They wished to be ready to defend themselves if the soldiers used force or tried to do them harm. For this reason they had bought some gunpowder and stored it at @Concord, nearly twenty miles outside of the city.
When the king's soldiers heard about this powder, they decided to go out to Concord and get it before the colonists could use it. The powder would also mean the soldiers would have more supplies for themselves if they should need to fight.
Among those camping at Charlestown was a young man named Paul Revere.
