Battle+of+Lexington+and+Concord

= = ====On April 18, 1775 the battles of Lexington and Concord began. These battles were the start of the American Revolution, and sparked the drive for freedom. They were fought between the [|Massachusetts Bay Colony] and Great Britain within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy, and Cambridge. The Colonies were at major disadvantage because the British were fighting with armed, professional soldiers against their army, [|minutemen]. The 700 British soldiers marched towards Lexington with the mission to destroy military supplies stored in Massachusetts, and to capture [|John Hancock] and [|Samuel Adams]. The [|Colonial militia]had received word that the British were coming from [|Paul Revere], so they quickly assembled their force with the weaponry and 77 minutemen that they had. When they arrived at Lexington, both sides watched the other for the first move, and finally a shot was made. The commander of the minutemen, [|Captain John Parker], had stated, "Don't fire unless fired upon. But if they want a war let it begin heres." No one knew exactly who shot first, but it was known as [|"the shot heard 'round the world."] The Revolutionary War had begun. Shots were volleyed and many colonists were killed. As a warning to the other Americans, messengers on horseback rode on to tell them about the attack at Lexington because the British were going to move on after they had defeated the colonists. This allowed the people of Concord to prepare for the British, get supplies, and hide in surrounding towns until they came. Back at Lexington, the colonists had been defeated.==== ====Once the British realized that Hancock and Adams had escaped, they moved onto Concord after the Battle at Lexingington. They planned on loading up with [|ammunition], but were surpisingly met with armed minutemen at the [|Concord North Bridge]. The colonists enagaged them in a big fight and the British ended up retreating back, leaving the fight. From the overall Battle of Lexington and Concord, only 94 colonists were killed compared to 273 British soldiers. The war had officially begun after the battle because it was the first time the colonists rebelled and began to stand up for what they beleived in. The upcomoing war was then seen.====

__British General Thomas Gage__
====Sir Thomas Gage was a British General, and joined the military service in 1755, where he saw action in the [|French and Indian War]and the [|Battle of the Monongahela]. He served as a commander-in-cheif for the British forces from 1763 to 1775 where his attempts so take stores of Patriot militia sparked the Battle of Lexington and Concord. After the Battle of Lexington, he ordered troops to destroy the ammunition and supplies that the colonists had stores at Concord.To accomplish the task that he had, he set up [|"Flanking Units"] to help, and set [|Lieutenant Colonal Frances Smith]and [|Marine Major John Pitcairn]in charge of the 700 British regular soliders to attack. He asked Smith and a spy, [|Sergeant John Howe], to map and consider a route through other towns to reach Concord.====

__Paul Revere__
====Paul Revere was an American Patriot that is best known for warning the American Troops about the oncoming British attack. During the Battle of Lexington, Paul Revere was one of the first men to know about the attack that was going to come. He was sent by [|General Joseph Warren]to tell the colonists to be ready when they suspected British movement after watching them. Reveer warned the Americans by parading through town shouting, "The Regulars are coming!" compared to, "The British are coming!" Warren told Revere to also warn the soldiers in Camden of the British attack, so he and [|William Dawes]set out in the [|"Midnight Ride"] to spread the news. He crossed the [|Charles River]by boat, and then had to borrow a horse from his friend [|Deacon John Larkin]. From there, he rode on horseback and warned the minutemen and militia for the approaching attack. Without Revere, they would not have been aware or prepared for the attack.====

__First Battle of Revolutionary War__
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__Reanactment of Minutemen__
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