Gage's Instructions

Gage, Thomas, 1721-1787Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 33K words
Chapters: 4

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Gage's Instructions by Henry De Berniere and Thomas GageAuthor: Gage, Thomas, 1721-1787,Language: English, Class: E201: History: America: Revolution (1775-1783), Release Date: Jun 27, 2011

Editor's review

This collection of texts by Thomas Gage and Henry De Berniere is a key primary source for the early days of the American Revolution, classified under E201. Its core value lies in presenting British military orders and the background to operations, offering direct evidence for understanding the tense situation in Massachusetts around 1775, British intelligence gathering, and preparations for suppression. The text is short but dense with historical material, suitable as supplementary reading for the outbreak phase of the Revolution. Readers should note the author's identity and stance: Gage was the British commander, and his orders reflect the British perspective and judgment, so they should be used alongside colonial accounts. The electronic edition, published by Project Gutenberg, is easy to search and excerpt, making it a handy reference for history students, military history enthusiasts, and writers who need original English documents.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars and students of the early American Revolution
Military history readers interested in British military orders and intelligence operations
Researchers in history and literature who need English primary sources for topical writing
History enthusiasts who enjoy reading short primary sources

Not a good fit for

General readers expecting a complete narrative history
Beginners who need detailed annotations and introductions
Readers who find 18th-century English official prose difficult

Reading tips

First get an overview of the situation in Massachusetts in 1775, then read the orders to understand the background.
Read the British orders alongside colonial accounts, noting differences in stance.
Excerpt key sentences on intelligence, troop movements, and military orders to make topical notes.
The English official prose is dense; read in short sessions and summarize each paragraph.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What is the main content of this document?

It is a collection of British military orders and related operational materials from the early American Revolution, covering Gage's deployments and intelligence background as British commander in Massachusetts. The text is short but concentrated in historical value, suitable as supplementary reading for the outbreak phase of the Revolution.

Is it suitable as an introductory text?

Not very suitable for absolute beginners. The text is in 18th-century English official prose and lacks modern annotations and introductions. Readers should first have a basic factual framework of the early Revolution before tackling the original text; otherwise, it will be difficult due to unfamiliar background.

What should be noted when citing it?

Note Gage's British stance: the orders reflect the British perspective and judgment and should not be taken as neutral narrative. For research citations, compare with colonial accounts and verify the edition and page numbers of the Project Gutenberg electronic version.

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About the author

Gage, Thomas, 1721-1787 Author · British · 1721–1787

Thomas Gage (1721–1787) was a British Army general. From 1774 he served as governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, holding military and civil authority there as tensions in the North American colonies grew; he later returned to Britain. One work by him is held in this collection, Gage's Instructions. Public information on his early life, education, and detailed military career is limited, so no speculation is offered here. Judging from the surviving work, his writing belongs to the genre of military and administrative instructions, marked by a practical, commanding tone that directly reflects how decisions were made and carried out in colonial governance. Though not literary in nature, such documents offer first-hand material for understanding British rule in North America at the time and give Gage a place in the historical record.