General Thomas Gage was an experienced British soldier in 1763 when he became commander of British forces in North America. He was a veteran of the French and Indian War and had been a soldier in the British army for twenty-three years at that time. Not quite equal to the cause of the colonization, the rebellion raised its head. However, by most accounts, he was a very professional and pleasant leader otherwise. However, when he was given the position of governor of Massachusetts, he showed a serious lack of insight when dealing with the rebellions there.
Colonial resistance against the British forces and the law was taking place on various levels throughout the colony in the late 1700s. However, no colony resisted more than the Massachusetts Bay Colony, especially Boston. The resistance movement in Boston was open and obvious in the early 1770s. When Bostonians openly protested the tax-law”>tax three shiploads of East India Tea in Boston Harbor in Boston Tea The British party decided to do something, so the Act of Control was created and passed in 1874 (one of these acts, the Fourth Act, was a revision of the previous act).
General Thomas Gage was staying in his country when the Acts of Constraint were passed by Parliament. His reports on the situation went a long way in influencing parliaments to pass these laws. This plan may very well be the root cause of the American-revolution. The seeds of rebellion have already been sown. However, if General Gage and his compatriots had treated the situation (and what was coming) a little less seriously, the war might well have been avoided. General Gage returned to Massachusetts after these laws were passed as the king’s governor of Massachusetts. even there it is controlled by the military.
Within months Governor Thomas Gage had declared himself the right marshal of the Massachusetts colony. He also began to publicize supplies of arms to the local militia. This would be the last straw. On April 18, 1775, Governor Gage sent a group of regulars to destroy the weapons and ammunition that were being kept in the Concord Massachusetts local militia. The army fought what became known as the battle of Lexington and Concord; the first battle American/a>.
Two months after the Battle of Lexington and Concord, Commander Gage ordered an attack on Breed Hill. The ensuing battle would later be known as the “Battle of Bunker Hill”. The battle cost many soldiers their lives and marked the end of the life of Captain Thomas Gage. The militia had proven that they could fight effectively (albeit at a loss that day) and Gage had proven that he could pacify the colony and win easy victories for the British. He was ordered to return to England shortly after the battle.
Sources
General Thomas Gage restored 3/4/10, americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/GAGE.HTM
Thomas Gage restored 3/4/10, u-s-history.com/pages/h/1292.html
