Mr. Kersey.org - Mr. Kersey's Lecture Notes

The American Revolution: Revolution Begins

(Lecture Notes from Mr. Kersey's 8th Grade U.S. History Class)

In September of 1774, the colonists decided they needed to meet to talk about the British.
56 colonial delegates met in Philadelphia.
All the colonies were represented except Georgia, who didn't want to rock the boat.
So they ate steak and cheese sandwiches and talked...
Many of the delegates wanted to make peace with Britain and work things out.
Many others, like Patrick Henry, thought that Britain would only get off their backs with violence.
In the end they compromised. They agreed to have the militias prepare for combat.
They also drew up a list of resolutions for the king.
The Declaration of Resolves basically told the king that the colonies wanted their "life, liberty, and property."
The colonists also agreed to meet again in May of 1775 to talk about again.
King George III just ignored the Declaration, and sent more troops to the Colonies instead.
The British soldiers had orders to seize the colonial militia's weapons.
A fight seemed inevitable to some, but most colonists really thought there wouldn't be violence.

British General Thomas Gage received orders to seize a large cache of Colonial weapons at Concord, Massachusetts in mid-April 1775.
Late in the evening of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere received word that the British were marching toward Concord.
He rode out to warn the minutemen in the area.
In the chilly morning air of April 19, about 70 minutemen, armed with muskets and pitch forks waited on the green at Lexington.
Many of the militia members didn't really think there'd be a fight.
The British company, numbering about 700 marched over a bridge and into the town of Lexington.
After a standoff, shots were fired. To this day, no one knows who fired the first shot.
The battle lasted only minutes. After a flurry of shots, 8 minutemen were dead, ten wounded, and the British marched on to Concord.

After Lexington, the British marched on to Concord, but they were too late.
Colonists had already moved and hidden most of the weapons there.
Out of frustration, the British torched some buildings. The Minutemen then attacked.
The British retreated back to Boston, taking heavy losses all along the way.
Concord marked the first colonial victory.
Even though it was small, it gave many colonists courage to carry on the struggle.

In May of 1775, the colonists met again in Philadelphia. Now that the fighting had begun, there was much to do.
They authorized the raising of a Continental Army.
They named George Washington to be the commander-in-chief of the new army.
Washington refused to take the pay, asking the Congress only to pay his expenses.
The Congress also drafted the Olive Branch Petition. But by the time it reached King George the fighting was too fierce and it was too late for peace.