Why were colonial minutemen so prepared for the arrival of the British in Concord? Select all that apply.
a.When Washington saw the British, he fired three canon shots sending a warning signal.
b.Paul Revere had warned villages that the redcoats were coming.
c.The Green Mountain Boys hid in the bushes and warned the Continental Army.
d.When the British headed out, Americans hung two lamps as a warning signal.
b. Paul Revere had warned villages that the redcoats were coming.
d. When the British headed out, Americans hung two lamps as a warning signal.
The correct options are b. Paul Revere had warned villages that the redcoats were coming and d. When the British headed out, Americans hung two lamps as a warning signal.
Explanation:
a. This option is incorrect. The statement about Washington firing three cannon shots as a warning signal is not accurate. The role of George Washington in the events surrounding the arrival of the British in Concord is not mentioned, and there is no historical evidence to support this claim.
b. This option is correct. Paul Revere famously made a midnight ride from Boston to Lexington and Concord to warn the colonial militias that the British soldiers, often referred to as redcoats, were coming. This gave the colonial minutemen time to prepare for the arrival of the British troops.
c. This option is incorrect. The statement about the Green Mountain Boys hiding in the bushes and warning the Continental Army is not accurate. The Green Mountain Boys were a militia group from present-day Vermont, and their involvement in the events leading up to the Battle of Concord is not mentioned.
d. This option is correct. As the British soldiers headed out from Boston towards Concord, American colonists hung two lanterns in the Old North Church to warn the colonial militias of the direction the British troops were taking. This signal is famously referred to as "One if by land, two if by sea," and it helped the minutemen to anticipate the British movements and prepare for confrontation.
To determine why colonial minutemen were prepared for the arrival of the British in Concord, we need to consider each option.
a. When Washington saw the British, he fired three canon shots sending a warning signal.
This statement is incorrect. George Washington was not present at the Battle of Lexington and Concord, so he did not fire any warning shots.
b. Paul Revere had warned villages that the redcoats were coming.
This statement is partly correct. Paul Revere, along with William Dawes and Samuel Prescott, rode through the countryside warning the colonial villages that British troops were coming. However, this warning was specifically about the movement of British troops towards Lexington and Concord, not about the minutemen being prepared in advance.
c. The Green Mountain Boys hid in the bushes and warned the Continental Army.
This statement is incorrect. The Green Mountain Boys, led by Ethan Allen, were not involved in warning the Continental Army or the minutemen about the arrival of the British in Concord.
d. When the British headed out, Americans hung two lamps as a warning signal.
This statement is incorrect in relation to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. The hanging of two lamps as a signal was associated with Paul Revere's famous "Midnight Ride," but it was done to warn the colonial militias in Boston about the movements of the British troops, not to prepare the minutemen in Concord.
Overall, the only correct statement that explains why colonial minutemen were prepared for the British arrival in Concord is that Paul Revere had warned the villages about the approaching redcoats. The minutemen were able to gather and prepare for the British troops based on this warning.