The Road to Lexington and Concord
Ch. 10, Sec. 1
Research how tensions between the Colonies and
Great Britain finally led to the first battle of the
American Revolution at Lexington and Concord.
The Effects of the Boston Tea Party
• Dumping all of the royal tea into Boston harbor had evoked fury
back in London.
• In 1774, Parliament passed a rapid series of laws that were
designed to punish Massachusetts and the other colonies.
• These acts were called, the “Intolerable Acts.”
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1) The port of Boston was closed to anything going in or out.
2) Colonial assemblies and organizations were banned.
3) British troops were now housed wherever they wanted.
4) British officials accused of crimes were sent back to England to
await trial.
• 5) A military governor was appointed to govern over the colony.
The First Continental Congress Meets
• In September, 1774, delegates
from all of the colonies except
Georgia met in Philadelphia
to discuss the future of the
colonies.
• The delegates voted to ban
any and all trade with Great
Britain until the Intolerable
Acts were repealed.
• They also called for each
colony to mobilize its militia
and start training for conflict.
• The First Continental
Congress was important
because it planted the seeds
for future independent
government.
Cause and Effect: Growing Conflict
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1763-Proclamation of 1763
1764-Sugar Act
1765-Quartering Act
1765-Stamp Act
1766-Stamp Act repealed
1767-Townshend Acts
1770-Townshend Acts
repealed
• 1773-Tea Act
• 1774-Intolerable Acts
• 1775-Lexington and Concord
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Proclamation leads to anger.
Boycott of British goods.
Boycott ends.
New boycotts, “Massacre.”
Tensions reduced.
• Boston Tea Party.
• First Continental Congress.
• First battle of the war.
The British and Americans knew that a war of some kind was
now inevitable. The question now, was when and where in the
colonies would it start?
The Midnight Ride and Lexington and Concord,
April 18th and 19th, 1775
• On April 18th, British troops
began marching from Boston
towards the small towns of
Lexington and Concord to
search for members of the
Sons of Liberty and to destroy
any colonial or “rebel”
supplies that were hidden
there.
• Paul Revere and William
Dawes, rebel dispatch riders,
rode through the countryside
shouting, “The Regulars Are
Coming!” The militia was
quickly assembled.
Lexington and Concord
http://www.earlyamerica.com/paul_revere.htm
After a grueling 17 mile night march, the British soldiers run into the
colonial militia that is assembled for battle on the Lexington green.
The British commander orders the rebels to disperse, but they do not do so.
Suddenly, someone fired their musket and the battle was on! Eight Americans
were killed with several more wounded. The British continued the march towards
Concord.
After finding and destroying a small amount of rebel supplies, the British force
began the long march back to Boston. They were met by thousands of militia or
“minutemen” that had lined the roads shoot at them while on the march. The
expedition had turned into a nightmare retreat for the British soldiers.
By the time the British reached Boston, they had lost over half of the men that
marched towards Lexington and Concord earlier that morning.
According to legend, the very last person killed in the battle was a
young teenage boy named Edward Barber who was watching from
the kitchen window when what was left of the British force passed
by. Believing that he was another rebel sniper, the British soldiers
shot and killed young Edward.
Engagement at Concord Bridge
http://www.earlyamerica.com/shot_heard.htm
http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/road.html