The Road of Revolution

The Road to Revolution Blog#2 Yuli Mendoza
A.period

After the first Continental Congress me, colonist in many eastern New England towns stepped up preparations. In the spring of 1775, British General Thomas Gage ordered troops to march from Boston to nearby Concord, Massachusetts, and to seize illegal weapons. On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott rode out to spread word that 700 British troops were headed from Concord. So they rang bells and gunshots signals, sent from town to town, that the British were coming. The king’s troops, known as “Redcoats” because of their uniforms, reached Lexington, Massachusetts, five miles short of Concord, on the cold, windy dawn of April 19. The British commanding officer told the minutemen to lay down their weapons and disperse. The minutemen were leaving when a shot was fired. This started the battle, it only lasted 15minutes leaving only one British soldier killed and eight minutemen killed and ten more injured.
In May there was a Second meeting of the continental Congress to debate their next course of action. Despite the debate between loyalists, who wanted reconciliation with Britain, and those who wanted independence, it was decided that George Washington was to be the head of the continental army.
In June General Gage sent 2,4oo soldiers against the militiamen Breeds Hill near Bunker Hill North of the city of
Boston. By the time his battle was over, there were 1000 British casualties 450 of the Military; by July Continental Congress was getting ready for war.