general thomas gage is britain's enforcer in the americas.to send a message -- comply with the crown, or suffer the consequences. >> margaret, may i introduce governor hutchinson? >> lady. >> governor. >> welcome. >> if you'll excuse me, my dear. >> mrs. gage. my name is dr. joseph warren. you're enjoying boston, i hope? >> it is a rather small town, is it not? >> very much so. >> joseph warren is more than just boston's most prominent physician. secretly, he's also one of the highest-ranking members of the sons of liberty. >> joseph warren is interesting because he's responsible for setting up the spy network that would alert as to what the british troops were up to. >> history will later ask if mrs. gage, an american herself, is a spy for the rebel cause, sharing information with dr. warren. >> boston has its attractions. >> i see that it does, doctor. >> please spare my life! >> captain, what is your business here? >> deserters, general. >> assemble your firing squad. >> i'm most sorry, sir! please, sir! spare us, sir, please! >> surely, t

from across the river, british commander thomas gage watches as general william howe drives his troopsial front line. >> the americans fortify the top of the hill so that they can have an advantageous position over the british and defend the hill in a way that the british weren't anticipating. >> dr. joseph warren, president of the massachusetts provincial congress and soon-to-be general, joins his fellow volunteers in the trenches. >> when liberty is the prize, who would shun the war? we esteem no sacrifice too great to redeem our inestimable rights and privileges. these fellows say we won't fight. by heavens, i hope i shall die up to my knees in blood. >> forward... march! >> here they come! [ drum rhythm playing ] >> how many heads do you see?! >> it's the whole crowd! >> get ready, boys! >> forward, men! >> wait till they're 15 paces out! >> steady, men. we cannot waste any powder. pick your shots carefully. do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes! aim for those pretty red coats! [ indistinct shouting ] fire! >> with their superior numbers, training, and firepower, the r

known as the battle of bunker hill. [ explosions, gunfire ] [ indistinct shouting ] >> general thomas gageh america, orders his guns in the harbor and nearby batteries to fire on the colonists. >> i need two scouts and i need them here now. take care of that. >> general putnam, sir. >> dr. warren. should i say general warren? >> my rank is not official yet, sir. and as far as i'm concerned, i'm just another volunteer. >> joseph warren arrives, and people know who he is. they know his reputation. they know his contributions. he's one of the sons of liberty. and they're surprised to see him. why is he at the front? well, that's where he wants to be. >> as the british shell the americans from the water, general william howe, distinguished veteran of the french and indian war, prepares to overwhelm them on the ground. howe is convinced that the colonials will cut and run when confronted head on by his majesty's formidable troops. >> forward... march! >> and the liberty that ben franklin and his fellow patriots yearned for will vanish with them. but the general is sorely mistaken. [ gunshot ] >

general thomas gage begins seizing cannon and gunpowder in massachusetts.ry is in danger. >> the sons of liberty and a crowd of bostonians gather at the old south meeting house to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the boston massacre. [ all shouting ] >> joseph warren was one of the best-known physicians in massachusetts. not only the well-to-do, but he also tended to the prostitutes of boston and some of the more indigent population, which put him in a very good position to pick up intelligence from a variety of quarters. and that made him very useful to samuel adams and the sons of liberty. >> our wish is that britain and the colonies may grow in strength together. [ all cheer ] >> but while one part of the empire makes slaves of the other, the measures taken by our congress must be steadily pursued. [ all cheer ] >> five men are gunned down by the british at the boston massacre, something sam adams refuses to let people forget. >> my friends, we are gathered here tonight to remember and commemorate our dead brethren. >> have you got your parts correct