Teachingamericanhistory.org Podcast

The story is one of the most familiar in American history. Though shrouded in myth, the details are well-known. In the overnight hours of April 18-19, 1775, British regulars staggered from their bunks, donned their red wool uniforms, were rowed across the Charles River, and marched through the Massachusetts countryside. Their goal was the destruction of military supplies believed hidden in Concord by the colonial militia. With a little luck, the British also hoped to arrest two of the nascent rebellion’s most belligerent leaders, Sam Adams and John Hancock. Throughout the long night, church bells rang, guns fired, and a trio of riders alerted the colonists that British troops were on the move. The warnings enabled Adams and Hancock to escape capture while the rebel defenders of Massachusetts, having left their warm beds, prepared to guard their towns. This was not the first time Massachusetts militiamen had faced British troops in the field. As recently as February of 1775, a similar early morning march advan