author
Thomas Gage
1721–1787
A British general and colonial administrator, he stood at the center of the tense final years before open war in America. His career stretched from the French and Indian War to the first clashes of the American Revolution, making him a key figure on the British side of the story.
1 Audiobook
Gage's Instructions
by Henry De Berniere, Thomas Gage
About the author
Born in Sussex in 1721, Thomas Gage was a British Army officer who built a long career in North America. He served in the French and Indian War and later became commander in chief of British forces in North America, a post he held for more than a decade.
Gage is best remembered for his role in the troubled years just before the American Revolution. As military governor of Massachusetts, he was charged with enforcing British authority at a time when resistance in the colonies was growing rapidly. His name is closely linked with the events at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, which marked the start of open fighting.
Although he was an experienced officer, his efforts to contain the rebellion failed, and he was eventually recalled to Britain. He died in 1787, remembered as one of the central British commanders in the opening chapter of the Revolution.