Before the war, Boston had been the scene of much revolutionary activity, leading to the Massachusetts Government Act that ended home rule as a punishment in 1774. Popular resistance to these measures, however, compelled the newly appointed royal officials in Massachusetts to resign or to seek refuge in Boston. Lieutenant General Thomas Gage, the British North American commander-in chief, commanded four regiments of British regulars (about 4,000 men) from his headquarters in Boston, but the countryside was in the hands of the Revolutionaries.
On the night of April 18, 1775, General Gage sent 700 men to seize munitions stored by the colonial militia at Concord, Massachusetts. Riders including Paul Revere alerted the countryside, and when British troops entered Lexington on the morning of April 19, they found 77 minutemen formed up on the village green. Shots were exchanged, killing several minutemen. The British moved on to Concord, where a detachment of three companies was engaged and routed at the North Bridge by a force of 500 minutemen. As the British retreated back to Boston, thousands of militiamen attacked them along the roads, inflicting great damage before timely British reinforcements prevented a total disaster. With the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the war had begun.
2007-10-28 13:02:44
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answer #1
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answered by FRAGINAL, JTM 7
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religious Freedom & consultant government. initially the Colonist sought extra suitable autonomy interior the British Parliament, Feeling as British citizen and not distant places colonist that they had the will of extra suitable autonomy for the yankee colonies (an American branch of Parliament) and seats interior the residing house of Parliament. The colonist had an elected physique yet he ability and impression became constrained to that of the powers of Parliament and the Crown and made practically in powerful. a great factor of rivalry became the construction of the west, and the upward thrust in taxes. Public unrest and discontent some type of British measures began to polarize the inhabitants, Britain responses to the concerns looked as though it could have little result and countless guy or woman on the two sided sought outright war of words. countless numerous printings & e book that questioned the authority of the crown and the freedoms of guy became incredibly standard. the pro British took the as a risk and harshly spoke back, turning out to be a sparkling call for for freedom of speech, and elevating yet another contentious difficulty. the two facets made tries at reconciliation the two none manifested mutual settlement. Perceiving a risk of riot the British desperate to take a preemptive action by ability of seizing countless munitions inventory piles belonging to countless defense force communities whose loyalties to the crown have been questionable. interior the act of seizing those munitions the revolution began, and what Britain sought to circumvent took place, being the primary public discontent spilled over into in the initiating resistance to British authority then into finished revolution. by ability of 1776 the direction became set and the colonies have been searching for Independence from Britain.
2016-10-02 23:26:50
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answer #2
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answered by owen 4
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Freedom of religion as long as you did not disagree with the church.
To comment genocide against the Native Americans
To obtain the freedom to import free labor (slavery)
2007-10-28 13:04:49
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answer #3
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answered by Steve G 2
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did you miss history 101, taxation without representation,now maybe we should revisit that concept?
2007-10-28 13:33:36
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answer #4
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answered by Anonymous
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