250 years ago today, the American Revolution kicked off with the “shot heard around the world.” By the time the continental Congress had gotten its act together on July 4th, 1776, declaring independence, we had already been at war with England for well over a year. The army had not even been formed yet on the morning of April 19, a day we now call “Patriot’s Day.” Instead, we relied upon a militia, made up of hard, armed men who knew right from wrong and stood for the guiding American principle of liberty. They took a stand against oppression, vowing to accept it no more.
The town’s Minute Men where called to arms in the early morning of April 19, 1775 after being alerted by riders from Boston that British troops were on the march to seize arms and powder stored at a local magazine. The colonists were determined to protect their means of protection from tyranny. If you’ve ever wondered why the Second Amendment to the Constitution exists, this is the watershed moment.
The militia was under the command of Captain John Parker, who rallied them with these immortal words:
“Stand your ground. Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”
Shots did ring out, although to this day no one knows who fired first. The subsequent Battle of Lexington and Concord marks the beginning of a path to a new nation, now known as the United States of America.
As the initial volleys of fire were exchanged near daybreak on Lexington Green, colonial volunteers fell back in the face of over 500 occupying British troops. But as the battle moved on to Concord, the tide turned, and the redcoats were routed as more and more colonists joined the fray.
The British troops retreated through Concord where they were reinforced. Despite eventually boasting a strength of 1700 men, they remained no match for the determined colonists who forced them to retreat to the safety of Charlestown in Boston. The militiamen grew in number along the way to a force of almost 4000 string, pursuing the British in an action which transformed into the Siege of Boston.
We won that battle and others, losing quite a few along the way, but with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on 3 September, 1783, we Americans would eventually be triumphant in a war that involved many of the world’s major powers and spanned the globe, to earn our full independence.
God bless those men and God bless this nation.
– Eric Graves
Founder
Soldier Systems Daily
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