The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War

by J.L. Bell

With a Clash Between American Rebels and Royal Authorities Heating Up, Radicals Smuggled Cannon Out of Boston—and the British Came Looking for Them
In the early spring of 1775, on a farm in Concord, Massachusetts, British army spies located four brass cannon belonging to Boston’s colonial militia that had gone missing months before. British general Thomas Gage had been searching for them, both to stymie New England’s growing rebellion and to erase the embarrassment of having let cannon disappear from armories under redcoat guard. Anxious to regain those weapons, he drew up plans for his troops to march nineteen miles into unfriendly territory. The Massachusetts Patriots, meanwhile, prepared to thwart the general’s mission. There was one goal Gage and his enemies for different reasons, they all wanted to keep the stolen cannon as secret as possible. Both sides succeeded well enough that the full story has never appeared until now.
The Road to How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War by historian J. L. Bell reveals a new dimension to the start of America’s War for Independence by tracing the spark of its first battle back to little-known events beginning in September 1774. The author relates how radical Patriots secured those four cannon and smuggled them out of Boston, and how Gage sent out spies and search parties to track them down. Drawing on archives in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, the book creates a lively, original, and deeply documented picture of a society perched on the brink of war.

Genres: History, American Revolution, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, American Revolutionary War

248 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

John Bell (b. March 25, 1945) is professor of Logic and the Philosophy of Mathematics at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. In 2006-07, he was named the first Graham and Gail Wright Faculty of Arts Distinguished Scholar at the University of Western Ontario. In 2009, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He was admitted on a scholarship to Oxford University at the age of 15, and graduated with a D.Phil. in Mathematics at the age of 21. His dissertation supervisor was John Crossley.[1]

He was appointed assistant lecturer in the Mathematics Department at the London School of Economics in 1968, and was appointed reader in Mathematical Logic in 1980. He taught at LSE until 1989. During this time, he served as visiting fellow at the Polish Academy of Sciences (1975) and National University of Singapore (1980, 1982). In 1989, he took a position as professor in the Philosophy Department at UWO. He is also an adjunct professor in the Mathematics Department at UWO.[1]

John Bell's students include Graham Priest (Ph.D. Mathematics LSE, 1972), Michael Hallet (Ph.D. Philosophy LSE, 1979), Elaine Landry (Ph.D. Philosophy UWO, 1997) and David DeVidi (Ph.D. Philosophy UWO, 1994).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lan...

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting account of what triggered the start of the American Revolution. Extremely informative and thoroughly researched, this book documents how four missing brass cannon created a significant concern among Gen. Gage and the British occupiers of Boston in late 1774 and early 1775. Using new research and actual detail from Gage's own records, J.L. Bell tells an important story about how the wheels were set in motion for the "shot heard 'round the world" in Lexington and subsequent skirmish in Concord, Mass., that kicked off the American Revolution. Full of detail and interesting information about key players from that seminal moment, "The Road to Concord" is both revealing and intriguing in the idea of how strong the fervor for "civil war" was on both sides of the Atlantic. Certainly this was just the trigger point of a highly explosive situation but it underscores how misinformation and supposition can flame passions and excite political opponents. The book is a little slow in places but more than makes up for it with its attention to detail and the author's dedication to getting it right. Personally, I would have preferred more description on the events at Lexington and Concord, but that was not the intent of the book, which was written to document the role of four missing brass cannon and the determination by the British army to get them back before hostilities began. Very enjoyable and informative!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the preface, Bell quotes a letter from James Warren to his wife Mercy, on 6 April 1775:
'This town is full of cannon, ammunition, stores, etc., and the Army long for them and they want nothing, but strength to induce an attempt on them. The people are ready and determined to defend this country inch by inch."
That's the basic point - the local militias in Massachusetts were heavily armed, not just with their own personal hunting weapons, and they were ready to go to war. The rest of the book is back-story and details. I (as often) found the citations not as complete as I wanted, but learned many useful things.

[William Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was raised in Massachusetts (Lexington and Medford) and I’d never learned much about the Battle of Lexington and Concord beyond a vague explanation that British soldiers were looking for military supplies. This deeply researched book argues that there is good reason for that vagueness—both the British and the Americans benefited from hiding the truth of local citizens’ stealing British army munitions, including four brass cannons, which were hidden at Concord and never recovered by the British. General Gage could pretend to his superiors that all was going fine, and avoid the embarrassment of untrained “provincials” having successfully stolen ordinance from under his nose; the Patriots could reinforce the myth that their uprising was in response to unprovoked hostility and oppressive governance.

I learned a lot about this period from reading Bell’s work. For example, I didn’t know that Massachusetts summoned essentially a shadow legislature that met in defiance of the royal governor’s orders, nor did I realize the depth and breadth of the colonial Patriot networks. It was fun to read the accounts and see towns mentioned that I am familiar with but that I didn’t know were directly involved in the struggle.

The wealth of first-person accounts and period sources make this invaluable for anyone interested in the Battle of Lexington and Concord, but also render it exceptionally dense. It clocks in at under 180 pages, but still took me several days to work through.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did General Gage send his troops to Concord in April 1775 to arrest John Hancock and Sam Adams and destroy the colonists' "military stores" or was there another reason behind his fateful decision? J.L. Bell argues that, more than Hancock or Adams, Gage desperately wanted to recover four brass field cannon stolen from under his nose by Boston Patriots in heavily occupied Boston in September 1774. Bell argues that Gage, already on thin ice with the ministry in London, knew that the discovery of this theft by his government would be the cause of great personal embarrassment and damage to his already declining career. Bell's theory is well researched but, in my view, his conclusion about Gage's motivations is too narrow in the context of the relentless escalation of rebellion taking place in Massachusetts and throughout New England at the time.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author J.L. Bell presents a detailed and entertaining account of the events leading up to the British effort to confiscate cannon, arms, and other supplies held by the American colonists in Concord, resulting in the firing of the shots that sparked the American Revolution. His particular but not exclusive focus here is upon the various pieces of artillery in play as the colonists sought to accumulate military means with which to resist the Crown even as the Royal Governor and military commander General Gage sought to prevent that. With 178 pages of text, supported by more than 30 pages of end notes in which his sources are identified (absent a separate bibliography). It's a sometimes complicated tale as Bell moves a bit backwards and forwards along the time line, trying to shepherd the details of arms, men, terrain, topography, etc., but with attention it's relatively easy to follow along. Highly recommended, especially for anyone specifically interested in the events of Concord and Lexington.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting review of the initial causes of the American Revolution. I would NOT recommend this to someone who has not read much into this area, as it doesn't really cover, other than a cursory mention, the "big events" - Stamp Act, Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, Lexington & Concord. So, if the reader is looking for insight into these main topics, look elsewhere.

But if the reader is interested in a somewhat lesser topic, that never really goes away (the control, accessibility, and use of gunpowder, small arms, and artillery) that does persist throughout the entire conflict - then this is for you! Often in a book on history, the writer disuses the main causes or events and details the names, places, and dates. Here, we are worked through the perspective of people, living their lives, and participating in events that proved to have great significance, even if they didn't know it at the time.

It is an easy and light read - only 179 pages; has a bunch of "new to me" data that get you really thinking; and also balanced in that is doesn't canonize the colonists or vilify the British. I was pretty busy for a few weeks, so it took me longer to read than I would have liked, but that is because of my time, not difficulty of the material. Actually, it would be best if you started this on a Friday and finished on a Sunday, which should be easy for most readers.

I think Hill does as fantastic job not getting too involved in the character's lives, other than the bare minimum to establish who some of these people were - such as Samuel Gore. And I mention Gore because if you don't know who he is (as I had no clue), you should read the book. Now, I have been Googling Gore and a few others to see if any further info I can find. For me, that is the mark of a well done book.

[Evan Þ. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells of both Patriots and Redcoats' struggle to secure cannon in the leadup to the American Revolution in Massachusetts. Both sides understood they'd be vital in a war, and went to great clandestine efforts to secure (and keep the other side from securing) as many cannons as they could. (There were a substantial number of cannons in Massachusetts at the time, some recently imported by the British, and others mostly obsolete but still usable.) These efforts helped the British commanders grasp the Patriots were organizing for a war. And, it was a British effort to try to secure some of the Patriot cannons that sparked the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

Bell is quite aware this's one small part of the larger story of the leadup to the Revolution, but he offers this study in hopes that, as a part of the story, it will help illuminate the whole. I greatly appreciate that attitude, and the part he tells.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This “micro history,” as the author terms it, was so helpful to my understanding of the rationale behind the start of the American Revolution. Bell’s detailed research uncovers true stories that rival the myths. I loved the humanity expressed in the source materials, including letters. This book benefits both from Bell’s meticulous historical research and his ability to create suspense and tell a compelling story.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very impressed by how much historical research went into this book; it is certainly highly informative. It is amazing how deeply such a small sliver of the war can be analyzed. In my opinion, the best aspect of this book is how it shows the reader how the colonists were feeling and thinking during this time rather than just telling the reader the way a textbook would.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nearly finished. I have enjoyed the way in which Mr. Bell writes. The story is told, using primary-source writings to supplement and enhance modern language. A concise, yet vital story to understand the lead up to our war for independence.

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much respect for the deep research on this one but I found it to be a tough read. Was hoping for more of a coherent, engaging story vs hearing a very encyclopedic recounting of historical notes. It just wasn’t overly compelling.

[Dduker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always amazed at how little we were taught in school about American history.
I was in highschool in the late 1950s
I wonder what children learn now and how accurate the information might be!!!!!!!

[James King · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an very well researched book. I can't say that I agree with the conclusion in the title, but it is certainly a detailed look at one tiny sliver of the Revolutionary War.

[Jim Swike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for research and / or term paper. Enjoy!

[Van Jones]

Poor title for the Book. Therefore it was the worst book that I have read..

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, detailed look into the 'Whys' of Lexington & Concord, the causes, atmosphere of New England, etc.

[Charles Frye · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource for anyone with an interest in the arms race, politics, and tensions in America prior to the American Revolution. Bell's extensive research provided many insights I was not aware of and his narrative maps these onto his rich understanding of the streets and neighborhoods of Boston in 1774 and 1775. A few chapters in, and I felt like I was there watching the events unfold.