Introduction to Chapter 5
April 18, 1775. Paul Revere wakes up the countryside with alarming news! British troops stationed in Boston wee on the move, and they had orders to march to Concord and seize weapons the colonists had kept there. On hearing this, Patriots around Concord grabbed their muskets and prepared to meet British troops. At the same time Loyalists were horrified by the idea of going against the British troops. In the last chapter, most Americans were content with British rule. In this chapter, you will find out what happened to change the relationship between colonists and Britain. It starts off with the French and Indian War. It left Britain with huge debts, and a new empire to protect. To solve this problem, the British government created new laws that enraged the colonies, some of which included taxes. It wasn't fair to the colonists, and they thought they had their rights taken away! In this chapter you will learn how these actions led the colonists to the brink of war.