April 19, 1775. The American Revolution had just erupted with the Battle of Lexington and Concord. As we know from our history, the American Colonies didn’t have an army like we think of today. At the beginning of the Revolution, they had an amateur force pulled together from various militia companies in each of the colonies throughout New England.

These Colonial militias had originally been organized to defend settlers from civil unrest and attacks by French or Native Americans. Selected members of the militia were called “Minutemen” because they could be ready to fight in a minute’s time. The Colonials knew war with England was coming. They had even been arming and training across the colonies. But they also knew they were poorly organized without a central chain of command. They recognized they were essentially volunteers and part-time civilian soldiers who were led, equipped, armed, and supported by the colonies in which they lived.

The American colonies certainly had a longing to be free from tyranny of the crown, but could they actually defeat the British?