Lexington & Concord: The Shot Heard Around The World

In February 1775, Parliament declares parts of the colony of Massachusetts to be in active rebellion. Patrick Henry gives a rousing speech to the Second Virginia Convention: "If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest; there is no retreat but in submission and slavery. Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston. The war is inevitable, and let it come. I know not what course others may take, but as for me: give me liberty or give me death." Then as Patriots and the British clash at Lexington, a shot rings out. Which side is not clear: eight lie dead or dying, and just one British soldier is wounded. All told, the British have lost 73 men killed and 173 wounded; the Americans 49 killed and 39 wounded. They have men among them who know very well what they are about. By the scale of 18th-century warfare, the Battles of Lexington and Concord are not much more than skirmishes, but the ramifications will be seismic. #RevolutionaryWar #UShistory #EpicHistory #shorts