Listen to or read this week’s “Think About It” Radio Program: “The Beginning Of The American Revolution”

© 2012 Don Pinson / To Download, right-click here: [Download] /

In April 1775, our forefathers began to defend our Liberty against the greatest army the world had ever seen.  It is one of the most noble and inspiring stories in all of history.  Let me tell you the story you probably were never taught because it has been purposely left out of textbooks.

The American colonies had become extremely prosperous because of Biblical educational, economic, and governmental systems.  They believed their liberty was God-given.  They further believed God had blessed their land because the Gospel was allowed to touch all areas of their culture.

But the King of England in the 1770’s was a tyrant who didn’t care for the Gospel because it condemned his lust for power.  Thus, in the spring of 1774 he succeeded in getting Parliament to pass the ‘Regulatory Acts’.  These laws shut down all the colonial legislatures, which had ruled the colonies since the early 1600’s, and replaced them with his own governors who had dictatorial powers.  The Americans knew they had to, at all costs, defend their God-given liberty; thus they began to prepare for war.  Still, they were not professional soldiers, but rather farmers and merchants committed to protecting their homes against the army of their own government.

On the night of April 18th, 1775, British General Gage sent troops toward Lexington and Concord, Mass. to capture Patriot leaders, Samuel Adams and John Hancock.  At the same time, Paul Revere left Boston, riding furiously to warn the people of Lexington that the British were coming.  By sunrise the next morning more than 50 farmers, called ‘Minutemen,’ were standing on Lexington Green awaiting the arrival of the British troops.

They were commanded by Colonel John Parker, the Deacon of the church in Lexington.  He told his men:

“Don’t fire unless you are fired upon; but if they want a war, it may as well begin here.”
(Fiske’s U.S. History of The American Revolution, Vol.I, p. 122)

British light infantry had been rushed ahead of the main body of British troops to secure the bridges of the Concord River.  When they came across the farmers on the Green, their commander, Major Pitcairn cursed and shouted, “Disperse, you villains!” just as the rest of the 800 British troops arrived (Ibid., p. 122).  Colonel Parker, realizing this situation was hopeless, commanded his men to retreat and reassemble in Concord some five miles down the road.  Someone in the British ranks yelled, “Fire!”  The British soldiers were reluctant to do this since the American’s were not aiming at them, but rather, walking away.  A British officer fired his pistol, and it was then the soldiers did fire and eight Americans fell dead.  Now the Americans turned and fired and British soldiers began to fall.

At Concord, it was a different story.  By the time the British got there hundreds of Americans had arrived.  The battle was short-lived as the deadly aim of American frontiersmen began to cut down the British in large numbers.  The British began an orderly retreat that quickly turned into a rout because Americans were now stationed behind trees, stone walls, and rocks, all along the road back to Lexington.  Only the appearance of 1000 reinforcements of British troops saved their army from total destruction.  All the way to Boston, the Americans continued to slaughter the British.  At the end of the day 273 British soldiers were dead, while the Americans lost 93.  It was a clear victory of the American farmers over the greatest army in the world.  —-

Americans had stood “…fast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made [them] free.” (Galatians 5:1)  I wonder why we weren’t taught that story in school?

Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you—

and for your children!  And you won’t like what that brings to you.  I’m Don Pinson this has been Think About It.