The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777

In March and April 1775, Boston teetered on the brink of war. The political climate was tense. With the port closed by the British government, Boston was economically incapacitated. Only through regional charity and scattered employment projects did the population avoid starvation. Despite these hardships, Boston remained a city under occupation, filled with thousands of British troops and a growing sense of unease. The annual March 5 commemoration of the Boston Massacre illustrated this unease. Dr. Joseph Warren delivered an impassioned speech at the Old South Meeting House, railing against the oppressive presence of British troops even as rumors suggested that “mass arrests were likely” (56). Warren’s “undaunted spirit and fire” (57) had recently been praised by the political organizer Samuel Adams. The audience, numbering in the thousands and filled with suspicion and fear, watched warily as British officers attended. The speech, while defiant, did not provoke violence, though the atmosphere remained electric with the threat of confrontation.

Across the street, General Thomas Gage, “the most powerful authority in North America” (60) and governor of Massachusetts, monitored events with increasing anxiety. A veteran of several wars, Gage was experienced but overly cautious. His underestimation of the American resolve had led him to believe that a small force could quell dissent.