By the 1750s, the colonies were prospering, with most free men owning their farms, and the colonies primarily governed themselves. Though “officially” under the rule of the British Crown, the immigrants rarely had to deal with them as the King's government had permitted wide latitude to local colonial governments. However, this changed in the 1760s when Britain demanded that the colonists pay taxes. Britain needed the money to pay for their recent wars. The colonists, who were not represented in the British government, rebelled. Britain added even more taxes in 1765. Then a tax on tea resulted in the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and, ultimately, the American Revolution.
As the British responded with force, the Continental Congress was convened in 1775 to organize the colonies’ defense. The new United States of America declared independence on July 4, 1776, which announced that the 13 American colonies were at war with Great Britain fighting to become independent states and thus no longer a part of the British Empire.
In preparation for the attack, they knew the British would launch at any time. A ragtag group of farmers formed a militia that was ready to fight. A meeting was held with the people who lived near the port tower and a crude plan was made. If their attack came by boat, there would be two lights in the top of the tower. If by land, only one lantern would be put on display.
Paul Revere, a silversmith from Boston, and two other men took turns watching for the signal as the British were marching toward Lexington. When the signal came with one lantern Revere and two other men began their ride across the countryside. They were announcing: “THE BRITISH ARE COMING, THE BRITISH ARE COMING”. The British spies had discovered the Patriots were stockpiling gun powder and weapons, and they decided it was time to teach those colonial farmers a lesson. They planned to steal their weapons and maybe catch a few of the colonial leaders. The three men were stopped by a British patrol but of two of them got away. William Dawes was thrown from his horse but managed to escape. Samuel Prescott, a young doctor was able to continue his journey to Concord and continue to warn the British were coming. The British soldiers were happy to have captured the famous Paul Revere, but fate changed their plans. The British came under fire and decided it would faster to move without a prisoner. They let Paul Revere go but kept his horse. All three men made a safe passage through the night and all three survived the war.
Known as the Olive Branch Petition, the Second Continental Congress hoped to avert war at the last minute. Only a small group of Patriots, led by John Adams, disagreed with the move. King George III, however, refused to read the petition, and, from that point, the American Revolution entered full flow.
THE SHOT HEARD AROUND THE WORLD
Ralph Waldo Emerson, a well-known poet at the time, wrote his famous poem: “Concord Hymn” about a small battle at The Old North Bridge which happened early that day. The house he was in was located only about 300 feet from the bridge. His grandfather had witnessed what happened in that battle. There is no definitive proof the shots fired at North Bridge were actually the first shots of the Revolutionary War. If you ask about what happened at Lexington, you will get a bigger story of what happened that day. There had been an earlier encounter between British soldiers and a group of minutemen at the Lexington Battle Green. The British made a charge, and Captain gave the order to fire at the British. The Minutemen were outnumbered and chose to abandon the fight after losing eight men. A plaque was placed on the Minute Man statue that states: “On April 19, 1775, was made the first forcible resistance to British aggression.”
France joined the Patriots in 1778 and turned it into an international struggle. Their help gave the Continental Army the opportunity to force the British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia. The Colonies had won their independence even though fighting continued until 1783. It was a pivotal time in history as it shaped the birth of a new nation: “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”
The “CONCORD HYMN” was written by Ralph Waldo Emerson. This poem was the basis for the controversy over what town was the location for the first shot of the Revolutionary War. Here is the first verse:
By the rude bridge that arched the flood, a
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world.
