| The complex situation of Catholicism in Great Britain had results in their Colonies. |
The complex situation of Catholicism in Great Britain had consequences in its colonies. |
| 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 constituted approximately 1.6% of the total U.S. 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, were doubly condemned. |
| In Ireland they had been subject to British domination. |
In Ireland they had been subject to British rule. |
| In America Catholics were still forbidden from settling in some of the colonies. |
In America, Catholics were still forbidden to settle in some of the 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 the head of their faith dwelt in Rome, they were under the official representation of the Catholic bishop of the diocese of London, one 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 Crown. |
| (If he had done otherwise, Catholics in England would have been in trouble. Anti-Catholic sentiment still ran high.) |
(Had he acted otherwise, Catholics in England would have been in trouble.
Anti-Catholic sentiment was still strong). |
| He forbade any Colonial priest to serve Communion. |
It prohibited any colonial priest from serving communion. |
| This made practice of the faith impossible. |
This made 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 the French 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| When the French fleet arrived in Newport, Rhode Island, the colony repealed the Act of 1664 and allowed citizenship to Catholics.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When the French fleet arrived in Newport, Rhode Island, the colony repealed the Act of 1664 and allowed citizenship to Catholics. |
| (This anticipated the provision of the Constitutional Bill of Rights which would strike anti-Catholic laws from the books.) |
(This anticipated the provision of the Constitutional Bill of Rights 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 an American bishop, John Carroll (a descendant of the same Carrolls who had helped found Maryland) and an American diocese that communicated directly with Rome. |
| 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 closed the Massachusetts legislature. |
| Gage decided to confiscate a stockpile of colonial arms located in Concord. |
Gage decided to confiscate an arsenal of colonial weapons located in Concord. |
| On April 19, 1775, Gage's troops marched to Concord. |
On April 19, 1775, Gage's troops marched toward 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 town of Lexington, Americans who had been warned in advance by Paul Revere and others of British movements made an attempt 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 the first shot, but it triggered a battle on 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 overwhelmingly superior numbers of British regular troops in the open, the Minutemen were quickly defeated. |
| Nevertheless, alarms sounded through the countryside. |
However, alarm bells were ringing in the field. |
| The colonial militias poured in and were able to launch guerrilla attacks on the British while they marched on to Concord. |
Colonial militias entered en masse and were able to launch guerrilla attacks against the British as they marched toward Concord. |
| The colonials amassed of troops at Concord. |
The colonists gathered troops at Concord. |
| They engaged the British in force there, and they were able to repulse them. |
There, they confronted the British in force and managed to repel 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. |
The British retreated to Boston under constant and devastating 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 a reinforcement column with artillery support outside Boston prevented the British retreat from turning into a total rout. |
| 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 colonists occupying the strip of land stretching to the peninsula on which the city was located. |
