The Minutemen and Their World

"The Minutemen and Their World"

The book "The Minutemen and Their World" by Robert A. Gross is an excellent interpretation of Concord Massachusetts prior to, during and after the Revolutionary War. It's apparent that Gross prepared his writing through extensive research of historical public records in regards to the ordinary citizens of Concord along with their religious beliefs, politics and desire to be free men. He opened the reader's imagination and enhanced their knowledge with detailed descriptions of how the community farmed their lands, raised their families and the difficulties trying to balance them both. Gross also provided an excellent interpretation of how the Revolutionary War began and exposed the reader to the women of colonial times and the hardships they faced as farmers wives and revolutionary women.

The surrounding farmland and farmers in the 1770's struggled with exhausted and over farmed fields which caused financial burdens due to poor crop production. The typical colonial farmer had several children, which as they got older and married receive a portion of the farm land to begin their own lives. Gross did a phenomenal job of painting a picture of how over the years farms were diminishing in size and because the farmer could not rotate his crops, production caused further problems for the farmer. Gross showed how this issue became a heritage problem within the household because farmers eventually had less to offer the children and needed to hold onto what they had longer. This caused Concord farm children to leave there homes in search of land and life on their own as they came of age. The diminishing size of farms and production also caused the farmer to lose his respected position within society.

The social hierarchy determined how local government was established in Concord, which caused a divide in political, social and religious issues. But when matters involved England's taxation of tea, stamps and sugar, Concord united along with other colonies. I found it interesting how the local communities were able to openly maintain and train a militia without drawing immediate negative attention from the British. Up to the "shot heard around the world" the British didn't seem to be to terribly concern with the developing opposition. Yes, they would search farms, homes and stores, destroying supplies relating to the militia but I think Gross could have painted a better picture in regards to why the British allowed the colonies to have a militia. Could this overview been a result of superior arrogance by the British, that caused them to not worry or was it because of the previous conflicts between the French and Indians that these militia's existed? One example of this British arrogance might have been General Thomas Gage who had numerous spies in the field, providing useful information of militia movements and supplies. On April 19, 1775 General Gage against the advice of spy John Howe sent troops by foot to Concord to seize and destroy the stores of military supplies. The British soldiers exhausted from their long march followed through with their orders; destroying homes, stores and farms while the colonial militia observed from a distance. Enraged the colonial militia surrounded the British soldiers and forced them to the center of Concord at the Old North Bridge. Outnumbering the British, the colonial's opened fire "wounding nearly a dozen soldiers, three of the mortally," signaling the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. Another interesting aspect of the Revolutionary War and that I was not aware of was that by 1776, willing bodied soldiers were growing scarce and the draft was implemented. The demand for manpower was immense; "Militiamen were recruited for short terms of three to six months." The draft is an effective tool, but from my 23 years of experience serving in the military, an all volunteer force is the most powerful military a country