Minutemen

Who were the minutemen and what impact did they have on American History?  A minuteman was a member of a class of American militiamen who volunteered to be ready for service at a minute’s notice before and during the American Revolution. Our first real patriots these men played a crucial part in American History.

Back in the 18^th century there was a difference between the militia and the minutemen who stepped forward and volunteered their services to this country. Militia were exactly what it sounds like, soldiers, armed forces formed to protect the towns and the people from invasion and war. This of course, is different than the minuteman.

Minutemen were civilians, self-trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies from the American colonial militia before and during the American Revolutionary War. So why were they called minutemen? These men were known to be able to be ready for service at a minute’s notice which is why they got the name.

They played an important part in the American Revolution forming about a quarter of the entire militia. These men were more mobile. Since they were more mobile they served as an early response to any attacks from the enemy. In Massachusetts Bay, all able bodied men between the ages of 16 and 60 were required to participate in their local militia as early as 1645. However members of the minutemen were no more than 30 years old.

One of the things I remember so well about the American Revolution was the ride of Paul Revere. Now Paul did not make this ride alone since there was too much ground for him to cover on horseback. He was joined by the Sons of Liberty, which was a secret organization created in the thirteen colonies to protect the rights of the colonist and fight taxation by the British government, and the minutemen. During this ride to warn the colonist the British were coming out from Boston, Paul Revere was captured and unable to complete the mission.

Minutemen were chosen because of their enthusiasm, political reliability, and of course their strength. The first to arrive at battle and wait for the enemy. Officers weren’t appointed or tested to move up in rank they were elected by popular vote and they had to sign a written covenant, oath, when they enlisted.

They met as a unit to train anywhere from two to four times a year during peacetime. Once it became apparent we were headed for war with the British their training stepped up to three to four times a week. They had to be sure they were ready.

They didn’t have the privilege of being armed by the government as the British were arming their men. They had to provide their own arms and there were no uniforms. These men were regular people, farmers and merchants who believed in their cause. So with no set uniform they wore their farmers, workmen’s and even hunting clothes.

They armed themselves with what they had and in those days they all had something to protect their land. Remember, no telephones to call 911 in case of an emergency so even the women had to know how to use a gun or some form of protection. The minutemen armed themselves with a fowling piece, which is a shotgun usually designed to be fired from the shoulder. It uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small pellets called shot. They also used their own rifles if they were available. Neither of these weapons had bayonets which was a problem in hand to hand combat. Don’t forget back then they fought out in the open in a line formation. I never could understand that. They were like sitting ducks. Believe it or not there were some colonies who purchased muskets, cartridge boxes, and bayonets from, guess who, yep England in order to maintain their armories in the colonies.

Believe it or not before the start of the American Revolution there were times the minutemen fought side by side with the British soldiers especially during the French and Indian War in the 1750’s. Soon after that the tensions between the colonies and the British grew and things were about to change.

The first battles of the Revolutionary war was on April 19 1775 when the minutemen along with the militia came together to fight British in Lexington, Concord, Massachusetts. The Concord, Massachusetts battle site today is the site of the Minute Man National Historic Park. It would be a great place to take the family and teach them a little bit about our history.

The Continental Army regulars were trained during the American Revolutionary War in European-style warfare. However the minutemen were not because they needed them to fight the battles in the dense lines, in skirmishes, and as sharpshooters. Their form of warfare was considered irregular giving them the upper hand. After all they were familiar with hunting in the frontier. They knew how to sneak up on their prey and how to use what was around them for cover instead of standing there in a line waiting to be picked off. This gave them an advantage over the British.

During the American Revolutionary War the minutemen proved their value by having these rapid mustering forces. To prevent the British from seizing their ammunition as a precaution they often hid these items in the fields or wooded areas as well as under the floorboards of their barns and houses.

Working together the Minutemen and the militias were tough and they provided valuable support to the Continental Army. Actually the British learned valuable lessons from the Minutemen style of fighting and it helped them to modify their tactics adjusting to their surroundings. Still the Minutemen knew their terrain and were able to set traps and fight in a manner the British were not used to causing them to lose ground while the Continental Army advanced to victory.

The Minutemen played an important role in the Revolution. They were an intricate part of our fighting units in their support of the militia and the Continental Army. These men were in the forefront of the battles of independence. In one of the tenets of the United States Constitution it says that a well-armed militia is essential to the defense of the Union. They know this because of the battles these men helped win. They knew without the Minutemen willing to come forth along with the militia, the Continental Army did not stand a chance alone against the British.

Our first Patriots and Veterans fought so we could live in a country they only dreamed of before coming here and tolerating the injustices of the British. Taking a stand to defend their land, their families, and their rights these men fought for the betterment of the soon to be United States of America. Farmers, merchants, young men barely out of school, many left school just to join in the battle, fighting for their right to be free of tyranny. They set the model for which we have fought so hard to uphold.

Their patriotism and courage is an amazing part of American History and there are many places in the original 13 colonies where you can go and see where these battles were fought, experience how they lived, and understand what they were fighting for. Our history is something we should all be proud of.

These men deserve to be honored and for us to teach our children about them and how this country was formed. To teach our children about the battles that were fought so they can live a life of freedom and prosperity. I have a great love for American History and a deep feeling of gratitude to these men who fought so hard, gave so much, so we can live in a land they could have only dreamed of.

When they came here they saw nothing but empty land that had to be settled. They worked hard did what they needed to do, learned how to work the land, and how to work together. A handful of people compared to what we have now in this country and they were able to join together in unity and fight for the rights of this great nation. I salute our Minutemen, militia, and Continental Army of yesteryear. I thank them all for their service and dedication to this great nation.

May God Bless America and watch over our troops.