c) The Powder Alarm

The Powder Alarm of 1774 was a significant prelude to the American Revolutionary War. This event occurred when British troops covertly moved to seize colonial gunpowder from a magazine in what is now Somerville, Massachusetts. The operation sparked widespread alarm among the colonists, leading to the rapid mobilization of thousands of colonial militiamen. The Powder Alarm demonstrated the high level of organization and readiness among the colonial militias and foreshadowed the imminent armed conflict. It also highlighted the growing mistrust and tension between the British authorities and the American colonists.