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

The British Are Coming is a 2019 history book by American writer Rick Atkinson. The book is the first in Atkinson’s Revolution Trilogy. Spanning April 1775 to January 1777, it traces the clash between rag-tag colonial militias and the world’s strongest army, revealing how an internal colonial rebellion became a global fight for independence. The book addresses themes including The Birth of the American Mythos, The Global Nature of Revolution, and The Brutality of War.

This guide is based on the 2019 e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide feature depictions of death, rape, sexual violence, and racism.

Summary

The British Are Coming recounts the early years of the American Revolutionary War. The book draws on extensive primary sources to present a chronological narrative of military, political, and social developments. Atkinson opens with an account of the world Britain ruled in the 1770s, a sprawling empire powered by commerce and military dominance. The colonies, though proud of their connection to Britain, were growing increasingly frustrated with imperial overreach. Parliament’s attempts to levy taxes and exert control over colonial affairs, including the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts, provoked resistance. The Boston Tea Party in December 1773 triggered Parliament’s punitive response: the Coercive Acts, which inflamed tensions further.

The first major outbreak of violence occurred in April 1775. British General Thomas Gage, commanding troops in Boston, dispatched a force to seize colonial arms stockpiled in Concord, Massachusetts. This operation led to the battles of Lexington and Concord. Colonial militia resisted the British advance, killing or wounding scores of redcoats during their retreat. This day of fighting marked the war’s true beginning.

In response, militias from across New England besieged Boston. Colonial forces lacked discipline and structure, but they outnumbered the British and held the countryside. The Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775 demonstrated the Americans’ resolve. Although technically a British victory, it came at the cost of over a thousand casualties. General William Howe, who had replaced Gage, realized that the rebellion would not be easily suppressed.

Meanwhile, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia. In June 1775, George Washington was commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. Washington traveled to Massachusetts and assumed command of the besieging forces in Cambridge. Despite immense logistical challenges—scarce gunpowder, inadequate training, and internal rivalries among officers—Washington gradually imposed order and discipline.

One of the war’s earliest strategic campaigns unfolded in the north. In late 1775, American forces led by Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold launched an expedition into Canada, hoping to rally support among French Canadians and seize Quebec. The campaign was plagued by hardship. Montgomery captured Montreal, but the assault on Quebec City in December failed disastrously. Montgomery was killed, Arnold was wounded, and the American forces were forced to retreat.

In Boston, the siege continued through the winter. The arrival of heavy artillery from Fort Ticonderoga, transported by Henry Knox, shifted the balance. Washington used the guns to fortify Dorchester Heights in March 1776, commanding the harbor. Faced with untenable positions, the British evacuated Boston on March 17 and sailed for Halifax. This was a major early success for the Americans, but it did not mean the end of the war. British strategy shifted southward. In the summer of 1776, a massive British armada under General Howe and Admiral Richard Howe (his older brother) arrived off New York. The Howe brothers sought to defeat the rebellion and offer terms of reconciliation. George III had rejected the Olive Branch Petition from Congress, and the war effort had intensified. Meanwhile, on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, formally breaking from Britain.

The campaign for New York was disastrous for Washington. British forces outmaneuvered and overwhelmed the Continental Army on Long Island in August. Washington retreated across the East River and then evacuated Manhattan. A series of defeats followed: at Kip’s Bay, White Plains, and Fort Washington. Thousands of American troops were captured. The British established control over New York City, which became their primary North American base. Washington’s army fled across New Jersey, dwindling in size and morale.

During this time, Benjamin Franklin travelled to France to seek help from the French king. Since France was an imperial rival to the British Empire, especially following France’s defeat in the Seven Years’ War, Franklin hoped that the French would be able to provide funds and resources to fuel the Revolution. In Paris, Franklin was treated like a celebrity, and his status allowed him to secure many meetings with important politicians at the French court. While the official response was muted, the French privately agreed to help send arms and funds to the Americans in their efforts to repel the British.

The turning point came on Christmas night, 1776. Washington led a daring attack across the ice-choked Delaware River. At Trenton, New Jersey, his forces surprised and captured a garrison of Hessian soldiers (German soldiers hired to fight for the British). A week later, he repelled a British counterattack at the Battle of Princeton. These victories revitalized American morale and recruitment. Over the following months, both sides regrouped. The British focused on consolidating their hold in the North, while the Americans tried to build a more permanent army. Washington set up winter quarters at Morristown. The British still controlled key coastal cities, but they had failed to destroy the Continental Army. Skirmishes and raids continued, but no major campaigns took place during the winter of 1777.

The British Are Coming ends with a short epilogue set in Britain, in which King George III dwells on the changing tides of the war. The epilogue depicts the hanging of James Aitken, also known as John the Painter, who was accused of trying to burn the shipyard in Britain in support of the American Revolution. He was hanged and his body strung up as an example to others.

Writing from America, General Howe sought more resources and men to bring a decisive end to the Revolution. The king, keen to assert his power and control over those he believed to be in his domain, agreed to escalate the British response to the Revolution. Meanwhile, Washington faced the prospect of dwindling troop numbers and limited resources. He wrote to Congress with the hope of turning his dream of an official standing army into a reality. In spite of the challenges facing Washington and his troops, many of the important figures in the Revolution were inspired by a new wave of hope. They began to believe that victory was possible.