1. The Conflict Begins

2. National Identity The colonies continue to defy Britain
The Gaspee Affair
Boston Tea Party
Continued British coercion begins to unite the colonies
Committees of Correspondence – Groups in each colony who write letters and news articles to other colonies about Britain’s activities.
Uniting behind common information and a common enemy, the colonists begin to form a national identity.
Painting featuring the artist’s depiction of the Gaspee Affair

3. National Defense Militias Massachusetts Provincial Congress Minutemen
Town, county, state
No colonial army yet
Massachusetts Provincial Congress
Formed from the dissolved colonial government
Dissolved by the Parliament
Formed to promote public safety
Minutemen
Massachusetts militia
Ready to “stand at a minute’s warning in case of alarm.”

4. Loyalists vs. Patriots Why don’t you shove a crumpet up your nose!
You are a monumental pillock!
Why don’t you shove a crumpet up your nose!
Tories vs. Whigs

5. It all breaks loose…
In response to colonial resistance, George III sends General Sir Thomas Gage to Massachusetts to restore order.
Gage was to arrest the members of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress
Gage didn’t know where they were, so he was going to steal their guns and ammo, which was stored at Concord, Massachusetts, instead.
Gage led his 700 troops to Concord, through the small town of Lexington
General Sir Thomas Gage

6. Map of the march to Concord

7. Stopped at Lexington Patriot Leaders heard about Gage’s arrival.
Local silversmith Paul Revere and farmer William Dawes to warn the minutemen of Lexington that Gage was arriving
Dr. Samuel Prescott was sent to Concord to warn the minutemen there.
When Gage and his troops arrived at Lexington, he was confronted by 70 minutemen blocking the road

8. Stopped at Lexington
Gage ordered the minutemen to disperse and clear the road.
The minutemen, fearing the well-trained and superior force, began to slowly retreat.
And then…

10. The shot heard round the world!
A shot was fired during the exchange
No one is certain who fired the first shot of the Revolutionary War
Perhaps a young British officer, but no one really knows.
Other people began to fire at each other in fright and outrage
Eight minutemen killed, ten wounded
British moved on to Concord

11. Arrival at Concord
When the British arrived a Concord, they were in for a nasty surprise.
Dr. Prescott had successfully warned the militia
All of the weapons and ammunition had been moved
400 colonial militia were waiting for them
As they tried cross the bridge into Concord, fighting broke out
Colonials would not allow them into the city
British were forced to retreat back to Boston

12. A costly journey…
During their retreat, they were harassed by colonials the entire way
Farmers shot and killed them from behind trees and rocks
Sharpshooters waited to shoot them from treetops
Colonists employed guerrilla warfare: ambushes, hit and run tactics, hiding behind trees and rocks
By the time Gage returned to Boston, he had lost several soldiers
73 killed
174 wounded
26 missing

13. You guys cheated, and you suck!

15. The British are surrounded
As they returned to Boston, they were being pursued
The committees of correspondence had notified other towns, villages, and states what was happening
The other militias rushed to Boston to help
By 1775, General Gage and his troops were surrounded in the city of Boston by colonial militia.

16. AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! May-November, 1775 Breed’s Hill; Bunker Hill
Major General Henry Knox

17. Bunker Hill Pyrrhic victory victory for the British
Pyrrhic victory – tactical but costly victory
Was the win worth the cost?
Built American confidence
The Americans saw that they could fight with the British
Damaged the morale of the British soldiers in and around Boston

18. Were you paying attention?