When Thirteen Became One : The Many Colonial Revolts Become a Revolution

When Roger Conant left England in 1624 and sailing 3000 miles to settle the British colonies, he, like others in this story, hoping to separate themselves from their overseers and oppressive government. His descendants helped create the history of America, including his 3rd great-grandson Daniel Conant, wounded on April 19, 1775,while fighting the British Regulars. Over the years, these armed explores filled ship after ship of items in demand in Europe and England for the privilege to be on fertile soil and fishing for the mighty cod. The story starts with the first new England Colonies: Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay, owned by two British Companies. The first to arrive were literate and armed Pilgrims with the ambition to self-govern as written in the Mayflower Compact. While Britain continues to receive items no longer available in England, they provided protection from the indigenous people. For the next 150 years, the tension, interaction, and demands from both sides grew. In 1773 King George III instructed the Governor of Massachusetts, who was also the General of the Army, to seize control of all the gunpowder in the providences, but the right of gun ownership was to engrained in them. The Providenciales continued to send a strong request to the king for a voice in their government as they continued harassing the troops and destroying government property. General Gage sent troops to one town after another to squelch the insurrections to gain control and finally marched700 of his best men to Concord vie Lexington. This record is about individuals who committed themselves to the future freedom that many would not live to see. The men in this story are only a few of the ones we now call heroes. Once wealthy, war hero who would die poor and in some cases in debtor's prison. It is a story of the British government's missed opportunities to hang onto territory and resources. By 1774 the colonial militia was as well prepared for battle as the Royal British Regulars.