Patriot’s Day is to remember the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19th, 1775. These historic events were the cornerstones of the American Revolutionary War.
We celebrate Patriots” Day on the third Monday in April.
Much led up to this fateful day between the colonies and Mother England, but the battles of Lexington and Concord marked the official beginning of the war and sealed the fate of the United States becoming its own country. Diving deep into Patriots’ Day is an essential part of any American Revolution Unit.
The Regulars Are Coming!
The night of April 18th is when Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott made their famous ride to warn the Patriots of the British Troop’s arrival. Mr. Revere would not have shouted: “The British are coming!” Instead, he would have informed the other Patriots of Boston’s Middlesex County that the “Regulars are coming”.
You see, the soldiers in the British army were called Regulars, it was the “regular army” and had nothing to do with being British or not.
But alas, Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride is forever remembered mainly by its documentation through the famous poet: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Many tell the story claiming he called out the “British” were coming. Now you know the Truth!
Who Won The Battles of Lexington And Concord?
Lexington
Lexington is where the first conflict takes place. It is hardly considered a battle, especially by today’s standards. The Colonists KNEW the British Regulars were coming and had moved their military supplies to other locations so they would not be found.
The British arrived at about 5 AM just as the sun was rising. Their real goal was to get to Concord, but their way was blocked by the Colonists…. The British Regulars attempted to intimidate the Colonist Militia, ordering them to “lay down your arms”.
Their own Captain was not willing to risk an all-out battle, knowing full well when the British got to Concord they would find noting and simply march back to Boston. With this in mind, The Colonist Militia captain also began telling the men to just go home.
Well, there was a lot of shouting and confusion and no one knows what happened really. SOMEONE fired a shot.
After all was said and done, eight members of the Lexington militia were killed and 10 wounded, while only 1 British Regular was wounded. Based on these facts, it would seem The British Regulars won the Battle of Lexington. They then continued to march toward Concord.
Concord
The Troops at Concord heard about shots being fired in Lexington. They decided to march ahead and meet the British Regulars on the road just outside of town. There were about 700 British Regulars and only about 250 members of the Colonial Militia.
They didn’t like their odds and retreated to a hill about a mile away. This was a GREAT decision because more and more members of the Militia were able to join them on the hill!
The British Regulars split up and began searching Concord to destroy any military supplies belonging to the Colonists. They spent about 4 hours burning the few things they found. By this time about 2,000 Colonial Militia Men – often called MINUTEMEN, (because they could be ready in a minute) had gathered!
Before long the British troops were making their way back to Lexington as fast as they could. As the Battle made its way down the road further they became a militia of about 3,500 minutemen! They fired constantly for 18 miles and killed or wounded approximately 250 British Regulars.
Only about 90 were killed or wounded on their side. I would have to say the Battle of Concord goes to the Colonists.
And that marks the official beginning of the Revolutionary war.
We know, basically how it ends… The Revolutionary war continues until September 3, 1783, and the United States is in fact its own country.
Celebrate Patriots’ Day in April or Constitution Day in September
Use the Happy Hive Homeschooling Resource to provide your kids with a simple summary of the battles of Lexington and Concord. It describes how the Patriot Militia hid their military stores. Learners also find out how no one really knows who fired that fateful “shot heard round the world”.
Without the Revolutionary War – we wouldn’t have the Country of America. Since Happy Hive Homeschooling is all about the CELEBRATIONS you can use this product to Celebrate:
Constitution Day: September 17th
Patriots’ Day: The Third Monday in April
More Ideas for celebrating:
- Explore Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride
- Write a news article reporting the events of the battles
Thanks for stopping by Happy Hive Homeschooling to explore the battles of Lexington & Concord
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