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Summary: What Happened On Lexington Green

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Percy Thomas Ms. Van AP US History 11 22 October 2015 What Happened on Lexington Green? The conflict at Lexington was the start of the American Civil war. On, April 19th 1775, it was said that a party British troops had marched upon the town of Lexington, where a group of rebels waited. A shot was fired and several men were killed. Although it was never proven, accounts from a few witnesses say that the Colonial Militia shot the first bullet, but the British were indeed the ones who fired first. “The shot heard around the world”. An analysis on the multiple first hand accounts proves that the British were indeed the ones who fired first because of the fact that they were marching upon Lexington to destroy colonial militia stores, and because …show more content…

They were sent to Lexington, to destroy the militia stash of weapons. Why would the militia, who weren’t even sure of the British’s journey to their town fire first? The British were on the offensive, “...and upon their sudden approach, I immediately ordered our Militia to disperse and not to fire. Immediately said Troops made their appearance, and rushed furiously, fired upon and killed eight of our party without receiving any provocation therefor from us.” -Captain John Parker. The British had fired upon the Militia, who weren’t even fully ready for their arrival. Not to mention the fact that the British soldiers left in the middle of the night. If no conflict was to arise; if the British Troops didn’t have the intention in causing a skirmish then they wouldn’t have had to use the cover of nightfall. Unless they had the intention to kill the militia, which is a completely plausible theory, there was no reason to be sneaking about at night. Considering that John Bateman, a British regular, stated that his party was given the order to fire upon the Militia, it’s hard to believe that they didn’t fire the first bullet. The British did indeed fire first because they were already on the offensive; because they were already trying to take down the militia, and by sneaking around in the middle of the night, it wouldn’t seem as if they weren’t going to use

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My men’s quick loading and re-firing of their muskets also made my army seem much larger. Hamilton soon surrendered. He then asked me where the rest of my men were since he could not believe my militia was so small. I proudly replied, “They stand before you.”

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The Americans had retreated to the outskirts of Concord and observed the British from other side of the North Bridge. As the Americans waited, more and more local militiamen arrived making their forces stronger and stronger. The Americans decided to cross the North Bridge back into Concord. They defeated the British troops at the North Bridge, giving the Americans renewed confidence. Soon the British commander, Colonel Francis Smith, realized that the American militia resistance was rapidly growing and it was time to retreat.

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“Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here”(Attributed to Captain John Parker at Lexington, 1775). This quote said during the Battle of Lexington and Concord states the action of waiting to fire until fired upon and the events that occur once a shot is fired, along with the idea behind it. The quote means do not instigate a conflict unless intending to start a war, but if a war must occur it will begin here. These words reflect upon the conflicts that Great Britain initiated between themselves and the American colonists during the Battle of Lexington and Concord and their future battles as well as their disagreements that lead to conflict. A few conflicts of interest that dealt with disagreements between

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