The Minutemen played a crucial role not only in the Revolutionary War, but in earlier conflicts.
Minuteman holding musket and flag. Cover illustration from Harper's Weekly, July 15, 1876. Wood engraving by Speer, "from a picture by George W. Maynard, in Memorial Hall, Phila."
Although the terms militia and minutemen are sometimes used interchangeably today, in the 18th century there was a decided difference between the two. Militia were men in arms formed to protect their towns from foreign invasion and ravages of war. Minutemen were a small hand-picked elite force which were required to be highly mobile and able to assemble quickly. Minutemen were selected from militia muster rolls by their commanding officers. Typically 25 years of age or younger, they were chosen for their enthusiasm, reliability, and physical strength. Usually about one quarter of the militia served as Minutemen, performing additional duties as such. The Minutemen were the first armed militia to arrive or await a battle.
Although today Minutemen are thought of as connected to the Revolutionary War in America, their existence was conceived in Massachusetts during the mid-seventeenth century. As early as 1645, men were selected from the militia ranks to be dressed with matchlocks or pikes and accoutrements within half an hour of being warned. In 1689 another type of Minuteman company came into existence. Called Snowshoemen, each was to "provide himself with a good pair of snowshoes, one pair of moggisons, and one hatchet" and to be ready to march on a moment's warning. Minutemen also played a role in the French and Indian War in the 1750's. A journal entry from Samuel Thompson, a Massachusetts militia officer, states, "...but when our men were gone, they sent eleven more at one minute's warning, with 3 days provision..." By the time of the Revolution, Minutemen had been a well-trained force for six generations in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Every town had maintained its 'training band'. The adversity that this region faced — Native-American uprisings, war with France, and potential for local insurrections, social unrest, and rioting — provided ample reason to adhere to a sound militia organization. In his recent book, perhaps David Hackett Fischer puts it best, "The muster of the Minutemen in 1775 was the product of many years of institutional development...it was also the result of careful planning and collective effort." (p. 151). By the time of the Revolution, Massachusetts had been training, drilling, and improving their militia for well over a hundred years.
Unfortunately, one thing the Minutemen lacked was central leadership. This disadvantage would lead to their dissolution. In February of 1775 Concord was one of the first towns to comply with the order to create Minutemen companies out of the militia. Of approximately 400 militia from Concord's muster rolls, one hundred would also serve as Minutemen. When a battle took place Minutemen companies from several towns combined their units. An officer from the 43rd Regiment of Foot was sent to the North Bridge in Concord with a number of light infantry. Minutemen from Concord, Acton, Littleton, and other towns combined forces. After a few volleys were fired, the British light infantry retreated back to the Concord Common area. Lacking central command, with each company of Minutemen loyal to their own town, they did not pursue the redcoats. In the running battle that ensued fifteen miles back to Boston the Massachusetts militia would see their last action as Minutemen in history. The militia would go on to form an army, surrounding Boston and inflicting heavy casualties on the British army at Bunker and Breed's Hill.
Thus, although lacking central command, the Minutemen were still better organized and battle-tested than any other part-time military. They were a vital and necessary force, playing a crucial role in not only the Revolutionary War, but in earlier conflicts. Without these "ready in a minute" men, our history may have been written in a very different way.
– Andrew Ronemus
FAQs
Just side with the Minutemen without destroying the RR or BOS.
Were the Minutemen necessary? ›
They were a vital and necessary force, playing a crucial role in not only the Revolutionary War, but in earlier conflicts. Without these "ready in a minute" men, our history may have been written in a very different way.
Do the Minutemen quests ever end? ›
those quests never stop, there will allways be random problems to deal with. Each faction has these types of repeatable quests. And you only need like 8 or so settlements before you get that final minuteman quest, which btw is to get a new settlement. The Castle.
Should I tell the Minutemen to stand down? ›
Assuming you'd like to continue The Institute storyline, tell The Minutemen to stand down and be sure not to kill any Institute forces. When you've made it inside the homestead, talk to your contact Enrico Thompson. He'll tell you that Wallace has locked himself behind a door.
What is the canon ending for Minutemen Fallout 4? ›
The first potential canon outcome comes when players choose to side with The Minutemen – a choice which has several options, but one of them is to allow The Brotherhood of Steel and The Railroad to co-exist while destroying the sinister Institute. This means that in the show's timeline, The Prydwen would still exist.
Which Fallout 4 ending is best? ›
Minutemen Ending
This is arguably the best faction to join in Fallout 4 if you want the most number of factions to survive. To reach this ending, you must satisfy the following conditions: Retake the Castle in the Taking Independence quest. Join and befriend the Institute.
Were the Minutemen paid? ›
Minute men were also paid for training days, on average 1 shilling for each half day. Again, training with the militia was a requirement of law. Minute men also sometimes received arms and equipment from the town.
Is it good to join the Minutemen? ›
They offer the most clear-cut “good ending” in the game, allowing you to explore the wastelands guilt-free. Pursuing the Minutemen's ending will also allow you to continue completing missions for the Railroad faction and The Brotherhood of Steel, assuming they maintain relations with each respective faction.
Do you have to destroy the brotherhood as the Minutemen? ›
The Minutemen ending
It is possible to stay on positive terms with the Railroad and Brotherhood of Steel by not making any of those two factions hostile.
Does setting up Mila ever end? ›
The MILA quests actually do have an end, granted there isn't a special reward for doing them all or anything, but eventually Tinker Tom will figure out that it isn't worth sending you to do that.
As soon as he believed the Minutemen had lost such strength, Clint became disillusioned with their ideals, and gradually betrayed them by discontinuing actions of protecting settlements and citizens of the Commonwealth. Lieutenant Clint is later one of the local Gunner leaders at Quincy ruins.
Does Preston ever run out of quests? ›
Preston hands out an infinite number of these quests which will send you to various unexplored or already-explored locations to kill or retrieve things for settlers. You get a small amount of XP and cash, and their thanks.
What happens if you side with the Railroad instead of the Minutemen? ›
If you pledge your final loyalty to the Railroad Faction in Fallout 4, then you will no longer be able to complete quests or contact allies of other factions. Both the Institute and the Brotherhood of Steel will become permanent enemies.
Can you wipe out the Minutemen? ›
So as many of us know the Minutemen are the fallback faction in Fallout 4, meaning they cannot be destroyed so as to make sure you always have a way to beat the game. With the exception of the Minutemen, every faction can or must be eliminated depending on the story route you chose.
Can you betray Institute with Minutemen? ›
If you choose to join the institute, can you betray the institute by being the "man on the inside" for the minutemen or the railroad? yes, i did it for the railroad, it's called Underground Undercover. Keep in mind that this quest takes a long time to complete though.
How to trigger Minutemen ending? ›
The Minutemen ending
This ending can only be achieved if the player character got into hostile relations with the Institute. In this ending, the Minutemen become the dominant force in the Commonwealth and the player character restored the Minutemen to their full power.
Can you still do the Minutemen ending after Nuka world? ›
The Minutemen ending is the only option that's left if all other factions are unavailable, meaning that Fallout 4 will always have an ending.
How do you get the Minutemen to fight the Brotherhood? ›
After building and assigning the 5 artillery, head to the Castle and talk to Minuteman assigned to the radio tower there. He'll tell you that they are ready to strike at the Brotherhood.
