Alexander Cain, JD
“I Screamed with All My Might”—Civilians Trapped Behind the Lines During the Siege of Boston
In the aftermath of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, hundreds of civilians found themselves trapped inside Boston, surrounded by the forces of the Massachusetts Grand Army. Regardless of their political allegiance, these non-combatants faced a daily struggle to secure supplies to support their families, avoid the abuses of His Majesty’s forces and protect their personal and real property from roving bands of thieves. As the siege progressed, the continuous fear of an American attack on the town, combined with bouts of lawlessness, deprivation of civil rights, and disease, led to the collapse of society. While much attention has been given to the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Evacuation of Boston, we’ll take a closer look at the struggles of those trapped behind enemy lines and their efforts to merely survive.
Alexander R. Cain, JD, (mcalpin77@gmail.com | historicalnerdery.com | LinkedIn) graduated from Merrimack College in 1993 with a degree in economics and from New England School of Law in 1996 with a juris doctorate. He currently serves as the academic dean at a vocational college in Massachusetts. Alex is a well-respected and highly sought-after speaker who frequently lectures on the military and social influences of April 19, 1775. He has published multiple research articles that have shed new light on the Battles of Lexington and Concord, privateer operations during the Siege of Boston and the loyalist refugee experience during the American Revolution. Alex has also published two books: We Stood Our Ground: Lexington in the First Year of the American Revolution and I See Nothing but the Horrors of a Civil War; and is the author of the blog and podcast “Historical Nerdery.” He resides in Massachusetts with his wife, Paula, and his two children, John and Abigail.