WAR OF I NDEPENDENCE. It was now deter mined to enforce the authority of Parliament over the colonies, and a fleet, containing several ships of the line and BOW troops, was sent to America. The colonies, still asserting their loy alty, and with little or no thought of separation from the mother country, prepared to resist what they considered the unconstitutional as sumptions of the home Government and the un warranted violations of their rights as English citizens. Volunteers were drilling and depots of provisions and military stores were being formed. The sending of a small force from Boston to seize one of these depot, at Concord, Alass., and to capture two of the most prominent provincial leaders, Samuel Adams and .John Hancock, who were staying temporarily at Lexington, led to engagements at Lexington and at Concord (see LEXINGTON ) , and the real beginning of the Revolu tionary War, on April 19. 1775. The British troops were compelled to retreat, and the news of this event promptly brought from fifteen to twenty thousand armed provincials to the vicin ity of Boston, to which place the British. then numbering less than 4000, were effectually con fined. On May 25, 1775, reinforcements under Howe, Clinton, and Burgoyne increased the strength of the British army to 10,000 men. Outlying royal forts and arsenals, with their arms and munitions, were taken possession of by the colonists. and on May 10th and May 11th respectively Ticonderoga and Crown Point, the principal Northern fortifications, were surprised by organized forces, and their artillery and stores appropriated. A congress of the colonies, known as the Continental Congress, had assem bled at Philadelphia in September, 1774, and after appeals to the home Government. which proved unavailing, this body resolved to raise and equip an army of 20.000 men, and on June 15, 1775. appointed George Washington com mander-in-chief. On June 17th, Breed's Hill, in Charlestown, near Boston. where a considera ble force of Americans had hastily intrenehed themselves. was taken by assault by the British troops, but with so heavy a loss that the defeat had for the provincials the moral effect of a victory. (See BLINKER HILL, BATTLE OF.) After a winter of great privation, during which they were closely besieged within the only city in their control, the British were compelled on \larc•h 17. 1776. to evacuate Boston, carrying away in their fleet to Halifax a large number of Loyalists. To forestall an expected attack by
Sir Guy Carleton, Governor of Canada. upon Ticonderoga. an American force under Mont gomery was sent in August, 1775. to invade Canada by way of Lake C'hamplain, while in September another American force under Bene dict Arnold was sent from Cambridge through the forests of :Maine against Quebec. ery captured Cha mhly. Sa int .fohns. and Montreal, but on December 31. 1775. the Amerieans were defeated before Quebec. Montgomery living killed and Arnold wounded, and in the summer of 1776 the Americans were forced to abandon Canada.
After the evacuation of Boston the British Government put forth a stronger effort to reduce the colonies to submission. An army consisting of 55,000 men, of whom 17,000 were Hessian mercenaries, was sent, under the command of Sir William Howe, to put down this `wicked rebellion.' The Congress, declar ing on Slay 15, 1776, that the royal author ity had ceased, recommended to the sev eral colonies to adopt "such governments as might best conduce to the safety and happiness of the people;" and most of the thirteen colonies soon adopted constitutions as independent and sovereign States. On .June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee (q.v.), of Virginia, offered a resolu tion in Congress, declaring that "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown; and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dis solved." This resolution was adopted on Jnly 2d by the votes of twelve out of thirteen colonies, the New York delegates, who had not as yet re ceived instructions, being excused from voting. A committee, consisting of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sher man, and Robert R. Livingston, had been ap pointed. on June 10th, to prepare a declaration in accordance with the above resolution; and the Declaration of Independence (q.v.), written by Jefferson, based upon the equality of men, and asserting tbat "all government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed," on July 4, 1776. received the final assent of the delegates of twelve colonies (the New York delegates still not voting), who thus undertook to dissolve the allegiance of the colonies to the British Crown, and to declare them free and independent States.