Essay Topic Two: The Minutemen and Their World by Robert Gross
The city of Concord was a moderately conservative town that didn’t bother with political affairs outside of the conflicts that existed inside its city limits. There was no outstanding political voice or committees before the Revolutionary war like there was in cities like Boston. There were only hardworking, self-absorbed citizens that strived for three things: obtaining personal financial wealth, being accepted in the higher class systems and being apart of the town’s religious community. Sectionalism had begun to spread and the economy was on a decline but the arrival of the Revolutionary War helped turn around the town’s attitude politically and to help the town gain political power.
Concord’s involvement in the Revolutionary War molded itself into a more unified and selfless community that voiced its political opinion as a nation during the war rather than quarrelling with the selfish, internal conflicts within the town. Before the War, Concord was a steadily declining province that was growing more and more divided by the sectionalism of its church and its social groups. Religion was viewed as the staple of a person’s moralities during the colonial period and if someone didn’t go to church in the community then he or she would be viewed as an outcast. In Concord, there was only one church which was located in the central commerce area and on the day of Sabbath everyone would dress up and travel for miles on poor dirt roads to get to church because the enormous size of the colony. Not only was this a strenuous journey but it was almost impossible in the fact that in the winter the roads were pure mud due to weather. So in effect, the villagers and farmers on the outskirts of the town would prefer not go to church very often if even at all and they were excluded from the important political aspects of the town’s government. They were in favor of starting their own community and only attended the...