Chapter 5; Section 3

A Call to Arms

Continental Congress

September 177456 Delegates from all colonies

except GeorgiaCalled Continental Congress

Delegates to the Congress

Major Political Leaders: John Adams and Sam Adams from

Massachusetts John Jay from New York Richard Henry Lee and Patrick Henry

from Virginia George Washington from Virginia

Decisions of the Congress Not very united but tried to work together

for benefit of common interest Drafted statement of grievances calling for

repeal of 13 acts of Parliament passed since 1763 (Violated natural rights of British citizens)

Boycott ALL British goods Form militias to oppose Britain (Does this

mean war?)

Britain Sends Troops George the III declares the New

England Colonies “in a state of rebellion”

Britain sends Thomas Gage and 3000 soldiers to Boston

Soldiers take away weapons of citizens

Gage suspects stockpile of weapons in Concord….Really?

First Battles

Where would you expect fighting against the British to begin?

Massachusetts militia stockpiled weapons, drilled soldiers often….why?

Minutemen-ready to fight on a minute notice

Alerting the Colonist

Paul Revere alerted of British movement

Rode alerting colonist of British movement to Concord

http://www.earlyamerica.com/paul_revere.htm

“shot heard ‘round the world” British meet

Minutemen at Lexington

Shots fired 8 minutemen dead

Concord

British find no weapons but destroyed building

Were there the weapons? What weapons?

March back to Boston only meet Minutemen again

Battle occurs: British has 273 casualties

More Military Action Green Mountain

Boys led by Ethan Allen

Captured Ft. Ticonderoga

Oh-Oh!

1,200 militiamen set up on Breed’s hill, across from Boston

British attack the fortified militiamen but fail the first two times

Third time: British conquer the hill

Over 1000 British “Redcoats” were killed

About 500 Militiamen killed

Bunker Hill

Building Forces

Colonist build militias 20,000 men strong and they surround Boston

British soldiers in Boston are nervous

Choosing Sides Loyalist: Chose to

stay with Britain Patriots:

Determined to fight Britain