1. Final Straw
First Battles

2. First Continental Congress Sept. 1774
The first Continental Congress was a meeting held in Philadelphia with delegates from the 13 colonies (except Georgia) In attendance were John Adams, George Washington, and Patrick Henry who famously said “I am no longer just a Virginian, but and American.”

3. Purpose of the Congress
These men met to discuss a solution to the Intolerable Acts that the British had imposed
It took them two months to come to a consensus
They sent to the King a document saying while they were still loyal, they would not trade with Britain until their full colonial rights were restored

4. Britain’s Response
The King of course didn’t like these demands and sent more Redcoats over to the Colonies
Thomas Gage was the acting commander of these troops and governor of Massachusetts
He told the crown that he needed more troops and supplies but was not given them and told to stop acting like an “old woman”

5. Thomas Gage

6. Lexington -April 1775
Gage finally ordered about 700 Redcoats to march to Concord and seize a weapons store there
They had to pass through Lexington to get there though
The Minute Men were notified by Paul Revere’s Ride
They waited at Lexington for hours into the night and when the British didn’t show up most of the men left while others went to the tavern

7. The Battle
The British finally showed up at 4:30 in the morning and the militia men came out to meet them
There were only about 77 colonists against the 700 British
The militia were just ordered to surrender when a shot rang out
“the shot heard around the world”
The fighting then commenced
8 of the militia were dead and 9 wounded
1 Redcoat was injured

8. Concord The British continued on to Concord
On their way they, they ransacked homes looking for weapons, angering the minute men
When the British finally made it to Concord they were met by many more minute men than they had expected
They were pushed back

9. Back to Boston The Redcoats fled back towards Boston
As they fled they were fired on constantly by the militia
Still, not great marksmen ~3,500 militia men were firing constantly for 18 miles and only 250 redcoats were killed