A day to remember - 19 Apr 1775

[ameridaddy]

I nearly forgot this today, and I think we should note and remember it.
April 19, 1775: At about 5 a.m., 700 British troops, on a mission to capture Patriot leaders and seize a Patriot arsenal, march into Lexington to find 77 armed minutemen under Captain John Parker waiting for them on the town’s common green. British Major John Pitcairn ordered the outnumbered Patriots to disperse, and after a moment’s hesitation the Americans began to drift off the green. Suddenly, a shot was fired from an undetermined gun, and a cloud of musket smoke soon covered the green. When the brief Battle of Lexington ended, eight Americans lay dead or dying and 10 others were wounded. Only one British soldier was injured, but the American Revolution had begun.

 

[TeamPB]

Timely post. Thank You!

1775 was an amazing year in world history. The Continental Congress and our local committee councils had many pressing concerns. None of these concerns was greater than acquiring powder and arms, our fledgling foreign policy and all our trade policy was consumed by the pursuit arms. "Vive La France"!

 

[Narragansett]

Great event to remember. Thanks

 

[Leslie Sapp]

I've noted this before here, and now will again:
In almost every revolution, the initial battle begins over control of weapons.
The first fights in the American, French and Texas revolts all began over weapons caches.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Also the 80th Anniversary of the final assault on the Warsaw Ghetto. If those people had been better armed....

 

[jjfitch]

Yup! The military of a tyrannical government came to take weapons away from its citizens! "We the People" killed um'!

 

[tlawler]

Also the 80th Anniversary of the final assault on the Warsaw Ghetto. If those people had been better armed....

Also the 30th anniversary of the end of the Waco siege and the 28th anniversary of the Murrah building bombing in Oklahoma City.

 

[soFlaNative]

I'd have liked to see the British CO's face when he saw what was waiting a few miles down the road in Concord.

 

[Leslie Sapp]

what was waiting a few miles down the road in Concord

Among many others, this old man. He is one the names in my personal pantheon of heroes. Samuel Whittemore - Wikipedia

 

[BSA1]

On this date a drunken armed mob fired on Kings soldiers who were in the lawful performance on their duties.

History depends on whose is the victor.

 

[M29since14]

And who is doing the writing.

 

[brucev]

Grew up reading stories about the colonists and patriots. All the talk in the world would not have pulled England's claws out of America except for the men who used their guns to beat England into turning loose and getting out. The real birth of this nation was when the first colonist musket was fired that morning. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[Heinz]

On this date a drunken armed mob fired on Kings soldiers who were in the lawful performance on their duties.

History depends on whose is the victor.

We have a right to say whatever we want in public
(We have a right to restrict speech on private forums)

We have a right to bear arms

We have a whole Bill of Rights

And when Cornwallis came to the Carolinas, he bit off more than he could chew.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Our grade school history classes taught us about The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, warning about the imminent advance of British forces. Somehow the history books missed the fact that Revere (militia colonel) was not the only rider; several others rode multiple routes the night of April 17th-18th.

If memory serves, the night rider carrying the message to Lexington and Concord was another man. Revere himself reportedly became hopelessly lost and spent the night camped out in the woods, proceeding at dawn when able to orient himself, actually arriving after the skirmish.

I recall that historical documents include an inventory of the community arsenal including muskets, rifles, shot-guns, bayonets, pistols, some sort of light artillery piece, and barrels of powder. Apparently civilians utilized military-type weapons on a regular basis.

 

[soFlaNative]

Among many others, this old man. He is one the names in my personal pantheon of heroes. Samuel Whittemore - Wikipedia

My hat's off for a tough, courageous old bird. Tremendous.

 

[pmanton]

The courage of those men who founded our nation astounds me.

 

[jjfitch]

Victor??

On this date a drunken armed mob fired on Kings soldiers who were in the lawful performance on their duties.

History depends on whose is the victor.

Pretty sure the "Declaration of Independance" and later the "Constitution and Bill of Rights" cleared that up!

 

[jjfitch]

And today!

The courage of those men who founded our nation astounds me.

I'm sure they are turning over in their graves as to what is going on in our country today!

 

[jjfitch]

The "Red Coats" are coming!

Our grade school history classes taught us about The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, warning about the imminent advance of British forces. Somehow the history books missed the fact that Revere (militia colonel) was not the only rider; several others rode multiple routes the night of April 17th-18th.

If memory serves, the night rider carrying the message to Lexington and Concord was another man. Revere himself reportedly became hopelessly lost and spent the night camped out in the woods, proceeding at dawn when able to orient himself, actually arriving after the skirmish.

I recall that historical documents include an inventory of the community arsenal including muskets, rifles, shot-guns, bayonets, pistols, some sort of light artillery piece, and barrels of powder. Apparently civilians utilized military-type weapons on a regular basis.

The "Sons of Liberty" and "Minutemen" were preparing to defend their God given rights guaranteed by their British Constitution.
On this day they were preparing to protect Adams and Hancock from the Red Coats who were in route to arrest them for treason! They would have been sent to England for trial and then hanged!

 

[RobertJ.]

On this date a drunken armed mob fired on Kings soldiers who were in the lawful performance on their duties.

As reported by CNN...