ABSTRACT
Born in late 1719 or early 1720, Thomas Gage was commander in chief of British forces in the American colonies from 1763 to 1775.
The son of a member of the House of Commons and a viscount in the Irish peerage, Gage received a balanced education and was commissioned as an ensign before he was 20. He developed friendships with other future famous British officers such as James Wolfe, John Burgoyne, and William Howe. Gage steadily advanced through the ranks before purchasing a major's commission in 1748; he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1751.
