The American Revolution was a conflict between 13 British colonies in North America and their parent country, Great Britain. It was made up of two related events: the American War of Independence and the design of the American government.
             In 1775, the commander of British forces, General Thomas Gage, sent out troops to Concord and Lexington. The mission was to capture leaders of the rebel cause, John Hancock and Sam Adams. The rebel Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Dr. Samuel Prescott set out to tell Hancock and Adams who were at Lexington. Both Dawes and Revere were captured on the way to concord. Prescott escaped by leaving the road and making his way to Concord by way of the countryside. British units reached Lexington at dawn. Major Pitcairn ordered the townsmen to scatter, as they did, a shot rang out. Who fired the shot is uncertain. The British countered with a stream of shots. The British pushed onto fateful Concord. As the British pushed on toward Concord, Prescott's warning preceded their coming. The British troops were forced to retreat to Boston. The minutemen hid behind trees and stone walls and attacked British troops with rifle fire. This proved a costly incident for the British.
             Bunker Hill was the first real battle of the American Revolution, in Charlestown, Massachusetts. At issue in the battle was possession of Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill. American troops, led by Colonel William Prescott, occupied and prepared Breed's Hill during the night as part of a tactical plan to make the British leave Boston. The next day the British commander in chief Thomas Gage began arrangements for an attack on the Americans. The British troops launched their initial assault on Breed's Hill. Sustaining severe losses, the British retreated to the base of the hill. Gage ordered a second charge, which was similarly revolted. During the third British assault the American troops were forced to withdraw due to lack of ammunition. Th...