Lexington Green, April 19, 1775
The British arrive in Concord
- A few hours later the British got to Concord.
- The Colonists thought they were going to burn the town down.
- As the British approached, the colonists advance toward them.
- A shot is fired, and the militia are ordered to fire back.
- "Fire, fellow soldiers, for God's sake fire!"
by Kirsten Farhm
Works Cited
- http://www.battleroad.org/history.html
- http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/lexington.htm
- http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-american-revolution-begins
Setting the Stage
- The Boston Massacre was 5 years before.
- The Boston Tea Party had shown the British how frustrated the colonist were.
- Colonist wanted to run their own affairs.
- Some even wanted Independence .
- The Colonists had been producing weapons and training militia.
The British Arrive in Lexington
- When the British arrived at the Town Green in Lexington, there were 50-70 militia men waiting.
- The Colonists didn't want to fight, but to stand up to the British.
- The British say, "Lay down your arms!" and most of the colonists disperse but they don't put their guns down.
- Suddenly, shots are fired. Two militia men are shot dead.
The British are Coming
- British military governor General Thomas Gage wanted to take the Colonists' weapons and capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock, who were patriot leaders.
- The Colonists had heard about this. Paul Revere arranged a communication system to let people know how the British were coming and so they could get ready.
- Once they got the signal, Paul Revere and William Dawes spread the news.