In April 1775, following the battles at Lexington and Concord, Dr. Joseph Warren of Boston, a zealous champion of American liberty and president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, wrote an open letter to the British people giving the colonists view of the events. It had been Warren who dispatched William Dawes and Paul Revere by separate routes to warn John Han****, Samuel Adams, and other patriot leaders of the impending British march on Lexington.
MASSACHUSETTS. IN PROVINCIAL CONGRESS Watertown, April 26, 1775
TO THE INHABITANTS OF GREAT BRITAIN.
Friends and fellow subjects,
Hostilities are at length commenced in this colony, by the troops under command of general Gage; and it being of the greatest importance, that an early, true, and authentic account of this inhuman proceeding should be know to you, the congress of this colony have transmitted the same, and for want of a session of the hon. continental congress, think it proper to address you on this alarming occasion.
By the clearest depositions, relative to this transaction, it will appear, that, on the night preceding the 19thof April, instant, a body of the king's troops, under command of colonel Smith, were secretly landed at Cambridge, with an apparent design to take or destroy the military and other stores, provided for the defence of this colony, and deposited at Concord; that some inhabitants of the colony, on the night aforesaid whilst travelling peaceable on the road between Boston and Concord, were seized and greatly abused by armed men, who appeared to be officers of general Gage's army; that the town of Lexington, by these means, was alarmed, and a company of the inhabitants mustered on the occasion; that the regular troops, on their way to Concord, marched into the said town of Lexington, and the said company, on their approach, began to disperse; that notwithstanding this, the regulars rushed on with great violence, and first began hostilities, by firing on the said Lexington company, whereby, they killed eight, and wounded several others; that the regulars continued their fire until those of the said company, who were neither killed nor wounded, had made their escape; that colonel Smith, with the detachment, then marched to Concord, where a number of provincials were again fired on by the troops, two of them killed and several wounded, before any of the provincials fired on them; and that these hostile measures of the troops produced an engagement that lasted through the day, in which many of he provincials, and more of the regular troops, were killed and wounded.
To give a particular account of the ravages of the troops, as they retreated from Concord to Charles Town, would be very difficult, if not impracticable; let it suffice to say, that a great number of the houses on the road were plundered, and rendered unfit for use; several were burnt; women in child-bed were driven by the soldiery naked into the streets; old men, peaceably in their houses, were shot dead, and such scenes exhibited, as would disgrace the annals of he most uncivilized nations.
These, brethren, are marks of ministerial vengeance against this colony, for refusing, with her sister colonies, a submission to slavery; but they have not yet detached us from our royal sovereign we profess to be his loyal and dutiful subjects; and so hardly dealt with as we have been, are still ready, with our lives and fortunes, to defend his person, family, crown and dignity; nevertheless, to the persecution and tyranny of his cruel ministry, we will not tamely submit; appealing to Heaven for the justice of our cause, "we determine to die, or be free."
We cannot think that the honor, wisdom, and valor of Britons, will suffer them to be longer inactive spectators of measures, in which they themselves are so deeply interested; measures pursued in opposition to the solemn protests of many noble lords, and expressed sense of conspicuous commons, whose knowledge and virtue have long characterized them as some of the greatest men in the nation; measures, executing, contrary to the interest, petitions, and resolves of many large, respectable counties, cities, and boroughs, in Great Britain; measures highly incompatible with justice, but still pursued with a specious pretence of easing he nation of its burthens; measures which, if successful, must end in the ruin and slavery of Britain, as well as the persecuted American colonies.
We sincerely hope, that the Great Sovereign of the Universe, who hath so often appeared for the English nation, will support you in every rational and manly exertion with these colonies, for saving it form ruin, and that, in a constitutional connection with our mother country, we shall soon be altogether a free and happy people.
Signed by order, JOS. WARREN, president
Document Analysis
Who are the primary aggressors according to this account? Describe some of the actions detailed in this account as evidence of this aggression.
What appeal does Warren make to the people of Britain? What is the goal of this document?
Evlauation
Each student will receive 40 points for answering each question above as well as 20 points for creating and contributing to a discussion on the historic portrayal of war. For example, consider how we remember wars, how soldiers are affected by it, how the media protrays wars before, during and after them, and how history textbooks describe or analyze wars.
1. According to this document, the aggressors are the royal inhabitants of Great Britain. Some of the evidence that Dr. Joseph Warren provided to prove the aggressors' aggression included the battle at Lexington and Concord, where colonists were " mercessly fired upon" by British troops. He also said that on the British's retreat, colonist houses were plundered, pregnent women were thrown into the streets, and the elderly were shot dead in their beds.
2.Warren wants the people of Great Britain to understand that the colonies want to be a free country and to only be connected with Britain constitutionally. He isn't looking to start an argument; he is just stating the thoughts of the colonists and himself.
Disscusion Topic: What do you feel about the way the media portrays a war to the way a soldier who has fought in the war portrays it? How about a soldier from the opposing side and how he portrays the war? Are there similarities? Are there differences?
1. According to this document, the aggressors are the royal inhabitants of Great Britain. Some of the evidence that Dr. Joseph Warren provided to prove the aggressors' aggression included the battle at Lexington and Concord, where colonists were " mercessly fired upon" by British troops. He also said that on the British's retreat, colonist houses were plundered, pregnent women were thrown into the streets, and the elderly were shot dead in their beds.
2.Warren wants the people of Great Britain to understand that the colonies want to be a free country and to only be connected with Britain constitutionally. He isn't looking to start an argument; he is just stating the thoughts of the colonists and himself.
Disscusion Topic: What do you feel about the way the media portrays a war to the way a soldier who has fought in the war portrays it? How about a soldier from the opposing side and how he portrays the war? Are there similarities? Are there differences?
1. the primary aggressors are the british. Houses were plundered and burnt, pregnant women were thrown naked into the streets, and innocents were shot dead in their houses.
2. his appeal was that he wanted to make it known to the british that the colonists wanted freedom. The goal of the document was to get his point across to the british.
and the annas discussion topic: i like the first question. i think that the war is portrayed very differently from a perspective and someone who was actually fighting in the war.
1.The primary aggressors in this account are the troops of the regular army under the command of Colonel Smith.In this account it was said that they, on their march toward Lexington, abused people traveling peacefully on the road between Boston and Concord.It also says that when they reached Lexington they attacked the company of colonial inhabitants after they started to disperse and continued to fire upon them until they got away.From there they marched to concord where they again first fired upon the colonial militia and killed two of them and wounded several others before the colonists started to attack back. It also says that the regular army, when retreating from Concord to Charlestown, plundered and rendered useless many colonial homes and drove out the people from them while they were sleeping.
2.His appeal to the people of Britain is that the monarchial government doesnt work and is greatly flawed and therefore we should all unite in our ways of thinking and fix the current situation.The goal of this document is to inform people, the colonists and the people in Britain, of what really happened in Lexington and Concord and to gain the peoples support with changing the way the government is run so as to benefit all and not just the corrupt elite persons in power.
Topic of Discussion:How accurately does the media portray wars do you think?What affects their portrayal of the war?How would the military portray the war if they controlled the media?What would affect their portrayal of the war?
1. I think, according to this document, that the aggressors were the royal people of Britain, and the people with political power. Some evidence from this article that proves so is as follows ".. a great number of the houses ont he road were plundered, and redered unfit for use; several were burnt; women in child-bed were driven by the soldiery naked into the streets;..". The British troops also shot old men who were sitting in their own houses not bothering anyone.
2. Joseph Warren wanted to make it known that he was trying to be reasonable with the heads of the British government, even though they had caused such disasters to the colonies as listed above. He wanted them to know that he was speaking for the colonies as a whole, and none of them wanted to be deeply intertwined with the country of Britain anymore.
Discussion Topic:
In many instances, we remember past wars through special holidays, or monuments erected in the name of certain war heroes. I was just wondering if anyone remembered any other ways that we remember wars and commemorate the people who served in them..
In this letter Warren describes the soldiers of the crown as the primary aggressors.They shot harmless old men, and shoved women in labor into the streets naked.They were treating the people of the colonies inhumanly.
Warren appeals the people of Britain to treat the colonies better.For, after all, why would Britain stand around and watch their own people be treated thusly.The goal of the document is to bring attention to and address they atrocious actions of the soldiers.
My discussion topic would be:
Do we view some countries today differently because of things that have happened in the past?Do you think it is because of some long forgotten battle or grudge?Do you think this is fair?How do you think they view us then?
In response to Anna:
I think the views from the people who are here safe during a war are very different from people who are living in that war zone.There would be more similarities between two soldiers from two different sides, I think, than a soldier and a civilian from the same side.
1.Who are the primary aggressors according to this account? Describe some of the actions detailed in this account as evidence of this aggression. The aggressors are the British according to this account. The actions stated in this account that are evidence of aggression. They abused men who were unarmed, they burnt houses, they threw woman and children into the streets naked, they also killed old men, and ran around the town committing other horrific crimes. 2.What appeal does Warren make to the people of Britain? What is the goal of this document? Warren is trying to tell the British that they are not wanted in the colonies, and that they cause too many problems. The goal of the document is to tell people what actually happened so they can side with him, and eventually get rid of the British.
1. Who are the primary aggressors according to this account? Describe some of the actions detailed in this account as evidence of this aggression.
Joseph Warren's account reveals that the British were the primary aggressors. They entered Concord where they killed and injured numerous people while degrading others, such as the pregnant women they threw into the street naked.
2. What appeal does Warren make to the people of Britain? What is the goal of this document?
Warren was trying to educate the British of the colonies desire for independence and to be serparate from them. He was trying to make the pleas of the colonies heard by the British and with the tales of the battle of Lexington and Concord he tried to grab their attention.
Sorry about posting twice but the first one was quite ugly...Its my OCD tendencies for perfection when it comes to organization
Discussion topic: Do you think the present day effects of war on soldiers is as terrible as the soldiers of that era?
Response to Anna: I think that the media does portray things differently in the types of "angles" they use for their stories. If it isn't interesting people won't watch or read about it. So naturally I think the point of view of someone who was there would vary from the media's point of view
I dont think the media tells the whole story about wars. I think they just give basic info to the public. The military would probably also give limited information out and keep most of the info a secret. People would get a real sense of war if it came straight from the people fighting.
Re: Primary Source # 3: Joseph Warren & Lexington.
According to this account, the primary aggressors are the British troops under the command of Colonel Smith.The writer of this document, Joseph Warren describes the attack on the colonials at Lexington and Concord.He writes that they were seized and greatly abused by officers of General Gages army and that they were fired upon causing eight colonials to be killed and others wounded.He also writes that houses were plundered and rendered unfit for use, pregnant women were driven from their beds, into the street and that old men were shot dead in their houses.
Warren is appealing for justice for the colonial cause and telling the people of Britain that the colonists will not submit to tyranny of British rule.The goal of the document is to let the people of Great Britain know that the colonies want their freedom and that they are ready to fight and die for that freedom.He offers a peaceful solution to remain connected to Britain by a constitution that provides freedom and happiness for all.
Discussion Topic:In response to Annas question, How would a soldier from the opposing side portray war?I think that a soldier from the opposing side would share similar details of the war but that the view and portrayal of the war would be somewhat different. Since the opposing sides view the war somewhat differently the writers of history have to review documents from opposing sides to provide a fair and more accurate account of historical events.
My discussion topic:How accurate do you think Joseph Warrens account of the battle at Concord and Lexington is?Do you think it is one sided?Do you think it is similar to a media account of today?
Who are the primary aggressors according to this account? Describe some of the actions detailed in this account as evidence of this aggression. The primary agressors according to Warren are the British. Warren mentioned how they planned to take or destroy the military. And how General Gage's army seized and abused the peaceful inhabitants of Boston and Concord.
2. What appeal does Warren make to the people of Britain? What is the goal of this document? Warren is making the British out to be cruel people who go after innocent people. He is making the colonists aware of exactly how the British operate. He is also pleading that one day we[America] will be free from Great Britain's control.
The British are the primary aggressors according to Warren in this letter.They plundered numerous houses, and women who were in labor were thrown into the streets naked.They killed many defensless men as well.
Warren wants the people of Britain to understand that the colonies don't want them to step all over them anymore. These people weren't just any people they were fellow countrymen.The goal of the document is to let the British know what they are doing to inoccent people, and to call for an end to it.
In response to Kelby's Question: Do you think it is one sided? Yes, because most bad events that happen to one side isn't nessicarily a bad thing to the other. Colonists saw it as cruelty, but the British saw it as making an example of those who revolt.
1. The primary aggressors in the source are made out to be the British. Its a pretty easy observation considering the very Vietnam-esque hostilities committed by the Brits towards the colonists. Of these atrocities, the source highlights the plundering of towns, and the merciless violence against innocent colonists. The acts described seem like something a warring nation would do to an opponent as an act of total war. If true, it proves to be uncharacteristic of the British war effort, as many British soldiers found fighting colonists like fighting a fellow countryman. Its a definite turn from the gentility of the war Im accustomed to; the caring for of POWs and the politeness of combat.
2. Warren was reaching out to the British population rationally and telling them very straightforwardly the cause of the civil unrest. I think he is trying to convey the colonial sentiment of independence to the Brits without coming off as a radical. At the same time, it is very eminent the mood of the document, the melancholy feeling of the war, which pit Englishman against Englishman in a showdown for independence. Neither party is thrilled at the prospect of war. Through all the words, that is what I believe to be the central message.
1. Dr. Joseph Warren decribes that the agressors in this account were british royals, mainly the king. One example of this agression is the ruining of colonists houses, the mistreatment of women and children, and the sheer brutality of shooting old men during the british retreat from Concord to Charlestown.
2. The appeal that Warren made was for the king to stop treating the colonies and some of the british inhabitants like there opinon was worth nothing and treating the colonists like they were slaves. In a sense treating them like they were puppets on a string that would do what they were told at every whim. That they had no freedom, choice, and representation. The appeal was made to explain to the common people of britian exactly what happened. To make them aware of what the king was really doing and to cease this from happening again.
Who are the primary aggressors according to this account? Describe some of the actions detailed in this account as evidence of this aggression.
According to Warrens account the British fire upon the American militia men first which seems to imply that the primary aggressors were the British troops under Col. Smith. Its also mentioned that the retreating British regulars committed many atrocities described as such scenes exhibited, as would disgrace the annals of he most uncivilized nations. These scenes included the destroying and plundering of colonial houses, the shooting of civilians including the elderly, and women in child-bed (being) driven by the soldiery naked into the streets.
What appeal does Warren make to the people of Britain? What is the goal of this document?
In the document Warren asks the people of Britain to see the light, that according to Warren, America was still very attached to King and Country and would be honored to defend him and their fellow Britons. However, he urges the English people to recognize the injustices and slavery that has been thrust upon the colonies and his fellow Englishmen in back in Britain by the kings cruel ministries. Although he seems to favor the loyalist cause he also resolves that the colonies will not tamely submit. and, "we determine to die, or be free.
Response to Erin: Obviously the soldiers of both today and soldiers from the 18th century deal(t) with unbelievable hardships. However, the soldiers of this era (in addition to the rigors of combat) had to deal with many deadly battlefield diseases that today may seem very trivial. Also, thanks to European open- field combat many soldiers (in the front lines) had to deal with the fact that after several musket and artillery volleys, they had little chance of survival. And if they did survive they were certainly going to see their comrades die by the hundreds many within a few feet of them, and still need the courage to march excruciatingly slow toward a wall of men and lead, not being able to do anything until given the command of Fire.
Discussion Topic: Why are wars (especially today) fought by men who are unwilling to fight for that particular cause? (Example: U.S. drafts in the 60s for Vietnam war)
Alexa wrote: 1. the primary aggressors are the british. Houses were plundered and burnt, pregnant women were thrown naked into the streets, and innocents were shot dead in their houses.
2. his appeal was that he wanted to make it known to the british that the colonists wanted freedom. The goal of the document was to get his point across to the british.
and the annas discussion topic: i like the first question. i think that the war is portrayed very differently from a perspective and someone who was actually fighting in the war.
Alexa, in the future you will need to add a bit of depth and a lot more content to your answers. The shortest answer is not always the best one when you are analyzing history.
1.This document written by Joseph Warren states that the British are the primary aggressors. In Lexington the British fired on regulars killing eight and wounding servral others while the British troops led by general Gage made it out unharmed. Then as they moved to Concord troops under general Gage plundered houses, abused men, embaressed women, and children and shot and killed elders.
2. At this point the colonists are still intertwined with the British empire and wishes to have their independence. Warren is not being agressive with this document but is informing his fellow colonists to rise up against this unjust and to inform the british of how the colonists feel. Warren speaks as though he is speaking for the whole nation.
