American Revolution Podcast

The British in Boston suffer through a miserable winter. The Continental Army keeps them stuck in the city. New England privateers make it extremely difficult to receive food and supplies from the sea. Hundreds die of disease as everyone suffers greatly. The British navy does little to provide assistance. Its destruction of the village of Falmouth only enrages the Americans. Britain recalls General Gage and Admiral Graves putting General Howe and Admiral Shuldham in charge. Visit https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this week's episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

General Washington gets frustrated by the lack of a plan to attack Boston. He also squelches his first mutiny. He sends Col. Benedict Arnold to Quebec and Col. Henry Knox to Fort Ticonderoga. He uncovers a British spy among one of the most trusted patriot leaders. Most of all he struggles with how to keep the army from going home over the winter. Visit https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this week's episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Generals Schuyler and Montgomery launch an attack from Fort Ticonderoga into British controlled Canada. They lay siege Fort St. Jean. After several months they capture the fort and take prisoner nearly all British regulars in Canada. Afterwards, the Americans capture Montreal without a fight. British Commander Guy Carleton dons a disguise and escapes back to Quebec. He prepares to defend the city against the American forces. Visit https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this week's episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the winter of 1775-76, the Ministry in Britain decides to use overwhelming force to put an end to colonial resistance. The King refuses to receive the Olive Branch Petition and makes clear that he supports Parliament in this fight and calls for the use of force to suppress colonial treason. He also starts recruiting German speaking mercenaries to supplement the British Army. The ministry also dumps General Gage and Secretary Dartmouth, replacing them with General Howe and Secretary Germain. The ministry also implements a blockade of North America. Meanwhile France begins to pay attention to the rebellion. It sends its first unofficial envoy to Philadelphia to see if it makes sense to provide some covert assistance. Visit https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this week's episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Active patriot groups shut down all royal control of all colonies and arrest or expel their royal governors. The colonies also conduct a raid on Bermuda to acquire more gunpowder for the cause. Visit https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this week's episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the summer of 1775, the southern colonies throw out their royal governments and take control. Virginians fight off a British raid on Hampton. Carolinians capture forts and munitions. The Mecklenburg Resolves declare independence. Georgia patriots fight loyalists for control of the colony. Visit https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this week's episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the summer of 1775, after creating a the Continental Army and making Washington its commander, Congress makes one final effort for peace, sending the King the Olive Branch Petition. After that, Congress focuses on the war at hand, drafting a Declaration on the Necessity of Taking up Arms. It organizes committees to run military affairs and creates a new Post Office. Congress also rejects Parliament's Conciliatory Proposition before it adjourns for the rest of the summer. Visit https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newly appointed General George Washington arrives in Cambridge to take command of what is now the Continental Army. He is shocked by the lack of discipline and the fact that his army has almost no ammunition. He quietly attempts to rebuild his army and collect more arms and ammunition. His hopes of a quick and successful offensive against the regulars on Boston are quickly dashed. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After ferrying thousands of regulars across Boston Harbor, General William Howe begins his attack on Bunker and Breed's Hills late afternoon on the afternoon of June 17, 1775. The regulars launch three bloody assaults to dislodge the provincial troops before the British break the American lines. The provincials retreat only after running out of ammunition. They lose nearly 450 soldiers, including General Joseph Warren. The British take more than twice that number in casualties, far more than they ever thought the militia could inflict on them. It is the bloodiest day of the war for the British army. The carnage prevents the British from taking any further major offensive operations from Boston. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Provincials get word that the British plan to occupy the no man's land at Bunker Hill and Dorchester Heights, they send Massachusetts and Connecticut militia to build defenses on Bunker Hill. The soldiers instead build the defenses on Breed's Hill, a smaller hill just next to Bunker Hill. The British take most of the following day moving regulars across Boston Harbor to attack the defenses with overwhelming force. The provincials use the extra time to reinforce and extend their defenses, but get no significant reinforcements all day. A cannon duel over the day accomplishes little except to show how amateurish and incompetent the provincial artillery really is. By late afternoon, British General William Howe is prepared to take the hill with overwhelming force. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In May 1775, the Second Continental Congress begins after the war has already started. Delegates must play catchup. They have to decide whether they will support the war and what their goals are. Delegates agree to send one more petition to the King in hopes of pulling out a peace deal. Most delegates though, realize this is pointless. Congress supports the war. The only debate is whether victory means full independence, or simply a better guarantee of colonial rights. Congress creates a Continental Army and selects Virginia Delegate George Washington to lead it. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the British army sitting in Boston, the navy needs to provide supplies and prevent supplies from reaching the Provincials. An attempt to capture a ship at Buzzard's Bay fails as locals overtake the small British task force and take them prisoner. Similarly, when the British send a ship to protect two merchant vessels providing firewood for Boston, locals again capure the ships. They kill several of the British and take the rest prisoner. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even before word of Lexington and Concord reached London, the Ministry decided they would need to up their game in the colonies. They did not send Gen. Gage all of the reinforcements he wanted, but they did send some soldiers and marines for the start of the 1775 fighting season. Along with them, the Ministry sent three new Major Generals to support Gage, traveling together aboard the HMS Cerberus. All three men, William Howe, Henry Clinton, and John Burgoyne would go on to play larger roles in the War. General Haldimand received orders at the same time and pack his bags to go home. Because he was senior to all three Major Generals, London did not want this foreign born general to assume command should something happen to General Gage. The Cerberus also carried news that Admiral Graves received a promotion and would have expanded duties in the colonies. With the arrival of these new soldiers, London expected more aggressive enforcement of its policies. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first weeks of the Siege of Boston in 1775, the Provincial Army appears to be more of a disorganized mob than an army. Men do not obey officers. Units from one colony would not obey orders from another. No real chain of command exists. Further, the lack of uniforms, supplies, ammunition, and other logistical problems created their own problems. Soldiers on both sides begin to die from disease. The only real fighting at this time is over islands in Boston Harbor that contain food and hay. The Provincials attempt to remove or destroy items of value on Hog and Noddle Islands. When the British navy tries to stop them, a small battle leads to several casualties. The British navy ship Diana gets stuck in the mud during the fight. Overnight, the Provincials force the crew to abandon ship. The colonials loot and burn the ship in their first small victory over the navy. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen's capture of Fort Ticonderoga, Arnold seizes several ships and attacks Fort St. Jean in Quebec. With the captured ships, he forms his own navy on Lake Champlain. The British nearly capture Allen as he attempts to follow Arnold's raid and secure the fort. As word of the men's exploits get back to officials in New England and Philadelphia, more moderate politicians replace both officers out of fear that their actions will prevent politicians from negotiating a settlement with London. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Benedict Arnold develops a plan to capture Fort Ticonderoga in New York in order to get cannon for Boston. Before leaving for Massachusetts, he tells several men in his home colony of Connecticut about his plan. These Connecticut men organize a force with Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, who live only a few miles from the fort. Arnold, unaware of this plan, gets approval from the Massachusetts army to raise a force in Western Massachusetts to attack the fort. Upon learning that Allen is assembling an attack, Arnold, by himself, rushes to meet Allen's forces and demands to lead them. They refuse, but allow him to come along. The British do not have the fort guarded well, and do not have a large garrison. The Green Mountain Boys easily enter the fort at dawn and capture the garrison without any deaths. Allen and Arnold then fight over command and who deserves credit for the victory. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most of the colonial period, slavery is surprisingly uncontroversial. As the American Revolution begins, colonists start to question the institution of slavery In the north, broad acceptance of slavery evaporates quickly after patriots demand that all men are born basic rights to liberty. Even in the north, slavery would not end for many more years though. In the south, where slave are much more critical to the economy, colonists prove unwilling to bend on the issue. Many in the deep south support the Patriot movement out of concern that Parliament might someday try to emancipate slaves in the British colonies. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Siege of Boston opens in 1775, this episode takes a look at the command structure and life as a British Regular, and compares that to the Provincial army of militiamen around Boston. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Siege of Boston begins as soon as the regulars retreat back to Boston following the battles at Lexington and Concord. The New England Provincial army springs up overnight from minutemen and militia units throughout New England. In the days that follow, Patriots and regulars record their accounts of the battles. The Patriots rush their accounts across the continent and over to London, spreading their version of events first. Word of the fighting encourages Patriots across the continent that it was time to take up arms and go to war. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By the afternoon of April 19, 1775, having completed his search and destroy mission to Concord. Lt. Col. Smith finds himself facing a twenty mile gauntlet back to Boston. Thousands of angry militia stand ready to attack. His men are exhausted and running low on ammunition. His column barely makes it back to Lexington, where Lord Percy's relief column saves them from surrender. The combined force then faces its own running battle before finally returning to the safety of Charlestown. The regulars are impressed by the colonial militia's ability to stand up to them. Gen. Gage can no longer deploy soldiers from Boston. His only access in or out is by sea. The Provincial army grows into the tens of thousands as they lay siege to Boston. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the evening of April 18, 1775, Lt. Col. Smith leaves Boston via Charlestown. His goal is to seize and destroy munitions in Concord. Delays prevent his force from leaving Charlestown before Paul Revere and other riders alert the countryside. At around dawn on April 19, the regulars confront a group of militia on Lexington Green. The regulars at Lexington are an advance company led by a young Lieutenant. They fire on the militia before the main column arrives. When Col. Smith arrives, he stops the shooting and restores order. By then, many lay dead and wounded on the Green. Smith reassembles his column which marches on to Concord. In Concord, the militia get word of the attack at Lexington and pull back out of town to North bridge. The British arrive and search for munitions. Smith sends a force of light infantry across North bridge to Barrett's mill in search at munitions. While three companies hold North bridge, the militia strike, killing several regulars and retaking the bridge. The British at Barrett's mill are cut off, but manage to cross the bridge anyway, right past the militia, and rejoin the main force in Concord. Smith is now faced with having to march back to Boston through a gauntlet of hostile militia bent on payback. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Gen. Gage prepares to deploy a brigade of regulars to Concord, the Patriots activate their warning system. Joseph Warren deploys William Dawes and Paul Revere to alert countryside. The riders alert the militia and reach Lexington, while avoiding British patrols. They warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock at Lexington before continuing their ride. On the road to Concord, a British patrol captures Revere. Dawes gets thrown from his horse during his escape. But a third rider, Samuel Prescott, completes the mission to warn Concord. The British detain Revere for a while. They release him near Lexington after hearing gunfire. Revere returns to Lexington on foot where he helps a dawdling Hancock and Adams get out of town. Once they are gone, Revere returns again to Lexington where he attempts to secure some of Hancock's secret papers. While doing so, the British arrive at Lexington Green. Revere at a distance, hears the first shots of the American Revolution. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In February 1775, Gage attempts to grab a cache of Patriot cannon in Salem. Col. Alexander Leslie leads a regiment of regulars on what is supposed to be a surprise sail up the coast and a fast dash to Salem to grab the guns. Alert patriots run ahead of the soldiers and remove the weapons before the regulars arrive. After a brief standoff, the regulars return to Boston empty handed. A few weeks later, Boston commemorates the 5th anniversary of the Boston Massacre. Interaction with soldiers leads to panic and fear of arrest. As spring approaches, everyone awaits the beginning of the fighting season. On the eve of war, a majority of the colonies have begun governing themselves under illegal Provincial Congresses. The separation from Britain widens as London prepares to intervene. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By the end of 1774 Britain had banned all munitions imports to the colonies. After fearing that the British Navy might seize munitions at Fort William and Mary in New Hampshire. Paul Revere rides from Boston to alert the local militia. The militia attack the fort the following day. There is an exchange of gunfire, but no one is killed. The militia quickly capture the small garrison, remove the gunpowder, and then release their prisoners to take control of the fort again. The following day, more militia arrive and decide to take the fort a second time, this time to remove cannon. The garrison surrenders, under an agreement to release colonial property only. Once they take the fort, the militia take the cannon and just about anything else of military value that they can carry. Although the royal goverment knows the who led the attack on the King's fort, they are unable to make any arrests. Patriots have effectively taken control of the colony. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In late 1774, Prime Minister North calls for early elections. This results in a solid majority in favor of getting tough on the colonies. In reaction to the First Continental Congress' call for economic boycotts, Parliament bans all colonial trade with any country other the Britain. It also passes the "Conciliatory Proposition," allowing colonies to raise taxes in whatever form they like, as long as they come up with as much money as Parliament wants. The Ministry informs Gen. Gage that he is not getting reinforcements. He has nearly 4000 regulars, which should be plenty to handle civilian mobs. He needs to go on the offensive and begin taking decisive action against protestors engaged in treasonous activity. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gen. Gage retreats with his regulars into Boston in the summer of 1774. Patriots take control of all of the rest of Massachusetts. They form their own government, independent of royal authority. The Provincial Congress organizes a militia army, develops minutemen as a rapid reaction force, and names generals, led by Artemas Ward, for its independent army. The Congress also organizes logistics and creates a civilian Committee of Safety to run its military. One of the Committee members, Benjamin Church turns out to be a spy for General Gage, giving Gage an open window into all the Patriot planning and preparation for war. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parliament closed the Port of Boston following the Boston Tea Party. In response, colonial leaders met in Philadelphia in a "Grand Congress." Tories supported the Congress as a way of putting off local talk of boycotts. They hoped emotions would cool after a few months. The Patriots hoped to use the Congress to enact a continent-wide boycott and present a united front in opposition to Parliament. The summer of 1774, brought news of more of London's Coercive Acts. When Congress convened in September, public opinion favored the radicals. Congress issued the Declaration of Rights and Grievances, petitioned the King for repeal of the Coercive Acts, and agreed to a boycott of almost all trade until London met colonial demands. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gov. Gage decides he does not have a large enough army to control the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The armed colonists who confronted his regulars in the summer of 1774 are too numerous. Gage barricades his army in Boston and sends frantic letters to London calling for reinforcements. With that, royal authority over the colony is limited to Boston itself. Patriots control everything else. The Suffolk Meeting under Joseph Warren produces a series of resolves on how to handle the current crisis. The Resolves essentially announce that the Patriots have taken control of the colony and would only return control to London after repeal of the Coercive Acts. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On September 1, 1774, Gen. Gage sends a regiment to secure gunpowder stored at a powder house several miles from Boston. The regulars also seize several cannons, returning to Boston with the guns and ammunition. Rumors spread that the regulars had shot and killed several colonists during the raid. By the following day, thousands of armed militiamen have gathered outside Boston demanding answers. The militia eventually go home after learning that no one was killed. But the event reinforces Gen. Gage's belief that the colonists are ready to start a war at a moment's notice. The colonists learn they needed a better early warning system to get militia into the field faster. Both sides continue efforts to secure more arms and ammunition for the coming fight. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gage moves the colonial government to Salem and begins enforcing his policy of firmness, ignoring colonial protests and implementing the Coercive Acts. When the colonists refuse to obey, he attempts to use regulars to shut down a town meeting Salem. He arrests several leaders who held an illegal town meeting anyway. When the militia takes up arms to release those arrested, Gage realizes his soldiers could be overwhelmed by the shear numbers of armed militia. He is shocked by the colonists' refusal to back down in the face of armed regulars. Gage decides he cannot enforce the law unless London sends him a larger army. He retreats to Boston and begins writing letters calling for reinforcements. Meanwhile, patriots shut down the courts and force government officials to resign. Royal authority in Massachusetts is limited to the isolated town of Boston. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In late 1774 Governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore leads militia into Western Virginia. He hopes to stop local tribes who are attacking colonists. Tribes are upset that colonists are moving into their lands in violation of the King's Proclamation of 1763. After the Battle of Point Pleasant, Gov. Dunmore forces Chief Cornstalk to sign the Treaty of Camp Charlotte, giving up all claims to land east of the Ohio River. Visit my site, https://blog.amrevpodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gen. Gage travels to Boston to replace Hutchinson as the new Governor of Massachusetts. The tough talking Gage had assured officials in London he could use firmness to enforce colonial compliance with the Coercive Acts, most of which were still under debate when he left London. Gage soon discovers that the threat of force only goads the heavily armed colonsits to threaten force of their own. Gage soon finds himself behind barricades in Boston, having lost control of the rest of the colony. The Port of Boston is closed, but other changes mandated by London cannot be enforced outside of Boston. Over the summer and fall of 1774, Massachusetts and the other colonies only hear more news of intolerable acts passed in London. Calls for cutting off all trade with England entirely leads to the call for a Continental Congress to discuss colonial options in developing a united response. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In response to the Boston Tea Party, Parliament gets tough by passing several acts designed to punish Massachusetts. The Boston Port Act closes Boston Harbor until the city compensates everyone for damages related to the destruction of tea. The Government Act gives power to the Crown appointed Governor to fill most government positions and bans town meetings to discuss issues. The Administration of Justice Acts takes away the colony's right to try soldiers or other officials for murder. The Quartering Act permits soldiers to take over colonial buildings for their use. Parliament also passes the Quebec Act, giving Canada control over all disputed lands in the Ohio Valley. Parliament hopes these laws will show the colonists that they cannot get away with flouting the authority of the King and Parliament. Colonists must accept Parliament's control or suffer serious economic and political consequences. Visit my site at https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite the open destruction of private property, the colonies generally seem to approve of Boston's reaction to the tea ships. When another tea ship arrives a few months later, locals dump its chests in Boston Harbor as well. Other towns up and down the coast destroy or force the removal of tea. Soon, even drinking untaxed tea becomes unacceptable. Colonists hold tea burnings and refuse to allow anyone to sell or possess tea. The immediate reaction in London is that this is completely unacceptable. It requires more than a criminal investigation. Rather, the entire colony needs to be punished. In a stroke of bad timing, London learns of Franklin's release of private letters to Boston radicals months earlier. The Privy Council summons him and attacks him relentlessly for hours, destroying his reputation in England. Visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com for more text, pictures, maps, and sources on this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parliament tries to win the fight over tariffs by greatly reducing the cost of tea, and maintaining only a nominal three pence per pound tax on tea. Officials hope the lower prices will end the tea boycott. Radical colonial leaders see this, correctly, as London's attempt to establish that tariffs on imports to raise revenue are legal. Patriots are caught off guard as the tea arrives only weeks after they learn about the terms. Officials think they have beaten the protesters. Once the ships enter the harbor, the tax must be paid. Otherwise, customs can seize the tea 20 days. On Dec. 16, 1773, the day before the tax is due, colonists dressed as Indians storm the three ships, break open the crates, and dump the tea into the harbor. A crowd of thousands, along with the British army and navy, stand by and watch. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After several years of calm in the colonies, Parliament changes the way tea is distributed and taxed throughout the Empire. Mostly, this is an attempt to bail out the East India Company which had too much tea and not enough cash. The Tea Act of 1773 reduced or eliminated almost all taxes on tea, and also allowed the East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonies, rather than having to go through expensive middlemen. The result would be a massive drop in the price of tea. With all duties eliminated accept for a small 3 pence per pound tarriff, tea in the colonies would be much cheaper than ever before. But the Sons of Liberty feared this was an effort to break the back of the already failing non-importation agreements. Once colonies accepted this tiny tariff, the precedent would be set to tax the colonies whenever Parliament wanted. In late 1773, seven ships loaded with tea headed for Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. The colonist had barely learned about hte new system before the tea would arrive. This left everyone guessing what their next step would be. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After New Hampshire issues thousands of land grants in a disputed region, New York gets the King to declare the land part of the New York colony. New York then declares all the property owners living on land grants from New Hampshire to be illegal squatters who need to buy their land again or leave. After legal and political efforts lead nowhere, the land owners with New Hampshire grants form a militia that becomes the Green Mountain Boys. Ethan Allen becomes the best known leader of the group, using violence and intimidation to force out New York claimants. Several New York Governors attempt to resolve the problem, but let their own greed in land speculation prevent any fair resolution. New York attempts to crush the resistance, but events leading to the outbreak of war between England and the colonies prevents any final showdown. The fight moves into the war itself. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As events quiet down after 1770, London tries to make many minor behind the scenes changes to the colonial power structure, making it harder for the colonies to resist the next confrontation. Samuel Adams works with others to set up Committees of Correspondence, so Patriots can keep track of these changes across the colonies and develop strategies to resist. Also, land speculators attempt to set up a new colony in western lands, reserved by the King for native American tribes. The attempted land grab leads to the resignation of Lord Hillsborough as Secretary of State for Colonial Affairs and the appointment of Lord Dartmouth to replace him. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rhode Island colonists, like just about all other colonists, greatly resented the new tough enforcement of trade laws by British officials. It made profitable trade virtually impossible. The HMS Gaspee and its commander Lt. Dudingston developed a reputation for being one of the worst in terms of strict enforcement and poor treatment of civilians. One night in 1772, the Gaspee ran aground on a sandbar in Naragansett Bay. That night, locals rowed out to the ship, shot Dudingston, removed the crew, and burned the ship to the waterline. Officials tried to get tough and ship some of the attackers back to London for a treason trial. But the colonial code of silence prevented the government from being able to prosecute any of the attackers. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In both North and South Carolina, colonists on the western frontier run into conflicts with the east coast dominated government. Westerners in each state form Regulator movements to enforce the law locally as they see fit. In North Carolina, this leads to open warfare with the colonial government. Regulators and militia do battle in 1771 near Alamance Creek. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After British Regulars kill five colonists and injure others at what becomes known as the Boston Massacre, local radicals force the government to relocate the soldiers to Castle Island, out in Boston Harbor. The Massacre becomes an example for why standing armies should not be maintained among a free people. For months following, both sides prepare for trials, in which John Adams, among other patriot lawyers, represents the British soldiers. A jury acquits Captain Preston and five of the seven soldiers involved in the shooting. The Jury finds two soldiers guilty of manslaughter and had the court brands their thumbs as punishment. Even before word of the Massacre reaches London, Lord North begins a partial repeal of the Townshend Acts, eliminating most taxes on the colonists. However, to make a point about Parliament's tax authority, North retains a tax on tea. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the winter of 1769-70, locals in Boston make life as uncomfortable as possible for the British Regulars occupying the city. Fights break out regularly. The local courts would not punish locals and the army would not punish soldiers for fighting. Street brawls become more frequent. A mob chases customs informer Ebenezer Richardson into his house and threatens his life. He fires into the crowd, killing a young boy. A few weeks later, a British soldier on guard at the Customs House strikes a boy for being insolent. A mob soon forms, threatening the soldier. Another squad of soldiers attempts to rescue the guard, but soon finds itself surrounded. The situation flies out of control and the soldiers fire on the crowd, killing five and wounding several others. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the winter of 1769-70, New Yorkers fight with British Regulars. When New York failed to come up with sufficient money to quarter the soldiers, British Regulars destroy the Liberty Pole. Isaac Sears, a leader in the local Sons of Liberty Chapter tries to make a citizen's arrest of several soldiers a few days later. Both sides quickly escalate the event into a massive street brawl involving thousands of soldiers and civilians. Dozens are wounded. Both Sears and Alexandar McDougall who gets arrested for a pamphlet opposing a tax to pay for the quartering of Regulars in the city, see their profiles rise as leaders of the colonial resistance. The Sons of Liberty build a new bigger liberty pole. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Radical John Wilkes returns from France in 1768 to face the charges for seditious libel. He would spend the next two years in prison, during which time he would be elected to Parliament, which refused to seat him, as well as other goverment positions. As much as the King and Parliament hated Wilkes, the people of England loved him as a defender of liberty. The colonists also took up Wilkes as a hero of the fight for liberty. As the sides harden between Parliament and the colonies. Prime Minister Grafton sees no route for a compromise that will resolve the disputes and resigns. Lord North, a hardliner, becomes the new Prime Minister. During this same period, different Sons of Liberty organizations are attempting to maintain nonimportation agreeements against London and prevent customs enforcment. They begin using the practice of tarring and feathering customs informers or low level customs officials in order to prevent effective enforcement of British trade laws. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With officials in Boston unable to control the people and enforce the law, Secretary of State Hillsborough decides enough is enough and orders four regiments of British regulars to occupy the town. Radical colonists debate resisting the troops by force of arms, but decide in the end to back down. Instead, they simply send protests to London. Locals harass the soldiers at every opportunity, and make the occupation as difficult as possible. The Navy attempts to impress (force) local sailors into the fleet, leading to the death of a British officer from those resisting impressment. Gov. Bernard is recalled to London and will never return, leaving Lt. Governor Hutchinson in charge. Leading radical James Otis suffers an attack that leads to mental instability and his eventual withdrawal from politics. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The American Board of Customs arrives in Boston in 1767 ready to enforce the new Townshend duties. With the backing of the British Navy, the Board tries to show who is boss by seizing a ship belonging to the wealthiest merchant in Boston and a leader of the tax protests, John Hancock. The seizure of Hancock's ship Liberty results in a riot and the beatings of several customs officials. The Board learns that they are not the boss and must flee to Castle William, an island in Boston Harbor, to avoid further attacks. Tough enforcement of customs laws comes to a halt. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following passage of the Towshend Acts in 1767, the colonists are unsure how to respond. These are import tariffs, not taxes, which was the line they drew over the earlier Stamp Act. They don't want to pay but have trouble articulating a good argument that everyone accepts. John Dickinson writes a series of 12 letters, purportedly from "a farmer in Pennsylvania" explaining why these new laws are just as objectionable. His letters push the colonists into real opposition to the new laws. British attempts to shut down the protests by force, only make things worse. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prime Minister William Pitt's illness prevents him from running his administration. The Duke of Grafton becomes acting Prime Minister for over a year and eventually take the office officially when Pitt resigns in 1768. Although Grafton is a moderate on colonial issues, he moves hardliners like Lord North and the Earl of Hillsborough into his cabinet. The Ministry also adds to the Townshend Acts by creating several new Admiralty Courts in America to enforce the Townshend Acts and other customs laws. With tough enforcement, they hope the colonies will fall in line. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

William Pitt, champion of colonial rights, finally becomes Prime Minister in 1766. Illness however, keeps him from active participation in the government. His Lord of the Exchequer Charles Townsend tries to boost revenue by increasing tariffs on a wide variety of colonial imports. While avoiding direct taxes, the new laws are designed to extract money from the colonies as well as increase enforcement actions. Townshend hopes to introduce colonial compliance to Parliament slowly with this first step. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following the repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766, colonial protests stopped and trade resumed. Parliament is not happy about the pushback and seems determined to find a way to put the colonies in their place. The colonies are unhappy about the Declaratory Act and Parliament's assertion of complete tax authority over the colonies, despite a lack of colonial representation in Parilament. The colonists and the English people begin to view their interests as in competition with one another. During this time, many small issues push colonial interests further from those in England. The death of John Robinson in Virginia reveals a major financial scandal that creates a colonial cash shortage. Parliament passes the Free Port Act, attempting to give trade advantages to London over the colonies. A New York assault case Forsey v. Cunningham threatens the right of jury trials. Bostonians get into a big fight over search warrants. New Yorkers refuse to pay Quartering Act costs for British regulars in the colony. For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices