Who were the original “Minutemen” we heard about in history class?”
Minutemen were members of teams of select men from the American colonial militia during the American Revolutionary War. They provided a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that allowed the colonies to respond immediately to threats of fellow soldiers in the war (hence the name). The Minutemen were among the first people to fight in the American Revolution. These teams constituted about a quarter of the entire militia, and generally were the younger and more mobile, serving as part of a network for early response. Minuteman and Sons of Liberty member Paul Revere spread the news that the British Regulars (soldiers) were coming out. Revere was captured before completing his mission when the British marched towards the arsenal in Lexington and Concord to collect the weapons stored there.The term has also been applied to various later United States military units to recall the success and patriotism of the originals. In the British colony of Massachusetts Bay, all able-bodied men between
Minutemen were members of teams of select men from the American colonial militia during the American Revolutionary War. They provided a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that allowed the colonies to respond immediately to threats of fellow soldiers in the war (hence the name). The Minutemen were among the first people to fight in the American Revolution. These teams constituted about a quarter of the entire militia, and generally were the younger and more mobile, serving as part of a network for early response. Minuteman and Sons of Liberty member Paul Revere spread the news that the British Regulars (soldiers) were coming out. Revere was captured before completing his mission when the British marched towards the arsenal in Lexington and Concord to collect the weapons stored there. The term has also been applied to various later United States military units to recall the success and patriotism of the originals.
