Gage Declares Martial Law: Boston's Revolution Ignites
British General Thomas Gage declared martial law in Massachusetts and offered amnesty to all colonists who surrendered their weapons, with two exceptions: Samuel Adams and John Hancock would be hanged if captured. The proclamation backfired spectacularly, inflaming colonial resistance and pushing undecided moderates toward the independence movement.
June 12, 1775
251 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Great Britain
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Martial law
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American Revolution
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John Hancock
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British Army
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Thomas Gage
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Massachusetts Colony
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Samuel Adams
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American Revolutionary War
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British Army
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Thomas Gage
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Martial law
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Province of Massachusetts Bay
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Samuel Adams
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John Hancock
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American Revolution
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Massachusetts
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George Mason
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Virginia Declaration of Rights
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