the British. On February 25, he sent 250 men
to Salem to destroy the armaments. The landing of the troops at Marblehead was seen by the alarm riders
however, and they warned the militia at Salem. By the time the British arrived, the cannons were moved
and the troops returned to Boston without success. Although no shots were fired and no harm was done,
the Militias now knew of the British desire to disarm them, and the effectiveness of the patriot’s
intelligence and alarm systems were demonstrated. The event also provided a drill for the militia that
proved encouraging. Militia from surrounding towns arrived quickly to reinforce those at Salem, although
no action proved necessary.
The British had occupied Boston for the past seven years, but still had no control over Massachusetts
outside of Boston. In hopes of minimizing future problems, British authorities devised a plan to disarm the
colonists by conducting quick, secret raids on their ammunition stores. On April 14,1775 General Gage
received orders to destroy arms allegedly stored in the town of Concord. He also had orders to arrest
Samuel Adams and John Hancock, who were rumored to be staying at a house in Lexington after
returning from the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Although, Gen. Gage attempted to maintain
secrecy by not issuing orders to his officer until the last minute, his plans were well known by the
Massachusetts militia.
A group of minutemen led by Dr. Joseph Warren were given the task of monitoring Gage’s troop
movement and alerting the militia. Alarm rider and minuteman, Paul Revere crossed the forge to
Charleston and awaited a signal from the Old North Church in Boston. The church sexton, Robert
Newman and Captain John Pulling were stationed in the church with signal lanterns. Just before midnight,
revere saw the signal from two lanterns, indicating that the British troops were crossing the forge at
Charlestown rather than taking the longer land route off the peninsular. He immediately rode for Lexington
to warn Adams and Hancock. Another alarm rider, William Dawes took the longer land route. The hope
was that if one was captured, the other would get through. Along the way they alerted other militia
members.
After warning Adams and Hancock, Revere rode on to Concord to alert the militia there. Most of the arms
stored at the arsenal in Concord were moved to a safer location before the arrival of the British. When the
British troops entered Lexington at sunrise on April 19th, they were confronted by the Lexington Militia
under the command of Captain John Parker. As the two armies faced each other on the Lexington green, a
shot was fired by an unknown soldier. At least one historian suggests that the first shot was fired by
Major Pitcairn from his pistol as a warning shot. The exact shooter was never identified. After a brief
battle there, the militia, greatly outnumbered, retreated.
When the British arrived at Concord, the militiamen from Concord and Lincoln were mustered there.
Again, they were outnumbered having only about 250 men compared to almost 700 on the British side.
Militia Colonel James Barrett surrendered the town and withdrew his men to a hillside about a mile north,
where he could watch the activity going on in town. The British troops searched Concord and several
farms destroying what arms they could find. They then began their march back to Boston. Minutemen and
militia continued to arrive and by this time the colonial troops had swelled to five full companies of
minutemen and five full companies of militiamen from the surrounding countryside.
Major Pitcairn’s troops marched back to Boston under continuous fire from Minutemen and Militia along
the way. By the time they reached the safety of Charlestown, his men had suffered almost 300 casualties
compared to around 90 for the colonials. The next morning General Gage awoke to find Boston
surrounded by between 15,000 and 20,000 colonial militia. The militia cut off land access to Boston
forcing the British to rely on what supplies they could get from the sea. As the siege wore on, the
colonials were somewhat successful in establishing a blockade of sorts with cruisers and privateers.
The siege of Boston lasted from April 19, 1775 to March 17, 1776. In June of ‘75, the British seized
Bunker Hill and Breeds Hill on the Charlestown Peninsular but their casualties were so great they were
unable to break out. Both sides were short of ammunition and other supplies and the eleven months siege
was relatively uneventful. The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775 and
voted to form the colonial militia at Boston into the Continental Army. They appointed George Washington
as Commander, who arrived at Boston in July to take command.
In November, Washington sent Henry Knox to bring heavy artillery captured earlier at Fort Ticonderoga to
Boston. The large cannons arrived in the Boston area in January 1776. Some of them were used in March
to fortify Dorchester Heights, located on another peninsular Southeast of Boston, overlooking both Boston
and its harbor, making re-supply by sea hazardous and difficult. Realizing that he could no longer hold the
city, Howe offered to abandon it, and agreed not to burn the city in return for being allowed to evacuate
with his troops and other personnel unmolested. The British fleet sat in the harbor for a week while
residents loyal to the Crown and Howe’s soldiers were loaded aboard. There were no attempts on the part
of the Washington’s army to fire on them.
On March 17th, with favorable winds, the fleet departed. All ships were underway by 9 o’clock in the
morning. All total there were 120 ships with more than 11,000 people aboard, including 9,906 British
troops, 667 women and 553 children. Many Massachusetts loyalists left Boston with the British ships.
Some returned to England, others chose to stay in Nova Scotia. After the war some of the former loyalists
returned to America and attempted to reestablish their lives there.
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