The Revolution Begins!

Standards 8.22, 8.23, 8.25

Table of Contents

• Battles of Lexington and Concord (8.25)

• Second Continental Congress (8.22 and 8.25)

• Battle of Bunker Hill (8.25)

• Capture of Fort Ticonderoga (8.25)

Who are the leaders in Great Britain???

• _____________________________________________—King of England

• _____________________________________________—Prime Minister

Battles of Lexington and Concord

April ________________________________________________

Lexington and Concord, ____________________________________________

Gen. _____________________ (Brit) wants to confiscate colonial militia ___________________ the __________________________ are in Concord

Why does Gage want to march on Concord?

• _______________________________ and ____________________________ fled Boston

• 3 riders are sent out to warn them:

– ____________________________________________________

– ____________________________________________________

– ____________________________________________________

• ensures the _______________________________________________________ even if one

were _________________________________________

Look at the map above. Who was the only rider to make it to Concord?

________________________________________________________

Battle of Lexington

• People spread the word and used ____________________ and church _____________________

to call _______________________________ to prepare to meet the British soldiers

What are the minutemen?

• British forces are led by _______________________________

• Minutemen are led by ________________________________

• Parker tells troops _________________________________________________________.

• 1st shot known as the _____________________________________________________________

• Official _____________________________________________________ of the Revolution

Why does Parker want his men to hold their fire?

Explain what you think the quote “Shot heard round the world” mean.

Battle of Concord

• ________________________________ troops move toward Concord

• ________________________________________________ in the arsenal

• British troops are trapped on _________________________________________

• Continued to attack British troops _________________________________ in Concord as they

_____________________________________ to Boston.

In your opinion, which side won the fighting at Lexington and Concord, and why?

Second Continental Congress

• Meets from _____________________________________

• ___________________________________ is president

• Met in ________________________________—all __________ colonies represented

• _____________________________________, Philadelphia

• Create the __________________________________________________ on July 5, 1775

• Last attempt to ________________________________________

• It ______________________________________________________

• _____________________________________ suggests George Washington to

___________________ the _____________________________________________

Why Washington????

• He is ____________________.

• He is the only one who shows up in a _________________________________________.

• He is from _________________________________—wanted ____________________________ to be on board with the war

Why would you need the Southern Colonies to agree to the war?

• They create the _____________________________________________________________ in 1777

• It’s the first _____________________________________________

Do you think the Second Continental Congress was wise in having Washington prepare for war as it sought peace? Explain.

Battle of Bunker Hill

June ___________________________________________________________

_____________________________, Massachusetts

• Patriots want to keep Boston because:

1. ____________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________

Patriots: ____________________ and ______________________________

British: _____________________ and ______________________________

Actually fought on _________________________________________________________

Redcoats had to attack _________________________________________________

Why is it always better to have the high ground in a fight?

The Patriots __________________________________________________________

Told: “________________________________________________________________________”

Why would they be told this????

British suffered heavy _________________________ during the battle and realize this will not be an _____________________________.

Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

May 10, 1775

Ticonderoga, ____________________________________________________

• Washington needs ____________________________in Boston

• Patriots decide to take them from the fort

• ___________________________________________________ lead the successful raid.

Knox Campaign

Answer the following questions while watching the video clip:

What was Henry Knox’s plan?

Why was it difficult?

Was he successful?

Dorchester Heights (Boston)

• Washington pointed the ________________________________ from ____________________________ at the British in Boston

– British General Howe and his troops __________________________________________

Common Sense

• Published in ________________________________

• Sold _________________________________ copies (only 1.5 million lived in colonies)

Primary Source Time Out: Common Sense by Thomas Paine

Choosing Sides

• 40-45% ________________________ (Whigs)

• 20-30% ________________________ (Tories)

• The rest are ________________________________________________

• Most Loyalists live in the __________________________________

• Both sides try to recruit ___________________________________

What’s the difference between a Loyalist and Patriot again?

Loyalist Patriot

Relax, It’s Reading Time Lexington and ConcordKing George had made many mistakes in his decisions about the colonies, which the First

Continental Congress listed out in their message to the king. However, rather than consider the

colonists' complaints, King George refused to even answer their message. “The New England

governments are in a state of rebellion,” he said. “Blows must decide whether they are to be

subject to this country or independent.” In Boston, General Gage, the king's commander of

British troops in America, got ready to deliver those blows.

The First Blow at Lexington 

In April 1775, a spy told General Gage that the colonists were hiding a large supply of

gunpowder and weapons in the nearby village of Concord. General Gage decided to strike at

once.

The general ordered 700 of his best troops to march to Concord and seize the weapons. To

keep the colonists from moving the weapons, the attack had to be a surprise, so Gage had his

troops march the 20 miles to Concord at night.

But the colonists had their own spies, and when Gage's troops slipped out of Boston on April

18, 1775, Patriots were watching their every move. Soon Paul Revere and others were

galloping through the countryside, warning colonists that the British soldiers were coming.

The news reached Lexington, a town on the road to Concord, in the early hours of April 19. Led

by Captain John Parker, a small band of Minutemen gathered nervously in the chilly night air.

At dawn, the British troops reached the town green. “Stand your ground,” ordered Parker. “Don't

fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” As the Minutemen faced

the British troops, a shot rang out—from where, no one knew for certain. Without orders, the

soldiers rushed forward, shooting wildly, and a few Minutemen managed to return fire.

When the firing stopped, eight colonists lay dead or dying, and another ten were left limping to

safety with painful wounds. The British troops gave three cheers for victory and continued their

march to Concord.

The Second Blow at Concord 

By breakfast time, the British were in Concord, searching for gunpowder and

weapons. However, the colonists had hidden them, and in frustration, the soldiers piled up gun

carriages and set them on fire.

On a ridge outside the city, militiamen from the surrounding countryside watched the smoke

rise. “Will you let them burn the town down?” shouted one man. Captain Isaac Davis replied, “I

haven't a man that's afraid to go.” Davis marched with his volunteers down the hill, and as they

approached Concord's North Bridge, the British troops opened fire. Davis fell dead, a bullet

through his heart.

The British expected the Americans to break and run, but to their surprise, the Minutemen stood

their ground and fired back. Soon, it was the redcoats who were running away in panic.

The retreat back to Boston was a nightmare for the British because thousands of armed and

angry Minutemen lined their route, shooting at every redcoat they saw. Some accounts show

that by the end of the day, 74 British soldiers were dead and another 200 were wounded or

missing while the colonists counted their own losses at only 49 dead and 41 wounded. A British

officer described what it was like to face the colonists' fury that day. “Whoever looks upon them

as an irregular mob,” the officer said, “will find himself much mistaken.”

Indeed, since the French and Indian War, the British had been mistaken about the colonists

again and again. Their biggest mistake was in thinking that ordinary people—farmers,

merchants, workers, and housewives—would not fight for the rights that they held dear. At

Lexington and Concord, Americans proved they were not only willing to fight for their rights, they

were even willing to die for them.

Timeline: Put these events in the order in which they occurred.

_______ Minutemen and British troops fight in Lexington.

_______ British troops fight soldiers at Concord’s North Bridge.

_______ Colonists attack British soldiers on the march back to Boston.

_______ British troops leave Boston to March on Concord looking to seize gunpowder and weapons.

_______ Revere, Dawes, and Prescott warn the colonists of the British approach.

Who are what am I? Define each of the following and then explain why he is important.

Who is it? Why is he important?

Benedict Arnold

Henry Knox

Bunker Hill

Thomas Paine

George Washington