Who are the members of the colonial militias?

The members of the colonial militias came from all classes of society. The first colonial militia was formed in 1636, 140 years before the American Revolution. The Massachusetts General Court, the colonials' governing body in that colony, required that all able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and 60 join the militia. (There were exceptions for ministers, judges, some master craftsmen and ship masters, etc. so in practice the militia had a higher proportion of the working class than the population in general.) Members of the militia were required to meet to train regularly and be ready to fight when needed. The purpose of the militia was to protect the colonies against attack from Native Americans, to be ready to fight foreign invasion, and to keep order in the towns and villages.

The "Redcoats" were the soldiers of the regular British Army, who wore fancy bright red uniforms.