Redcoats

Redcoats forming a firing line

The redcoats are the antagonistic force during the Causes and Effects of the Revolutionary War. They represent not only the British army regulars, but also several English officials. They appear all throughout the video as Englishmen and Scots often portrayed as foolish and prone to violence. Following the French and Indian War British military presence was strengthened in order to enforce new government regulations on the colonists. The housing of British soldiers was forced upon the colonists becoming a major point of strife, with the issues being brought to prominence in the 3rd amendment of the constitution banning the government from forcing civilians to quarter soldiers.

## Appearances

### French and Indian War

The video begins setting the stage for dissent in the colonies with the close of the French and Indian war representing this through two redcoats chasing down a French soldier and two Native Americans. The first Native is shot and the French man shoves the other to the ground so that he can escape. This scene serves as a physical representation of the end of the war showing the French being literally chased out of the continent and the Natives defeated. The next section then shows the passing of the Proclamation of 1763 shortly after the War. One of the causes for the war was the wish of the colonists to settle land west of the Ohio River valley which the proclamation now denied in order to appease the Natives as the narrator explains.

### Proclamation of 1763

Redcoats are seen again in this section as a colonist attempts to cross into the Ohio river valley in order to get to land he had begun to build a homestead on. Two redcoats patrolling the area stop him and ask just what he is doing in these lands. The colonist attempts to explain to the soldiers that his home is in the valley to which the British officer informs him that land is now Indian territory and his home is the opposite direction. In an attempt to protest further the other soldier forcibly pushes him away with the two soldiers remarking about their disdain for the colonials. In the extended edition the camera then focuses on a Native performing a tribal dance in the background with his tomahawk.

The colonist pushed away is unsure what to do but he then suddenly comes up with a clever idea. He places a feather in his hat to display to serve as a Native American disguise in order to pass by the guards. Upon his return the soldiers question him once more to which he say fabricates the name Chief Whitepipe of the Cherocaucasians. The lower ranking redcoat is quite sure that the mans identity is a ruse telling asking if the officer can tell that this is simply the same man as before. The officer appears to almost be insulted that the soldier what suggest such a thing calling him a "daft turd" and stating that no self respecting British colonist would wear a feather. He then allows the man passage into the area wishing him well. These two soldiers are later repositioned in Boston and are present following the Boston Tea Party.

### The Tax Collector and the Tax maker

The Taxmen appear in the next section as the Tax maker begins to think of things to tax the colonists on. He sits at his desk back in England thinking of all sorts of things at random to gain the crown a good source of revenue on. While he does this The Sons of Liberty seek out the Tax Collector while he is at his home in order to vent their angers. A mob of 3 members go to the home of a tax collector tricking him to come outside by stating there was a carriage accident. As he opens the door he is grabbed, thrown to the ground, and beaten by the mob before being dragged to a public square. The men then Tar and Feather\* the official terribly torturing him by tickling him in the nose with a feather while taxes are still being made back in England. It would appear as though the Tax Collector is rather ticklish which would explain why this method is so tortuous. It is important to note however, that actual tar and feathering\* is the process of placing hot tar on a man and then throwing feathers at him that will stick to the tar. The feathers will then be removed taking the victims skin along with it causing much of those tarred to die of infection.

### Boston Massacre Offenders

he Boston Massacre begins when a crowd of angry colonists began harassing British regulars guarding the old town house. The colonists were throwing objects and yelling obscenities at the redcoats causing concern for the soldiers present. One soldier calls for assistance prompting the redcoat officer to come out asking "What the bloody hell is going on here?" when he is then hit by what appears to be a plastic water bottle. This confuses both him and the audience since such a thing did not exist. When hit he is keenly aware of the potential danger of the situation telling his men to hold their fire. Among all the noise from the crowd one soldier mistook this order for "fire" and he shoots towards the crowd. He is then joined by the other British soldier to the officers disapproval. The first man shot was a free black man who worked at the Boston harbor by the name of Crispus Attucks. Upon his death he exclaims, "Me Crispus, has been slain!". The crowd is stunned into silence when another colonists resumes insulting the redcoats annoying the officer prompting him to then shoot the man. The remaining colonists disperse after this with one threatening to "tell". Despite further accentuating the situation the officer seems to not acknowledge this placing the blame on the other soldiers.

### The Boston Tea Party

A British soldier is shown guarding the docks but is very tired and falls asleep standing up as The Son's of Liberty go about committing their act of destruction. Following the Tea Party the two British soldiers that appeared earlier in the video guarding the Ohio River Valley are seen in awe of the destruction caused. While it is quite evident the act was performed by the Son's of Liberty in disguise as said by the lower ranking redcoat, the officer considers the idea ridiculous since all British people would never dare harm tea believing that Mohawk Indians performed the attack. The two then go to search for evidence as to find out specific individuals responsible with the officer soon found out he was wrong and quite possibly, daft.

### Lexington and Concord

By 1775 the colonists had begun militarizing into militias know as *The Minutemen,*individuals who would be ready to fight at a minutes notice as described. Two prominent Sons of Liberty who helped organize this were Samuel Adams and John Hancock who had begun hiding in Concord, a town near Boston, to perform their operations to evade British interference. The minutemen had also begun storing their weapons cache in Concord in case the situation further developed. Upon the British discovering these offenses they decided to act with the orders given to John Pitcarin to lead a British army force of regulars to head to Concord in order to arrest Adams and Hancock as well as seize any Minutemen munitions. The minutemen were however prepared for this as once they heard of the British army preparing to move, they sent several riders in order to inform minutemen leaders to evade the area and prompting others to be prepared to fight.

The Minutemen at Lexington stood prepared to stop the British standing upon the Lexington Green that April morning. Upon arriving a British lieutenant stands with his men and tells them to halt as he prepares to negotiate with the colonists to disperse. When saying hold your fire once again the British mishear this command and begin firing on the colonists in what is known as "the shot heard round the world". Several colonists are shot dead and others flea to go join their larger force of comrades at Concord.

In the next scene the British reach Concord and when searching for the Minutemen's weapons the officer looks in the tree house cache. He is then heard screaming "BUGGER" as he angrily comes out disappointed that the arms have been taken elsewhere. On the march back to Boston the Minutemen begin their attack taking out British troops from the woods as they march on the road. The British unable to deal with this style of guerrilla warfare take heavy casualties. As shown in the film a small unit of soldiers come under fire and attempt to fight in similar tactics. The officer is displeased with this behavior insisting they form a firing line. As the line is formed with each order he gives one of his men are killed. After firing he examines that his unit has been wiped out, yet he gives the order to march and continues forward. In the extended addition more scenes of combat are shown with an exchange of casualties as the British take heavier losses and the colonists loot their ammunition. Another British squad is shown coming under fire with the officer deciding to pursue the colonists into the woods with the aim to make arrests. The colonists quickly flea and the redcoats attempt to stop this by firing upon them, only grazing a single minuteman. The British took heavy casualties and with the minutemen regrouping and planning to fight another day. After this encounter there was no question about it, a revolution had now begun.

### End of the War

Following the war's conclusion two redcoats are shown being thrown off a balcony representing their presences leaving the colonies. Following this scene the British attempt to claim the colonies again during the War of 1812 with a visual representation showing redcoat attempting to kill an American with a sword. He is then shot and the result ultimately is ending up with a draw.

## Trivia

- Jack and Jesse are most often portrayed as the Brits since they're the most capable at slightly resembling an English accent.

- During the Lexington and Concord scene when the 3 redcoats attempt to shoot the fleeing colonists, not a single one of them aim during the command saying aim. They all instead do not aim until they reach the command fire.

French and Indian WarSir isn't that the colonist in disguiseThe Tax MakerThe Tax CollectorTortureOh now we've done itSo tiredWho's thrown all this tea into the harborArriving at LexingtonThey've taken the arms elsewhereAttempting a firing lineBye byeThe second attempt