Raid on Fort William and Mary
Raid on Fort William and Mary
by
The raid was prompted by a message from Boston, carried by Paul Revere, warning that royal troops were on their way to reinforce the fort.
Why is this armed engagement not more widely spoken about? Perhaps it’s the numbers. Over 400 patriotic supporters overwhelmed a mere six king’s soldiers. Perhaps it’s the fact that Britain chose to focus on the growing unrest in Massachusetts. Nevertheless, the raid on Fort William and Mary was an act of deliberate revolt and the first fully organized, large-scale armed attack against the authority of the British monarchy.
Image caption: “An explanation on the prospect draft of the Fort William and Mary on [Piscataqua} River,” 1705, courtesy of the Library of Congress. Image text: A watercolor drawing of a colonial town in the background and a fort on the shoreline in the foreground. The British flag is waving over the fort. Two men in military uniform look out over the water.