Address from Joseph Warren
4/26/1775
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Joseph Warren, President of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, gave this address to the provincial Congress regarding the hostilities of April 19, 1775 at Lexington and Concord.
Revolutionary leaders knew the importance of getting their version of events to London first. The Massachusetts Provincial Congress commissioned a packet ship that delivered this address from its president, Joseph Warren, before the British report arrived. Announcing that "Hostilities are at length commenced . . . We determine to die or be free,” Warren also stressed the colonists' hope for reconciliation. It took a further year of war before Americans resolved to declare independence from Great Britain.
This and other documents about the battles at Lexington and Concord are included in the Massachusetts State Papers from 1775 - 1787, in the Papers of the Continental Congress.
Revolutionary leaders knew the importance of getting their version of events to London first. The Massachusetts Provincial Congress commissioned a packet ship that delivered this address from its president, Joseph Warren, before the British report arrived. Announcing that "Hostilities are at length commenced . . . We determine to die or be free,” Warren also stressed the colonists' hope for reconciliation. It took a further year of war before Americans resolved to declare independence from Great Britain.
This and other documents about the battles at Lexington and Concord are included in the Massachusetts State Papers from 1775 - 1787, in the Papers of the Continental Congress.
Transcript
In provincial Congress, WaterTown April 26th 1775. 5To the Inhabitants of Great Britain.
Friends & Fellow Subjects,
Hostilities are at length commenced in this Colony by the Troops under Command of General Gage, & It being of ye greatest Importance, that an early, true, & authentic account of this inhuman proceeding Should be known to you; the Congress of this Colony have transmitted ye Same, & from want of a Session of ye hona.[honorable] continental Con--gress think it proper to address you on ye alarming Occasion By the clearest Depositions relative to this Transaction It will appear, that on ye Night preceding ye nineteenth of April instant, a Body of ye Kings Troops under Command of Colo. Smith were secretly landed at Cam--bridge with an apparent Design to take or destroy ye military & other Stores provided for ye Defence of this Colony, & deposited at Concord - that Some Inhabitants of ye Colony on ye Night aforesaid, whilst travelling peaceably on ye Road between Boston & Concord were seized & greatly abused by armed Men, who ap-peared to be Officers of General Gage's Army - that ye Townof Lexington by these Means was alarmed, & a Company of ye Inhabitants mustered on ye Occasion -- that ye regular Troops on their Way to Concord marched into ye said Town of Lexington, & ye said Company on their approach began to disperse - that, notwithstanding this, ye Regulars rushed on with great Violence
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& first began Hostilities by firing on said Lexington Company, whereby they killed eight & wounded several others & that ye regular continued their Fire untill those of said Company, who were neither killed nor wounded, had made their Escape -- that Colo[nel] Smith with ye Detachment then marched to Con--cord, where a Number of provincials were again fired on by ye Troops, two of them killed & Several Wounded, before ye provincials fired on them & that these hostile Measures of ye Troops produced an Engagement that lasted thro ye Day ; in which many of ye provincials & more of ye regular Troops were killed & wounded. -- To give a particular account of ye Ravages of ye Troops as they retreated from Concord to Charlestown, would be very difficult, if not impracticable; let it suffice to say, that a great Number of ye Homes on ye Road were plundered & rendered unfit for use ; Several were burnt; Women in Child Bed were driven by ye Soldiery naked into ye Street; old Men peacably in their Houses were shot dead ; & such Scenes exhibited, as would disgrace ye Annals of ye most uncivilized Nation. There, Brethren, are Marks of ministerial Venge--ance against this Colony, for refusing with her Sister Colonies a Submission to Slavery ; but they have not yet detached us from our royal Sovereign: We profess to be his loyal & dutiful Subjects, & so hardly dealt with as We have been, are still ready with our Lives & Fortunes to defend his person, Family, Crown & Dignity. Nevertheless, to ye persecution &
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Tyranny of his cruel Ministry We will not tamely Submit appealing to Heaven for ye Justice of our Cause, We determine to die or be free. --- We cannot think that ye Honour, Wisdom, & Valour of Britons will suffer them to be longer inactive Spectators of Measures, in which they themselves are so deeply interested -- Measures pursued in Opposition to ye Solemn protests of many noble Lords, & express'd Some of conspicuous Commoners, whose Knowledge & Virtue have long [xxxx] characterized them as some of ye greatest men [xx] in ye Nation -- Measures executing contrary to ye Interest, Petition & Resolves of many large respect--table & opulent Counties, Cities & Burroughs in Great Britain --- Measures highly incompatible with Justice, but still pur--sued with a Specious pretence of curing the Nation of its Bur--thens. -- Measures, which if successful, must end in ye ruin of Slavery of Britain as well as ye persecuted American Colonies -- We sincerely hope that ye great Sovereign of ye Universe, who hath So often appeared for ye english Nation, will support you in every rational & manly exertion with these Colonies, for saving it from ruin, & that, in a constitutional Connection with ye Mother Country, We Shall soon be altogether a free & happy people --
Per Order Jos Warren
Copy of an Address to the Inhabitants of G Britain relative to the late hospitality between the houses under Gen Gage of the inhabitants of Massachusetts Bay - dated 26 April 1775 read before Congress 11 May
This primary source comes from the Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention.
National Archives Identifier: 6882946
Full Citation: Address from Joseph Warren to the Inhabitants of Great Britain Regarding the Hostilities of April 19, 1775 [at Lexington and Concord]; 4/26/1775; Massachusetts State Papers; Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774 - 1789; Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, Record Group 360; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/address-joseph-warren, April 30, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
