The American Revolution was considered unwinnable to many, but proved to be a crucial fight that aided in the creation of the United States. Numerous courageous war figures emerged during this War for Independence. Although many people were responsible for the warÆs success, one man stands out from the rest , and he emerged to become one of AmericaÆs best known heroes- -George Washington. His drive and determination to prevail were primary factors for victory in the War of Independence and his presence was absolutely indispensible toward winning the revolution for America.
The thirteen colonies were divided into three region districts, Massachuttess, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire, which made up the region known as New England. New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware make up the region known as the middle colonies. The south was made up of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia (Brenner 7). Trouble began for the new colonies when King George III created various taxes to aide the mother country. He felt the colonies should be taxed to pay British war debts. Many colonists resented paying taxes to the mother country 3,000 miles away, without any representation( Brenner 12).
The Stamp Act, Sugar Act, the enforcement of the Navigation Act, and the Townshend Acts were major points of conflict. Americans saw these acts and restrictions as great injustices. The focal point of resistance was against the Stamp Act. The opposition was located in Boston, Massachuttes. Thus, Boston became the center for a group of rebelling young men who called themselves the Sons of Liberty. They did their best to provoke the citizens to protest( Kent 21). On December 16, 1773, a group of men disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians boarded the ships carrying tea in the harbor. The men dumped approximately 15,000 pounds of tea into the harbor. The outrage of the British as result of the Boston Tea Party can hardly be explained( Kent 23). The Boston Tea Party caused the British to pass the Intolerable Acts of 1774. The Intolerable Acts of 1774 consisted of five laws that the British parliament passed to which the American colonists strongly objected. Four of them were were intended to punish the people of Massachusetts for destroying tea which they threw into Boston Harbor on December, 1773. These laws where also known as the Coercive Acts.
One major contributor to the pre-Revolution anger was the Boston Massacre. On one particular evening a few rowdy Boston men began tossing snowballs at a British sentry on duty. The men didnÆt expect the harsh response they received from the British soldiers. The sound of shots rang through the air and eight people were wounded and five killed in mere seconds. Crispus Attucks, a free Afro-American is remembered as one of the first Americans to die in the struggle for Independence( Kent 29).
As a result of the massacre, the citizens in the colonies, especially in New England, formed groups for self protection. They called themselves minutemen, because they could take up arms and fight at a moments notice( Dolan 11). It seemed the entire country was preparing for war. Many Americans felt war had been in the making for many years, and was inevitable. The Americans were ready to rebel (Dolan 11). One man who helped to arouse spirit and pride in the colonies through his superior writing was Thomas Paine. He wrote, "The American Crisis" in December of 1776. He described the general falling of the times in his famous quote, "These are times that try menÆs souls". What Paine meant by this were the trying times of warfare and the settings that the people had to live in and deal with.
The first and perhaps the most significant battle of the American Revolution took place on April 18, 1775. The battle of Lexington and Concord proved to the overconfident British generals that the Americans were strong fighters. On the fateful night of April 18, 1775, British General Gage sent a company of soldiers to seize guns, and ammunitions the colonists had hidden in Concord, Massachusetts (Morris 25). Anxiously young Paul Revere, a Boston silversmith, and his companions William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott waited for the signal. They watched the church tower across the bay. The number of light signals would tell the men the way the British were advancing- "One if by land, two if by sea". Within seconds of sighting the signal they leaped onto their horses and galloped through the dark countryside to let the patriot militia companies know that. The British were coming by sea to Charleston. Paul Revere reached Lexington at midnight, where he was captured and unable to complete his mission. However, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott continued on to warn Concord(Kent 10). Later Wadsworth Longfellow was to greatly add to Paul RevereÆs fame and glory when he wrote a famous poem that stated , "Listen my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere". Because Revere rhymed with the word "hear" one man became a legend, while the others were largely forgotten(Kent 21).
Six hundred British soldiers reached Lexington by dawn, and were met by seventy armed minutemen lead by Captain Jonas Parker. Parker gallantly called out to his outnumbered men, "Stand your ground! DonÆt fire unless fired upon! But if they want a war let it begin here!"(Morris 26). No one can say who fired first, but it became known as the "shot heard around the world". ParkerÆs forces were no match for the overwelming British soldiers. All the surviving minutemen fled to the shielded woods. Yet one man stood alone on the common, Jonas Parker wounded and bleeding, stood trying to reload his musket. While trying to reload his musket the British rushed him and killed him; just a matter of seconds before he lay dead.
Colonists and minutemen took to hiding in the heavily wooded areas surrounding Concord after news of the British advancements. The red coats marched into Concord and began burning carriages. They also dumped five hundred pounds of musket balls in a nearby millpound. These acts outraged the Americans and brought them out of hiding. Captain Isaac Davis lead the way with little drummer boy Abner Hosmer by his side. When the Red Coats caught sight of the advancing Americans they fired the first round of shots, but distance favored the Americans and no one was hit. The second burst of gunfire was more accurate, and Davis and little Abner Hosmer dropped with the fatal wounds. The men were horrified when the two courageous leaders fell, and began to return fire. When the Americans retaliated, nine British soldiers fell, three killed. The British withdrew, retreating back so quickly that they left their dead and wounded(Dolan 16).
Red Coats retreated back along the same road they had taken to the battle, only this trip proved lethal. The countryside was swarming with minutemen, and the Red Coats were bombarded from all sides. Three hundred British soldiers were killed or wounded on their retreat(Dolan 18).
The battle of Bunker Hill took place in the month of June, 1775. British Lieutenant General Thomas Gage wanted to fortify the hills on the Charleston Peninsula. Fortunately, the Americans caught word of the British plans and beat them to the hills. In actuality the Americans fortified Breeds Hill instead of Bunker Hill. The Americans were lead by General Prescott and the British were lead by General Howe. General Howe scrambled up the hill twice trying to take the fort, but was driven back by murderous fire from the Americans. The Americans army also known as the Continental Army, faced a problem towards the end of the battle of Bunker Hill. The supply of gun powder ran out and they were forced to flee the peninsula. The British finally took the hill on the third attempt and found the fort empty. The British lost one thousand men, compared to the four hundred Americans lost(Morris 32).
In June, 1775, two weeks after the Battle of Bunker Hill, George Washington was appointed Commander in Chief(Minks 56/ Guyatt 33). George Washington came from a planting family in Virginia. George Washington became a colonel when he was only twenty-two years. It was said by many that his tall and sturdy build gave him a sense of dignity. Thomas Jefferson described George Washington with a deep respect.
