First Shots Fired!
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At Lexington, open conflict occurred and eight
Americans were killed.” At Concord British troops were forced to retreat with
the loss of 70 men. This was the first instance of open warfare. Originally the British were headed to Concord to
secure rifles and ammunition reportedly being stockpiled. However the colonists
who gathered on Lexington Green that day weren't planning to fire or start a
war. On the other hand, the British were on their way to Concord, not
Lexington. But the militia of Lexington turned out on the Green so that the
British army would see them as they marched by. It was intended as a show of
force, to show the British that they had guns and were not going to be pushed
aside, it was a way of saying “hey were here!” a demonstration of colonial
resolve. The commander of the British ordered the militiamen to lay down their
arms and go back to their homes. As the colonial militia began to back away, a
shot was fired. It remains a mystery to this day as what side fired and who it
was.
How Do We Fight Back?
Soon after the incident in Lexington, John Adams proposed to congress that the men laying siege to Boston should be considered a continental army led by a general. “Adams suggested the appointment of a Virginian, George Washington, to command the Continental forces.” Despite the fact that colonists were used to fighting in local militias under officers elected from among their own ranks. “On June 15, Adams formally nominated George Washington as commander in chief of the Continental Army.” Washington accepted the position the next day. On June 17, the newly named army fought the Battle of Bunker Hill, as John Adam's family watched from their hometown of Braintree. Washington was unimpressed upon meeting his supposed army. “Just as the British had, he saw "stupidity" among the enlisted men, who were used to the easy familiarity of being commanded by neighbors.” Washington promptly insisted that the officers behave with decorum and the enlisted men with respect. Although he enjoyed some success with this original army, the New Englanders went home to their farms at the end of 1775, and General Washington had to start fresh with new recruits in 1776.