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The Battles of Lexington and Concord

(April 19, 1775)

 

The morning of April 19, 1775 saw soldiers of the British Army arriving at the Massachusetts town of Lexington. Their mission was to seize and destroy militia weapons and ammunition, but the local militia, known as Minutemen, stood on Lexington Green, awaiting their arrival. During the stand off, a someone fired a shot, which led the British troops to fire at the colonial militia. The Minutemen dispersed, and the British headed toward nearby Concord.

At the Concord North Bridge, a small group of militia battled a force of British soldiers. At this point, the British commander decided to retreat back toward Lexington, as it became evident that more and more Minutemen were arriving from all of the local villages and farms.

During this retreat, the British kept to the road, while the American farmers fired at them from behind trees, walls and any obstacle they could find. When the British force returned to Lexington, they were met by a relief column. The combined British units then headed for Boston. The Minutemen continued to harass them the whole way.

By the end of the day, British casualties numbered 273, while the colonials suffered only 94, 18 of whom fell during the initial clash at Lexington. The American Revolutionary War had begun.

 

Revolutionary War Battles: Battle of Lexington and Concord--Very good source from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute's ROTC.

Revolutionary War Events

Liberty: Lexington and Concord--From the PBS site. Contains glossary items and a literary connection to the war.

Battle of Lexington and Concord

The Battle of Lexington and The Battle of Concord from the American History Archive Project.

Battle of Lexington and the Battle of Concord from A Hypertext on American History website. Provides some good detail.

National Park Service Minuteman Exhibit--A site with good pictures of the Minutemen.

The Alarm Riders:

Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott

On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott made the famous midnight ride from Boston to Concord to warn the Patriot militia known as the Minutemen of the British Army's approach.

Paul Revere's Ride: April 18-19, 1775--Timeline of events involving the Alarm Riders on April 18 and 19. From the Christian Science Monitor.

Revolutionary War Personalities: Paul Revere and His Mechanics--Fascinating look at Paul Revere and others associated with the American Revolution. This web page on wartime intelligence tactics is part of the CIA's site.

The Paul Revere House--Biography from the Paul Revere Memorial Association.

Paul Revere--A short biography.

William Dawes--Encyclopedia entry.

Samuel Prescott--Encyclopedia entry.

Events Preceding the Battles

British move on Salem, Mass.--On Feb. 25, 1775, British forces march on Salem with orders to seize 19 cannon collected by the colonial militia. The Minutemen gather and a stand off began. Eventually, the British returned to Boston without completing their mission. This victory encouraged the colonials that they could stand up to the British.

Misc. Revolutionary War Sites. 

Intelligence in the War of Independence--From the CIA, a fascinating look at wartime intelligence during the Revolution.

The American Revolution: First Phase --Extracted from "AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY ARMY HISTORICAL SERIES"

Some People in the Revolutionary War-- A listing of important people in the Revolution.

The Hessian Web Page  An interesting web site detailing the activities and origins of the Hessian forces in the war.

The War for American Independence Good web site containing links to Revolution-era documents and a chronological list of battles.

Revwar.com Well-organized Revolutionary War site.

U.S. History Outlines & Charts Informative site maintained by a fellow high school teacher. Data is available on most periods of U.S. History.

Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention Home Page--Contains documents related to the Revolution and the creation of the Constitution.

Glossary of Terms--Good timeline and listing of important persons in the Revolution.

 

Other Revolutionary War Battle Websites. 

Battle Fort Henry - Commemoration of the last battle of the American Revolution in September, 1782 at Fort Henry, Wheeling, Virginia.

Battle of Bunker Hill - Examination of the events that led to the battle and the events following.

Battle of Fort Griswold - September 6, 1781

Battle of Saratoga - Revolutionary War re-enactment. Includes interviews with Americans and British, pictures, battle maps, history, and more.

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