Minutemen Young Men From Various

¶ … Minutemen

Young men from various New England localities were selected out of the regular militia to protect the colonists who were under the constant threat of attack. Their requirements to be ready at "a minute's notice" earned them the title, "Minutemen." Minutemen were conceived in Massachusetts during the mid-seventeenth century. They played a role in dealing with Native American uprisings and the French and Indian War in the 1750's. However, the Minutemen are best remembered for their connection to the Revolutionary War in America and their inspiration for demanding independence.

By the time that the Second Continental Congress first proposed a resolution for a Declaration of Independence from England in June of 1776, the 13 colonies had already been at war with England for over a year. The Revolutionary War had started on April 19th, 1775, when British soldiers marched on Lexington and Concord to seize the military supplies held there by the Minutemen. They were expecting the British because Paul Revere had told them when and how they were coming. The ensuing victory by the Minutemen rallied support for independence which had up until this time not been a common desire and gave the colonists more confidence that they could win the war. A little over a year later, on June 7th, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced a resolution that the Congress officially declared independence from England. This prompted the creation of a committee to draft the declaration which consisted of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and Roger Sherman.