On June 12, 1775, just days before the Battle of Bunker Hill, British General Thomas Gage made a desperate move. Surrounded in Boston by angry colonial militias, Gage issued a formal proclamation declaring martial law across Massachusetts.

It was a bold attempt to restore order, offering pardons to rebels—except for two: Samuel Adams and John Hancock. But rather than break the back of the rebellion, Gage's proclamation backfired. It outraged the public, rallied the Sons of Liberty, and helped push the colonies closer to full-blown revolution.

In today’s episode of Dave Does History, we’ll explore how one piece of royal paper helped ignite a war, why the British misunderstood the mood in the colonies, and how the patriots turned a legal threat into a rallying cry.

This is the story of martial law in Boston, and the moment the Crown lost its grip for good.