Lexington Alarm

[1] As the British Crown and Parliament policies created an increasingly greater divide with American colonists, the Sons of Liberty organization was founded.

[4] Wherever the power of Great Britain was thrown off or disavowed, all political control passed by its natural course into the hands of the people… Hence the primary movement was to bring the people to understand their interests and act in concert, and the first means used to attain this end was the establishment of Committees of Correspondence in different parts of the country.The network that was created allowed for planning and execution of activities when the colonial assemblies and the Continental Congress were not in session.

[11]At about 10:00 p.m., the night of April 18, 1775, Joseph Warren asked Paul Revere to contact John Hancock and Samuel Adams in Lexington about the movement of British troops.

[12] During the nighttime ride to Lexington, Revere ensured that men in Charlestown sent lantern signals to alarm neighboring colonists that the British were coming.

[12] They preceded the British, led by General Thomas Gage, as they marched to Concord to destroy patriots' stores of military weapons and equipment.

[1] On April 19, 1775, Joseph Palmer of the Committee of Safety issued a dispatch to be carried by post riders, men who delivered mail throughout the colonies.

A number of post riders carried the "Lexington Alarm" message throughout a network of mail routes in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.

[14] Isaac Bissell delivered the message west of Worcester to Springfield, Massachusetts, south to Hartford, Connecticut and in other areas in the state over six days.

[15][16] Israel Bissell (no known relationship) conveyed the message to Worcester, Massachusetts, throughout eastern and southern Connecticut to New York City, New Jersey, and Philadelphia.

[19][20] Postriders rode through bad weather, poor road conditions, and moonless nights, which controlled whether they were able to travel three to five miles an hour.