America 250: The Boston Campaign 1775-76: A Leadership Discussion with Gen. William Rapp

Apr 21, 2025

Retired U.S. Army Major General William Rapp, with 33 years of service and a PhD from Stanford, dives into the American Revolution's Boston Campaign. He discusses the colonies' initial hesitations about revolution, sparked by British policies. Key battles like Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill illustrate this turning point. Rapp sheds light on George Washington's strategic genius and the clever tactics that led to the British evacuation from Boston. His insights emphasize the critical role of leadership and unity in the face of adversity.

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INSIGHT

Rebellion vs. Revolution Defined

The American Revolution began as a desire to change conditions, not to change government.
The colonies initially wanted rights as Englishmen before turning to full revolution.

INSIGHT

British Underestimate Colonial Militias

Early British assumptions underestimated colonial militia abilities.
The British overestimated how quickly they could strike and return with success.

ANECDOTE

Lexington Militia Didn't Fire First

Lexington militia were ordered to disperse and did not start the fighting.
The British fired first on the colonial militiamen, killing eight at Lexington Green.

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This is a conversation to kick off the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Retired U.S. Army Major General and history buff, Bill Rapp, drops some knowledge on how the colonies weren't exactly gung-ho for a full-blown revolution before April 1775. Turns out, they were mostly ticked off and feeling rebellious in response to intolerable British policies. But a tense situation and an itchy trigger finger set it off.

The episode covers the action-packed Battles of Lexington and Concord, George Washington taking charge of the Continental Army, the intense Battle of Bunker Hill (which was actually fought on Breed's Hill), and the clever move at Dorchester Heights that sent the British packing from Boston.

William “Bill” Rapp is a retired Major General of the United States Army with 33 years of distinguished service which included combat deployments in three wars, two Defense Service Medals, two Bronze Star Medals, Master Parachutist and Ranger tabs. He was not only a respected Army officer, but also a leadership developer who served as Commandant of the Army War College and Commandant of Cadets at the US Military Academy at West Point.

In over 42 months in combat, Bill led an airborne engineer company in the first Gulf War, commanded a 3,000-soldier brigade in the Iraq War, served as General Petraeus' personal assistant during the Iraq Surge, and commanded over 17,000 troops supplying all resource needs of the 160,000 U.S. and international force in Afghanistan in 2011-12. He also served as the Army's senior liaison to the U.S. Congress.

Bill holds a PhD in Political Science from Stanford University and is the author of the book about the Boston Campaign of the American Revolutionary War titled Accomplishing the Impossible: Leadership That Launched Revolutionary Change. He now consults and teaches on leadership and is working on his second book on Sioux and Cheyenne leadership at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

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