History Memes

Was it a crazy bastard that went rogue or a clumsy idiot that misfired by accident. The world will never know.

John Parker: Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to-
Pow!

Parker: God dammit you guys!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battles_of_Lexington_and_Concord#First_shot:_Conflicting_accounts

British and Patriot soldiers' accounts from Lexington, and analyses by later historians, differ on who fired the first shot and whether any definite conclusion can be made. Modern historian David Hackett Fischer wrote that both British commander Pitcairn and Patriot commander Parker, ordered their men to hold their fire but a shot was fired from an unknown person.[55] Some witnesses (on each side) claimed that someone on the other side fired first; however, many more witnesses claimed to not know which side fired the first shot.[56] Some men on both sides stated that the initial shot did not come from the men immediately facing each other at the Common.[57] Fischer has proposed the possibility of multiple near-simultaneous shots.[58] Fischer wrote that while a few militiamen thought the regulars were only firing powder but not ball, when they realized the Regulars were firing ball, few if any of the militiamen managed to load weapons and return fire. The others ran for their lives.[59] Historian Mark Urban wrote that British soldiers cheered and ran at the militiamen who lowered their weapons instead of moving in at an orderly walk to disarm them. According to Urban, one or two villagers opened fire and then, without orders from Pitcairn, one formed British company levelled its weapons and let fly a crashing volley.[60]

“LEEEEROOOOOOOY mmJENKIIIIINSSS!!!”