In response to the military control of Boston, a militia grew up known as the MinuteMen. Seeing the growth of the colonial force, the British marched on Concord to confiscate the weapons that were being stored there. On April 19th, 1775 they met a force of MinuteMen in Lexington. The Minute Men had been warned the night before during Paul Revere’s famous ride.
The two units stood facing each other, until finally a shot was fired. No one knows who fired this first shot, but it was heard ‘round the world as the American Revolution was begun. Fighting went on in Lexington and then continued into Concord.
Even amidst this harsh fighting, the people of the colonies and even the leaders of the Revolution were not united on the idea of independence. While some, such as Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty, supported independence from the very beginning, the majority of the colonies sought reconciliation with England and only fought that the King would address their grievances.
The colonies had been a part of England for well over a century now, and they did not want separation. They wanted an end to unfair taxation, and to retain their autonomy in government and not be held bound to the acts of the British Parliament. If Britain would only end the high taxation and grant them the autonomy they had enjoyed when the colonies were first founded, they would be more than happy to remain a part of United Kingdom.