Lexington & Concord

Lexington & Concord

by James Rossetti

After the Tea Party...

• ​King George and Parliament pass the Intolerable Acts

  • Massachusetts falls under Martial Law

  • ​The Port of Boston is closed

  • ​More British troops sent to MA​

• ​Boston's economy crumbles

  • ​Colonists feel the British went too far

  • ​Famous colonial politicians agree to meet in Philadelphia - 1774

​The First Continental Congress

​Meet in Philadelphia - 1774

• ​Representatives from 12 colonies

  • ​Some of the most famous and influential people in the colonies

• ​Colonists write a petition to try to fix things with Britain

  • ​Ask for end to martial law

  • ​Reopening of Port of Boston

  • ​Representation in Parliament

Multiple Select

Which of these men was at the First Continental Congress?

• Samuel Adams

• Abraham Lincoln

• George Washington

• Davante Adams

• G

Multiple Choice

How would the British respond to the colonists requests?

• Refuse, tell the colonists to get over it, and send more troops

• Agree to open the Port of Boston but nothing else

• Agree to give them representation but keep the port closed

• Agree to everything the colonists asked for and thank them for their help

​King George Refuses

The Colonists prepare for the worst

• ​Colonists form Militias

  • ​Gather weapons and recruit young men, farmers, and veterans

  • ​Store weapons and ammo in Concord, Massachusetts - down the road from Boston

• ​British send more troops to Boston

  • ​Those troops hear about weapons, militias

  • ​Begin to search the area for those weapons

Multiple Choice

What was the name given to the militias?

• Militiamen

• Colonial Soldiers

• Minutemen

• American Army

​Paul Revere (& Friends)

• ​Paul Revere and two others sent to warn the Minutemen

  • ​The British were on their way to Lexington

• ​Rides through the night in secret

  • ​Tells the Minutemen to gather in Lexington the next morning

  • ​Ends up being crucial to the war effort - before the war even starts

​Lexington

British troops march into Lexington on the morning of April 19th

• ​Revere's ride worked

• ​Minutemen gather in Lexington

  • ​The two sides face off

  • ​Tension rises until...

"The Shot Heard Round the World"

• ​Fighting breaks out

  • ​The war has begun...

Multiple Choice

Who shot first?

• No one knows...

• The British

• The Minutemen

• Han Solo

​Lexington

The British forces were too much for the Minutemen...

• ​The British were well trained, well armed, and experienced

  • ​The Minutemen were generally none of those things...

• ​The Minutemen are defeated

  • ​8 die in the first fight

  • ​The colonists turn and run to defend Concord...

Concord

The Minutemen regroup

• ​This time, they are prepared

  • ​They gather in the woods around town

  • ​They hide in buildings, towers

​The British arrive soon after

• ​Colonists ambush them as they march into town

  • ​British forces are soon overwhelmed

  • ​They were not used to fighting like this...

​Concord

The Minutemen force the British to retreat (!!!)

• ​​The Minutemen harass the British all the way back to Boston

• This is a huge moment in history

  • ​It proved the British could be beaten

  • ​The colonies were now in open, violent rebellion

  • ​The British were losing their most valuable colonies (at the time)

Open Ended

Why do you think the colonists were able to overwhelm the British in Concord?