Question #5bcb2
1 Answer
The short answer is that a brief confrontation happened on the Lexington green where gunfire was exchanged and there was a loss of life.
Explanation:
The longer version isn't nearly that simplistic. The British government had for some time via its agent, Governor General Gage in Massachusetts, been attempting to confiscate guns and gun powder from the colonists.
Prior to April 19th, in the months before, Gov. Gage had sent troops to other cities to confiscate gun powder. Troops were sent to Salem, Plymouth, and even Portsmouth NH in this pursuit and each time they were met with failure.
The march to Concord was more of the same and had there not been the skirmish between the Redcoats and the colonists, the revolution would not have started at that point.
Even though Samuel Adams and John Hancock were present in Lexington, they were holed up in the tavern there, they left no known account of the events of that day.
But the colonists were itching for a fight and it is likely that a nervous minuteman fired that first shot. In contrast, seven colonial militiamen died, not a single British soldier suffered so much as a wound.
