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Show 15-26 Summary: Unpacking 1775 reveals why July 4th, 1776, had to happen. Battles of Lexington & Concord—plus the “other” Concord. And the spy who may have leaked details of Gage’s Concord Expedition. In our 15th Annual Fourth of July Show, we zero in on the main villain, General Thomas Gage, the famous Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, spies, and who might have leaked details of Gage’s “Concord Expedition.” There was another “Concord” before those first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord that taught the patriots the lessons they needed to win. Plus, why and how the colonists’ mindset changed from British subjects to American patriots.

The I Spy Radio Show airs weekends, seven times over the weekend, on seven different stations. Listen anywhere through the stations’ live streams! Check out when, where, and how to listen to the I Spy Radio Show. Podcast available Mondays after the show airs on our network of stations.

Air Dates: June 28th & 29th, 2025 | Guest: Greg Leo

This Week – Lexington and Concord, Spies, and How Americans Became Patriots

This week it is our Annual 4th of July Show as we are once again joined by Son of the American Revolution and amateur historian, Greg Leo. Next year is the big 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence — but this year has already seen a whole bunch of 250th’s. The year 1775 was incredibly momentous and unpacking what happened during 1775 reveals why July 4th, 1776, had to happen.

On this year’s show, we focus the “arch villain,” General Thomas Gage, Revere’s famous ride, the official start of the Revolution at the battles of Lexington and Concord — and who might have leaked the details of “The Concord Expedition” to the patriots? The lessons the Colonists learned at another “Concord” before Lexington and Concord ever happened taught the patriots what they needed to know to win.

And we look at the mental shift away from British subject to American patriot.

1775’s American Revolution 250th’s are Why 1776 Happened

The battles on April 19, 1775, of Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. But there were many critical events in 1775 that shaped shaping the America’s, leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Here is a good list of what happened in 1775 that led directly to America demanding independence: The Path to Revolution – Major Events of 1775.

Be sure to check out the many resources in the Show Notes, below! Maps (including a terrific interactive map of Paul Revere’s ride), notes, Paul Revere’s ride in his own words and so much more!

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Show Notes: Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Need help dealing battle with Oregon’s legislature? Greg Leo is your man. theleocompany.com

1775’s Arch Villain: General Thomas Gage

• Thomas Gage was appointed Royal Governor of Massachusetts in 1774 and tasked by the British Parliament with stamping out rising unrest caused by restrictive British policies.
  • Gage inflamed tensions between the colonies and the mother country and practiced harsh enforcement of British law. He drafted the Coercive Acts, a series of laws intended to punish colonists for deeds of defiance against the King, such as the Boston Tea Party.
• Terrific write-up on General Thomas Gage (RevolutionaryWar.net, March 4, 2020)

Leading Up to the Battles of Lexington and Concord

• The “other” Concord before Lexington and Concord.
• What arms were hidden at Concord that the British tried to seize? And did they successfully destroy or capture any of them? Answer via Grok (X’s AI bot)

Margaret Kemble – Was Gage’s Wife an American Spy?

• 

  Was a woman the informant who helped launch the American Revolution? (Washington Post, Apr 19, 2025) [Note: not all browsers can open this link to get you past WaPo’s paywall; the Brave browser usually does.]

• Probably the best article on the speculation about Margaret Kemble: “Inside one of the biggest conspiracy theories of the American Revolution: That a woman may have kick-started the whole thing” (New York Post, April 19, 2025)
• Was Margaret Kemble Gage her Husband’s Worst Enemy at Lexington and Concord? (via Mr Nussbaum)
• The General’s Lady…Was She a Spy? – Heroes, Heroines, and History: The General’s Lady…Was She a Spy? (Heroes, Heroines, and History, Jan 20, 20217)
• Forgotten Connections and Divided Loyalties: The Story of General Thomas Gage and Margaret Kemble (Fellowship & Fairydust Magazine, June 17, 2015)

The Midnight Ride  – Paul Revere, William Dawes (and later, Samuel Prescott)

• Interactive Map: The Midnight Rides of April 18 & 19, 1775 (via Paul Revere House)
• Map of Boston and Charleston at time of Revere’s Ride
• Map showing the routes of Revere, Dawes, and Prescott
  • For reference – Map of Current Boston (Google Maps, Retrieved June 23, 2025). Note how the narrow “neck” leading to Boston is completely gone now.
• The Real Story of Paul Revere’s Ride (Paul Revere House)
• Letter from Paul Revere to Jeremy Belknap, circa 1798 (Includes the letter image and a transcription, via Massachusetts Historical Society)
• Paul Revere’s deposition, fair copy, circa 1775 (Massachusetts Historical Society)

Battles of Lexington and Concord

• Battles of Lexington & Concord (Epic History, April 19, 2025)
• Lexington and Concord Battle Facts and Summary | (American Battlefield Trust)
• Lexington and Concord, the British Retreat | Apr 18-19, 1775 (American Battlefield Trust)
• The Shot Heard Round the World: A Nation is Born (American Battlefield Trust)
• Who really fired the shot that started the American Revolution? (Washington Post, June 23, 2025)
• The published list of dead and wounded patriots (“provincials”) from the Battles of Lexington and Concord

Battle of Bunker Hill

• Bunker Hill Battle Facts and Summary (American Battlefield Trust)
• 250th Battle of Bunker Hill Reenactment (BattleofBunkerHill250)
• Illustration of the array of forces at the Battle for Bunker Hill