Concord Imperialism Analysis

The people of Concord experienced colonial imperialism much differently than those who lived in Boston. Unlike Boston, Concord was not a major port city. It also did not have British regulars present on a daily basis. Concordians had many problems within their own borders they were more concerned with than the events caused by the colonies strained relationship with Britain (Robert A Gross, Minutemen and Their World. Page 10). This is not to say Concord did not take part in colonial activities to protest British imperialism. There were no protests of the magnitude of those that took place in Boston, such as the tea party. Much of the population in Concord remained loyal to the crown. However, the town sent a representative to Boston when needed
to take part in colonial matters. This representative used his vote in favor of what the town wanted, regardless of how he felt or believed, such as Charles Prescott and his decision to defy the Stamp Act (Gross, 37-38). After whatever dispute or meeting concluded, the people of Concord would revert back to their focus on local issues. It was not until December of 1772 that Concord became more involved in the conflict with the British, after word receiving that the crown would pay the salaries of those serving in Massachusetts’s Supreme Court (Gross, 42). In response, rather than sending a representative to Boston, a committee of nine formed in Concord (Gross, 43). Again in 1774, Concord took a more active interest in colonial matters by establishing its own committee of correspondence and militia (Gross, 60). Much like the way the townspeople dealt with conflict before the Revolution did these committees act. The goal was to present a united front to outsiders, a trend that would last throughout the Revolution. To appear divided would have been to appear weak or vulnerable. The conflict had become too heated for Concord to continue to sit back and wait until another representative was needed in Boston. Like other American colonists, the citizens of Concord were unhappy about the Tea, Stamp, and Townshend Acts.
However, the townspeople of Concord did little to protest these acts, and certainly not in the way Boston displayed their outrage. The people of Concord were more interested in the goings on in their own town, and thought other colonies could handle the dispute (Gross, 1). As was the case in most towns at this time, there was much political conflict present in Concord. The struggle came from a power struggle among the government officials, rather than the townspeople. Also, the town became too large to accommodate its entire population, many families living on the outskirts of town became disgruntled and longed to separate from Concord into another smaller town (Gross, 16). As it grew families settled further away from town buildings, schools, and churches (Gross. 15). Travelling several miles a day was not desirable to anyone. This became a major source of conflict among the townspeople. If granted status, then the town would lose land and the citizens would be responsible for paying a larger portion of the minister’s income (Gross, 16). The church presented another area of conflict, due to problems within the ministry. Not only were men vying for positions in the church, but also for government offices. Dr. Joseph Lee was at the center of this conflict. To obtain an office Lee had to gain the approval of the congregation and church officials. This was a problem for Lee, as he had issues with several members of the church (Gross, 23). The continued problems within the church caused division within the town and affected the way it responded to the Revolution (Gross,
29). It took several years for Concord to become more concerned with colonial matters than its more localized issues. The more the acts parliament imposed affected them, the more involved they became. So involved, in fact, that by 1775 they had become a hub of communication and the protector of the arms and ammunition collected in preparation for the Revolution (Gross, 68). It was for these reasons, the first shots of the Revolution fired en route to Concord.