A CALL TO ARMS 7th Grade Unit 3 Ch5, Sec 3

Colonial leaders met at Philadelphia in 1774 to discuss a united response to British policies. Seven months later, American and British troops met in battle for the first time. With the establishment of the Continental Congress, the colonies continued to protest.

The Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a group of prominent colonial leaders who met in September 1774 to establish a political group that would fight for American interests and challenge British rule. Among the delegates who attended were Samuel Adams, John Adams, John Jay, Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, and George Washington.

The delegates worked together to draft a statement of grievances. They called for repeal of the 13 acts of Parliament. They voted to boycott all British goods and trade. They also passed a resolution to form militias, or groups of citizens, so that the colonies would have their own armed forces.

How did the Continental Congress represent political leadership and achieve its goals? Representatives from all the colonies attended the Continental Congress. They worked together even though they differed on how to achieve their goal of standing against British rule. Their list of grievances, the boycott against British goods, and the formation of militias all helped to show Britain that the colonies had had enough and were willing to take steps to protect their rights.

The First Battles The British also prepared themselves for battle. British General Sir Thomas Gage had 3,000 soldiers in and around Boston. In April 1775, his orders were to take away weapons and arrest the militia leaders.

Paul Revere and William Dawes rode to Lexington, a town near Concord, to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British were coming.

The redcoats approached Lexington and continued to Concord. They found that the stores of gunpowder had already been removed, but they destroyed the remaining supplies.

The minutemen were waiting all along the British return trail from Concord to Boston. They ambushed the British. More than 200 British were wounded, and 73 of them were dead. The battles of Lexington and Concord began the struggle for independence from Britain.

How did the minutemen prepare so well to attack the British soldiers? The militia sent men to warn nearby troops and spread word of British movements. Because they moved so quickly and trained as marksmen, they were able to defeat the British.

More Military Action Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain boys captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain on May 10, 1775. The colonial militia grew to about 20,000 after committees of correspondence enlisted more volunteers.

The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 16, 1775. Although the British won the battle, they suffered heavy losses and learned that defeating the Americans would not be easy.

Americans chose sides. Those who wanted to fight the British until they won their independence were called Patriots. Sometimes referred to as the Whigs Loyalists wanted to remain with Britain. Some referred to them as the Tories

Why would some American colonists have wanted to support Britain despite the harsh policies Britain invoked? These colonists may not have felt Britain was being unfair. Additionally they had strong ties with Britain and perhaps did not want to engage in any military actions.