| The complex situation of Catholicism in Great Britain had results in their Colonies. |
The complex situation of the Catholics in England has resulted in their Colony. |
| At the time of the American revolution, Catholics formed approximately 1.6% of the total American population of the original 13 colonies. |
At the time of the American revolution, Catholics made up about 1.6% of the total American population of the original 13 colonies. |
| If Catholics were seen as potential enemies of the British state, Irish Catholics, subject to British rule, were doubly-damned. |
If Catholics were seen as potential enemies of the British state, Irish Catholics, subject to British rule, would be doubly condemned. |
| In Ireland they had been subject to British domination. |
In Ireland they have succumbed to British domination. |
| In America Catholics were still forbidden from settling in some of the colonies. |
In America Catholics are still prohibited from settling in some colonies. |
| Although the head of their faith dwelt in Rome, they were under the official representation of the Catholic Bishop of the London diocese, one James Talbot. |
Although their head of religion resides in Rome, they are under the official representation of the Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of London, one of whom is James Talbot. |
| When War began, Bishop Talbot declared his faithfulness to the British Crown. |
When the War began, Bishop Talbot declared his allegiance to the British Empire. |
| (If he had done otherwise, Catholics in England would have been in trouble. Anti-Catholic sentiment still ran high.) |
(If he did otherwise, Catholics in England would be in trouble. Anti-Catholic sentiment is still high.) |
| He forbade any Colonial priest to serve Communion. |
He forbade any Colonial priest to serve Communion. |
| This made practice of the faith impossible. |
This makes the practice of faith impossible. |
| This created sympathy for the Colonial rebels. |
This created sympathy for the Colonial rebels. |
| The Continental Army's alliance with the French increased sympathy for the faith. |
The Continental Army's alliance with France increased sympathy for the faith |
| When the French fleet arrived in Newport, Rhode Island, the colony repealed the Act of 1664 and allowed citizenship to Catholics. |
When the French fleet arrived in Newport, Rhode Island, the colony repealed the Act of 1664 and allowed citizenship for Catholics. |
| (This anticipated the provision of the Constitutional Bill of Rights which would strike anti-Catholic laws from the books.) |
(This anticipates provisions of the Constitutional Rights Act that would remove anti-Catholic laws from the books.) |
| After the war, the Pope created an American Bishop, John Carroll -- a descendant of the same Carrolls who had helped found Maryland -- and an American Diocese communicating directly with Rome. |
After the war, the Pope created the Bishop of America, John Carroll -- a descendant of the same Carroll who helped found Maryland -- and the Diocese of America with which Rome is directly connected. |
| The British government commanded General Thomas Gage to enforce the Intolerable Acts and shut down the Massachusetts legislature. |
The British government ordered General Thomas Gage to enforce the Intolerable Acts and shut down the Massachusetts legislature. |
| Gage decided to confiscate a stockpile of colonial arms located in Concord. |
Gage decides to confiscate the colonial arms stockpile located in Concord. |
| On April 19, 1775, Gage's troops marched to Concord. |
On April 19, 1775, Gage's troops marched into Concord. |
| On the way, at the town of Lexington, Americans who had been warned in advance by Paul Revere and others of the British movements made an attempt to stop the troops. |
On the way, in the city of Lexington, the Americans who had been forewarned by Paul Revere and others from the British movement attempted to stop the troops. |
| No one knows which side fired the first shot, but it sparked battle on Lexington Green between the British and the Minutemen. |
No one knows which side fired first, but it sparked a battle at Lexington Green between the British and the Minutemen. |
| Faced against an overwhelmingly superior number of British regular troops in an open field, the Minutemen were quickly routed. |
Faced with the vastly superior number of regular British troops out in the open, the Minutemen were quickly defeated. |
| Nevertheless, alarms sounded through the countryside. |
Nevertheless, the alarm sounded through the countryside. |
| The colonial militias poured in and were able to launch guerrilla attacks on the British while they marched on to Concord. |
The colonial militia entered and was able to launch a guerrilla attack on Britain as they marched into Concord. |
| The colonials amassed of troops at Concord. |
Colonials gather troops in Concord |
| They engaged the British in force there, and they were able to repulse them. |
They involved the British who were there, and they were able to repulse them. |
| They then claimed the contents of the armory. |
They then claimed the contents of the armory. |
| The British retreated to Boston under a constant and withering fire from all sides. |
England retreated to Boston under constant and deadly fire from all sides. |
| Only a reinforcing column with artillery support on the outskirts of Boston prevented the British withdrawal from becoming a total rout. |
Only reinforcement columns with artillery support on the outskirts of Boston prevented the British withdrawal from being a complete defeat. |
| The following day the British woke up to find Boston surrounded by 20,000 armed colonists, occupying the neck of land extending to the peninsula the city stood on. |
The next day the British awoke to find Boston surrounded by 20,000 armed invaders, occupying a neck of land that stretched into the peninsula on which the city stood. |
