Colonies Unite and Sparks Fly

1st Continental Congress• Delegates from all colonies except

Georgia, meet in Philly• Continental Congress wants to represent

colonial interests, negotiate with England• Important peeps there: John and Sam

Adams (Mass), Patrick Henry and G. Washington (VA)

• Mass and VA are the most powerful colonies

• CC writes up list of complaints to England and wants acts repealed

• Vote to boycott all British goods and trade

• Agree to have all colonies form militias

British Stuff

A Spark Ignites• New England colonies

train for war, minutemen- ready to fight in min.

• British General Thomas Gage wants to take guns from militia in Concord, Mass

• 700 redcoats march out at midnight, Paul Revere and Sons of Liberty– 1 if by land, 2 if by sea, lanterns in Old North Church

• Minutemen waiting in Lexington led by Captain John Parker

• Face off against each other, shot fired, no one knows who, British defeat minutemen

• Redcoats march to Concord, find no guns

• Entire way back to Boston, minutemen attack from woods, barns

Choosing Sides

• Patriots- colonists wanting to break away from Britain

• Loyalists- colonists wanting to stay loyal to the king and Britain