Gunpowder Incident

On the night of April 20-21, 1775, Virginia's Royal Governor Lord Dunmore secretly ordered Royal Marines to remove fifteen half-barrels of gunpowder from the Williamsburg magazine to a Royal Navy vessel. Dunmore claimed he feared the powder would be used in a slave rebellion, but colonists recognized it as a disarmament effort coming the day after Lexington and Concord. Outrage was immediate. Crowds gathered, and there was serious discussion of storming the Governor's Palace. Dunmore threatened to free enslaved people and bombard the town if any violence occurred.

Patrick Henry led several hundred militia toward Williamsburg from Hanover County, demanding either return of the powder or compensation. A royal official ultimately paid 330 pounds sterling to resolve the standoff. The incident destroyed Dunmore's remaining credibility in Virginia entirely. He fled the Governor's Palace in June 1775 and conducted the remainder of his war against Virginia from his ships.

The Gunpowder Incident accelerated Virginia's radicalization and helped push colonial leadership including Washington, Jefferson, and Henry toward independence. It confirmed for Virginians that British officials were actively moving to disarm the colonies, and it made continued loyal obedience to the Crown effectively impossible for most Virginians.