Once the Castle is reclaimed, the group begins to broadcast Radio Freedom as a way to send alerts across the Commonwealth. The Minutemen also utilize artillery, giving them the means to defend locations from afar. The signature weapon of the Minutemen is the laser musket. Led by an overarching general and individual groups by colonels, members wear unique uniforms and are often armed with pipe weapons and double-barrel shotguns.

Word of the Minutemen's inability to protect Quincy spread across the Commonwealth, where settlers will make disparaging remarks about the group and event. By the time the group reaches that destination, Preston believes he is the last member of the Minutemen alive, dedicated to protecting the surviving group of civilians. Unable to settle there due to feral ghouls, they attempted to settle in Concord.

ДЇrom Quincy, the small contingent that survived the massacre headed to Jamaica Plains, and then Lexington to find shelter. The rest of the inhabitants were killed with the exception of a few who fled with Garvey, who took over after Hollis' death. Colonel Hollis was captured alive, standing by Minutemen principles until the end, executed by Clint. Despite their best efforts, the Minutemen could not defend against the Gunners' superior numbers and position. Hollis refused to stand down and the Gunners attacked in force, taking the high ground on the overpass. Shortly thereafter, Clint, a ten year veteran of the Minutemen, arrived in Quincy not to provide reinforcements, but having defected to the Gunner side. Hollis knew that they didn't have the numbers to hold the town against subsequent attacks, but repetitive requests for reinforcements from other Minutemen groups went unanswered. Preston Garvey, a Minutemen member since the age of 17, was in this group and assisted with the efforts to barricade the town against future attacks.

One group of Minutemen responded to Quincy's request, under the command of Colonel Ezra Hollis. One such request was from the citizens of Quincy, who were being attacked by a mercenary group known as the Gunners. The loss of stable leadership and internal squabbles began to erode the efficacy of the group, but the efforts of the Minutemen to respond to defense requests persisted. Some members left the group entirely, such as James Wire and Ronnie Shaw. After General Becker's death, rivalries between different groups began to cause infighting and disorganization. The last Minutemen general, Joe Becker, died in 2282, but who should serve as successor was never agreed upon. The overall faction was historically led by a general and individual contingents led by a colonel. The Minutemen continued in their goals of responding to requests for help from nearby settlements that were being attacked, lending their aid towards its defense.

They maintained operations from this location until 2240, while under the leadership of General McGann, the headquarters were destroyed by a creature that emerged from the surrounding ocean. Meanwhile, the group established its headquarters at Fort Independence in South Boston, referring to it as 'the Castle.' The group including Ronnie Shaw established an armory within the facility, guarded by a sentry bot named Sarge. This effort was cut short when group members were murdered by the Institute's representative, a synth. The Minutemen then attempted to branch out to organize a provisional government with regional settlements. The group first rose to prominence in 2180, when they defended Diamond City against a super mutant attack. A statue near the Old North Bridge commemorates the original group, standing where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired. Similar to the Minutemen of the Revolutionary era, the modern day group is focused on defending the people of Massachusetts, at a minute's notice. The Commonwealth Minutemen are a volunteer civilian defense militia, described as citizen soldiers banding together to protect themselves and their communities.

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