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On today’s episode of Dave Does History, we’re heading back to Massachusetts in the fall of 1774 for a story that almost rewrote the American Revolution’s opening chapter. It’s called the Powder Alarm, and it was the day when a rumor nearly set off a war months before Lexington and Concord. General Gage thought he was playing it safe by quietly seizing a stash of gunpowder from the colonists. Instead, his move sparked a chain reaction that mobilized tens of thousands of armed New Englanders who believed Boston was under attack. Muskets were lifted, militias marched, and for a moment it looked like the Revolution was about to begin. And then—it all fizzled when the truth came out. No blood was shed, no battle fought. But the lessons learned that day changed everything. Join me as we unpack how a false alarm turned into a full rehearsal for rebellion.
On today’s episode of Dave Does History, we’re heading back to Massachusetts in the fall of 1774 for a story that almost rewrote the American Revolution’s opening chapter. It’s called the Powder Alarm, and it was the day when a rumor nearly set off a war months before Lexington and Concord. General Gage thought he was playing it safe by quietly seizing a stash of gunpowder from the colonists. Instead, his move sparked a chain reaction that mobilized tens of thousands of armed New Englanders who believed Boston was under attack. Muskets were lifted, militias marched, and for a moment it looked like the Revolution was about to begin. And then—it all fizzled when the truth came out. No blood was shed, no battle fought. But the lessons learned that day changed everything. Join me as we unpack how a false alarm turned into a full rehearsal for rebellion.