The Road to Lexington and Concord Chapter 6, Section 3

Key Terms  Militia – a force of armed civilians pledged to defend their community during the American Revolution  Minuteman – a member of the colonial militia who was trained to respond “at a minute’s warning.”  Intolerable Acts – a series of laws enacted by Parliament in 1774 to punish Massachusetts colonists for the Boston Tea Party  First Continental Congress – a meeting of delegates in 1774 from all the colonies except Georgia to uphold colonial rights  Paul Revere – a Boston silversmith; member of the Sons of Liberty; took “midnight ride” with William Dawes to alert colonists to British troop movements  Lexington and Concord – sites in Massachusetts of the first battles of the American Revolution  Loyalist – an American colonist who supported the British in the American Revolution  Patriot – an American colonist who sided with the rebels in the American Revolution

Bell Ringer  Look at the map (also on page 172). What were the British forced to do after Concord?  What might the British action indicate about the colonists’ chances in a war against Britain?

British leaders were outraged by the actions of these protestors during what became knows as the Boston Tea Party. They passed a series of laws designed to punish the colonists of Massachusetts — especially those in Boston. The new laws were so harsh that colonists called them the Intolerable Acts.

Intolerable Acts Closed the port of Boston Increased the powers of the royal governor Abolished the upper house of the Massachusetts legislature Cut the power of town meetings Strengthened the Quartering Act

The Intolerable Acts  1. What were the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts?  A series of laws passed to punish the Massachusetts colony and to serve as a warning to other colonies  2. What effect did the Intolerable Acts have on the colonies?  Closed the port of Boston until colonists paid for the destroyed tea  Banned committees of correspondence  Allowed Britain to house troops wherever necessary  Let British officials accused of crimes in the colonies stand trial in Britain Thomas Gage appointed as governor of MA to enforce the acts.  3. How did the colonies come to the aid of Massachusetts?  They sent food and money to Boston

Americans in all the colonies responded to the Intolerable Acts by sending food and other supplies to the people of Boston. Meanwhile, colonial leaders called a meeting to discuss what further actions to take. The First Continental Congress, was held in Philadelphia in September and October 1774.

First Continental Congress Demanded the repeal of the Intolerable Acts Declared the colonies had a right to tax and govern themselves Called for the training of militias Called for a new boycott of British goods

The First Continental Congress Meets/ Between War and Peace  4. What happened at the First Continental Congress?  Delegates voted to ban all trade with Britain until the Intolerable Acts were repealed  Called on each colony to begin training troops  They were determined to uphold colonial rights  5. How did the colonists protest the Intolerable Acts? How successful were they?  Trade boycott  It didn’t work; Parliament stood its ground  6. What did most colonial leaders think about the prospect of war with Britain?  Few expected war  Any fight would be short

The British responded to the colonists ’ demands with force. On April 19, 1775, about 700 British troops marched toward Concord, where they believed minutemen were storing arms. Patriots lit a signal in a church steeple, then Paul Revere and William Dawes rode through the night to warn the minutemen.

Lexington Concord Minutemen were waiting for British troops A shot rang out, called “the shot heard round the world” British troops opened fire, killing eight Americans 400 minutemen fought about 700 British troops The British retreated toward Boston About 300 British were killed by colonists firing from behind trees and fences

The Midnight Ride  7. What was the role of spies in the pre-revolutionary period?  To keep watch over the other side’s activities  8. Why did Britain’s General Gage send troops to Lexington and Concord?  Lexington  to arrest Sam Adams and John Hancock  Concord  Destroy supplies (arms and ammunition) stored there  9. What was the mission of the midnight riders?  To warn Lexington and Concord that British troops were coming

The American Revolution had begun.

Lexington and Concord  10. What happened at the battles of Lexington and Concord?  Lexington   British commander ordered the Americans to drop their muskets, they refused.  No one knows who fired first, but within a few minutes, 8 militiamen were dead  Concord   British marched here after Lexington and destroyed military supplies  Battle north of town at a bridge forced the British to retreat  11. Why did Emerson call it “the short heard ‘round the world?”  The American revolt stunned the world  12. Who were the Loyalists and Patriots?  Loyalists  those that supported the British  Patriots  those who sided with the rebels

How did the American Revolution begin? The battles of Lexington and Concord hardened the resolve of both the colonists and the British. Both sides believed their cause was just. Both sides hoped the other would give in quickly. But both sides prepared for war.