Lesson 6.3: The Road to Lexington and Concord

Essential Question How did tensions between the colonies and Britain lead to armed conflict?

VOCABULARY intolerable: too difficult or unpleasant to be near or to bear. militia: a group of trained citizens who are not soldiers but can serve as members of the military in an emergency. Patriot: in this time period, one who would support, and defend the colonies.

VOCABULARY II Loyalist: in this time period, one who would support, and defend Great Britain.

What We Already Know… To raise revenue and to demonstrate its authority, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts in 1767, leading to a new wave of protests in the colonies

What We Already Know… When the merchants in Britain began suffering from colonial boycotts, Parliament repealed most of the Townsend Act.

What We Already Know… In 1773, Parliament opened old wounds by passing the Tea Act, and colonists responded by staging the Boston Tea Party.

The Intolerable Acts To punish the colonists for dumping the tea, the British passed even stricter laws. The colonists called these laws The Intolerable Acts because colonists decided they would not tolerate (accept) them.

The Intolerable Acts Under the Intolerable Acts Boston’s harbor would be closed to all commerce until all the tea that was destroyed in the Boston Tea Party was paid for.

The Intolerable Acts Under the Intolerable Acts all committees of correspondence were banned.

The Intolerable Acts A new quartering act was put in effect. British officers accused of crimes in the colonies would now be tried in England.

The Intolerable Acts General Thomas Gage was appointed Military Governor and placed in charge of Massachusetts.

Be ready with you replies. A and B Discuss What do you think Parliament’s purpose was in banning the committees of correspondence? Be ready with you replies.

Reaction to The Intolerable Acts Other colonies immediately offer support to Massachusetts by sending food, supplies and money to Boston.

Reaction to The Intolerable Acts The committees of correspondence called for a meeting of colonial delegates to discuss what to do next.

Reaction to The Intolerable Acts On September 5, 1774, 56 delegates were sent from each of the 12 colonies (except Georgia) to meet in Philadelphia as representatives of the First Continental Congress. 

The First Continental Congress Patrick Henry, a delegate from Virginia, stated, “I am not a Virginian, I am an American.” For the first time in history, the colonies were working as a group and not as individual colonies.

The First Continental Congress At the First Continental Congress, it was decided the colonies would stop all trade with Britain. Each colony would begin to organize and train a militia.

Get your sticks ready.

Colonists responded to the Intolerable Acts by doing all except… A. organizing aid and support for Boston. B. stopping all trade with Britain until the Acts were repealed. C. training militia troops for defense. D. meeting as the First Continental Congress. E. refusing to pay taxes.

The Intolerable Acts were meant to punish… A. New York for not housing British soldiers. B. Pennsylvania for hosting the First Continental Congress. C. Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. D. Georgia for not sending delegates to the First Continental Congress. E. Virginia for its leadership against Britain.

The Intolerable Acts did not… A. ban newspapers in the colonies. B. install a British general as governor of Massachusetts. C. ban the committees of correspondence. D. close the port of Boston E. declare that any British officials accused of a crime would stand trial in England.

The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and voted to… A. organize and carry out the Boston Tea Party. B. send an “Olive Branch Petition” to King George III. declare Boston as the capitol of the new nation. D. call for the training of colonial militias.

The Road to War Many hoped that Britain would repeal the Intolerable Acts. Not wanting a war, the colonies prepared for the possibility.

The Road to War Leaders hoped the threat of war would be enough to end the Intolerable Acts, but war began to look more likely. Britain stood firm in its refusal to repeal the Intolerable Acts. Colonial militias continued to train and stockpile weapons.

The Road to War The British military was informed by their spies that the colonists were storing arms and ammunition in Concord, 20 miles west of Boston.

The Road to War When General Gage learned that Revolutionary leaders John Hancock and Sam Adams were reportedly in Lexington, between Boston and Concord, he sent 700 redcoats to arrest the two rebels and seize the weapons.

The Ride Both sides had their spies and the Sons of Liberty had a plan if the British troops began to move.

The Ride The British could have taken one of two routes in leaving Boston to get to Lexington and Concord.

The Ride Lanterns were hung in the Old North Church to signal the Sons of Liberty as to which route the British soldiers were taking. One lantern indicated they were taking the land route, two lanterns indicated they were taking the sea route.

The Ride Once they knew the route the British had chosen, Paul Revere and William Dawes left Boston to alert the citizens the British were coming. Revere took the northern route and Dawes the southern.

The Ride Paul Revere and William Dawes met up in Lexington. In Lexington Revere warned John Hancock and Sam Adams the British were on the way to have them both arrested. Video

The Ride William Dawes and Paul Revere left Lexington taking two different roads, but each was soon intercepted by British soldiers on patrol. It was Dr. Samuel Prescott who completed the final leg of the ride to Concord.

Lexington and Concord April 19, 1775, at dawn, some 700 British troops reached Lexington. They found Captain John Parker and about 70 militiamen waiting.

Lexington and Concord The British ordered the militia to lay down their arms. They refused. No one knows who fired the first shot but within a few minutes eight militia men lay dead ten wounded.

Lexington and Concord The war for American Independence, more commonly known as the Revolutionary War, had begun….

Get your sticks ready.

Why was it important for the colonists to know if the British were taking the sea route or the land route to Concord? A. It would affect the time that the British were going to arrive in Concord. B. If the British were coming by sea, they would have to take less troops. C. The colonists were not prepared to fight a sea battle. D. It would effect the routes taken by Revere and Dawes.

What was the historical significance of the Battles of Lexington and Concord? It showed that both sides had an equally good spy network. B. It demonstrated that the American militia was no match for British regulars. C. The fighting marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. D. It showed that without a navy, the Americans were at a strong disadvantage.

What was the objective of the British troops that marched to Lexington and Concord? A. to stop Paul Revere and William Dawes from arriving at Concord. B. to destroy the arms stored at Concord and arrest John Hancock and Samuel Adams in Lexington. C. to stop the colonial militia from recruiting more militia men in the towns surrounding Boston. D. to prevent the American militia from taking Boston.

Be ready with you replies. A and B Discuss What do you think was the reaction of the colonists once they heard of the news from Lexington. Do you think everyone reacted the same? Be ready with you replies.