Lesson 1: How Did the American Revolution Start?

Key Idea

The British army in Boston grew worried about the angry colonists. The British general learned that colonists had stored weapons in the town of Concord. He also heard that two Patriot leaders, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, were hiding in nearby Lexington.

The general made a secret plan. He would send his soldiers, the Redcoats, to march to Lexington and Concord at night. Their mission was to arrest the leaders and seize the weapons. The British hoped this would crush the colonists' spirit and prevent a war from starting.

Key Idea

The first battles of the war began in April 1775 when British soldiers marched to Lexington and Concord to seize colonial weapons. In Lexington, a small group of militia met the British, and the first shots of the revolution were fired.

The British army then moved to Concord, where hundreds of minutemen were waiting. The colonists fought back, forcing the British soldiers on a long retreat to Boston. This surprising resistance showed the British that the colonists were determined to fight.

Key Idea

After the battles at Lexington and Concord, colonial leaders met in Philadelphia in May 1775. This important meeting was the Second Continental Congress. The leaders agreed that the colonies needed to work together against the British.

The Congress created one unified army, called the Continental Army, to fight for all the colonies. They chose a respected Virginian, George Washington, to be its commander-in-chief. This decision prepared the colonies for a long and difficult war.

Key Idea

The British army sent professional soldiers to the colonies. These soldiers were known as Redcoats because of their bright red uniforms. They were well-trained and followed strict orders, making them one of the world's most powerful fighting forces.

The colonists did not have a professional army. Instead, they formed militias of volunteer citizen-soldiers. The best-trained militia members were called Minutemen because they could be ready to fight in a minute. They used their knowledge of the local land to their advantage.