8th Notes: Unit 3.4 I. A Meeting in Philadelphia 1. September 1774, fifty-five delegates gathered in Philadelphia. a. Group of delegates called themselves the Continental Congress. 2. Twelve leaders of the 13 colonies attended the meeting. a. Georgia did not send a representative. b. Massachusetts sent Samuel Adams & his lawyer cousin, John Adams. c. New York sent John Jay d. Virginia sent George Washington, Richard Henry Lee, & Patrick Henry. A. The Delegate Vote 1. Delegates discussed complaints against the British. a. Statement of grievances, they called for the repeal of 13 acts of Parliament. b. Delegates believed these laws violated the “laws of nature,” principles of the English Constitution. c. Voted to boycott British trade (not import or use any British goods or sell) 2. Continental Congress endorsed the Suffolk Resolves. a. The Suffolk Resolves declared the Coercive Acts to be illegal. b. Called for county’s residents to arm themselves against the British as well as other colonies organized militias. B. The Colonial Militia 1. Militias were American colonists who protected their communities. a. Militia members were important part of each town’s defense. b. Militia trained and had drills with other citizen soldiers. c. Practiced using muskets and cannons. d. Each member provided their own weapon (musket/ammunition) e. As colonies grew, towns began to store military supplies. II. Fighting Begins 1. If fighting broke out it would be in New England. 2. Militias in Massachusetts held drills, made bullets, and stockpiled weapons. 3. Some militia were known as “minutemen” because they were ready to fight at a moment’s notice. 4. Winter of 1774-1775, a British officer stationed in Boston noted in his diary that the colonists were arming and preparing themselves for resistance. A. Great Britain Send Troops 1. King George told Parliament that the New England colonies were “in a state of rebellion” and that “blows must decide” who would control America. 2. By April 1775, several thousand British troops were in and around Boston. 3. British general Thomas Gage had orders to seize weapons from the Massachusetts militia and arrest the leaders. 4. Gage learned the militia stored arms and ammunition in Concord. a. 20 miles northwest of Boston. b. Gage ordered 700 troops to seize and destroy the artillery and ammunition in Concord. B. The British on the Move 1. Night of April 18, 1775, colonial protest leader Dr. Joseph Warren walked Through Boston watching for unusual activity and saw troops marching out of the city. 2. Warren alerted Paul Revere and William Dawes (members of the Sons of Liberty) who rode out to spread the word that the British were coming. 3. Hearing the news, Samuel Adams said, “What a glorious morning this is!” 8th Notes: Unit 3.4 a. Adams was ready to fight 4. Revere was captured, Dawes got away, and a third rider Samuel Prescott, carried the word to Concord. C. Lexington and Concord 1. At dawn, 70 minutemen led by Captain John Parker met the “redcoats.” a. A shot was fired and both side exchanged bullets, when shooting ended, 8 minutemen died. b. At North Bridge, in a short battle redcoats took heavy losses, retreated back to Boston. i. British were met by American soldiers who were hidden. ii. By the time British reached Boston, 174 redcoats were wounded and 73 dead. 2. 60 years later, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote a poem called, “The Concord Hymn” about the Americans at Lexington and Concord and the “shot heard ‘round the world.” III. More Military Action 1. The Connecticut militia with Captain Benedict Arnold, raised a force of 400 to seize Fort Ticonderoga near Lake Champlain in New York. a. Area was rich in military supplies. 2. Arnold join Ethan Allen, the Green Mountain Boys, together they took the British by surprise. a. Fort Ticonderoga surrendered May 10, 1775. 3. Later Benedict Arnold became a traitor to the Patriot cause. a. He sold military information to the British. b. When found out, Sept. 1780, he fled to British controlled New York City c. Arnold commanded British troops and led raids again the Americans in Virginia and Connecticut. A. The Battle of Bunker Hill 1. More joined the colonial militia after Lexington and Concord a. Around Boston they were 20,000 strong. 2. June 16, 1775 militia commanded by Colonel William Prescott set up posts on Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill. a. Next day, redcoats charged at Breed’s Hill. Colonel Prescott’s men were low on ammunition. b. Prescott said, “don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.” c. Militia fired forcing British to retreat. Twice more the British charged meeting furious fire. d. Finally, Americans ran out of gunpowder and had to withdraw. 3. The battle on Breed’s Hill—which became known as the Battle of Bunker Hill—was a British Victory, yet they suffered great losses. (more than 1000 dead and wounded) 4. Learning that Americans would neither be quick or easy to defeat. B. Choosing Sides 1. Colonists faced a decision to join the rebels or remain loyal to Great Britain. 2. Loyalists—those who sided with Britain, did not think unfair taxes and laws justified rebellion a. Some were office holders who felt a responsibility to Britain. b. Others saw no reason to break with Britain. c. Others believed Britain would win the war and did not want to be on the losing side. 2. Patriots—supported the war. a. Believed the colonists should have the right to govern themselves. b. Patriots determined to fight British until American independence was won. 3. American Revolution was not just a war between America and Britain, but a civil war between Patriots against Loyalists.