The Colonists And The Revolutionary War

On April 19, 1775 the original American colonies declared war on Great Britain, who up till now, owned and controlled the land and colonies. When the colonies were beginning, the British basically let them do their own thing for about a half a century. This was called the period of salutary neglect. Then the British Government decided to be more involved in the colonies. During this time the British started to create more laws and had british troops in the colonies enforce these laws. Since the British Empire had just gotten done with the Seven Years War, they felt the Colonists had some responsibility to pay off the debt that the war caused. They began enacting different laws that made the Colonists pay taxes on certain things and tightened …show more content…
The British were on their way to destroy a Colonial weapon stockpile. The next morning on the 19th, seven hundred British soldiers marched in Lexington and were met by seventy-seven Militiamen. A shot rang out and the battle began. The Militiamen dispersed while the British marched onward towards Concord. When the British reached concord they burned whatever the Colonists had left there. Most of the Colonists had relocated by the time the British arrived. The British then began to return to Boston, but not with ease. Over two thousand Minutemen followed the British and began attacking. The Minutemen were firing from treelines, stonewalls, buildings, and sheds. When the British got back to Lexington, with Minutemen still on their tail, they were supported by British reinforcements. The Colonists continued the attack forcing them back. More Militiamen came up from behind the British, giving them a chance to destroy the British, but the commander told them to stand down. The British made it to Charlestown Neck where they had the support of their navy, ending the battle in a Colonial Victory. Two-hundred and fifty Redcoats and ninety Militiamen were either killed or wounded. This battle is a crucial one because it gave the Colonists the hope and confidence they need to believe they could go up against one of the biggests empires at the …show more content…
Hope is what a country needs to win a war, especially a war against the major world power. Hope is what got the Americans through this war, gaining more and more after each victory. These battles were chosen because of the amount of confidence and hope it gave the Americans, and also the effect it had on the war entirely. In Lexington and Concord, the Americans learned for the first time that they have a chance against the major Empire, Great Britain. In Saratoga, the bravery of the Americans won the battle while also winning the French as an ally in the end. Lastly, in Yorktown, the bombardment of cannons and artillery, leading to the final surrender of Great Britain and an American