Paul Revere warned colonists of the approaching British army, allowing American minutemen to gather and eventually engage the redcoats in Lexington and Concord. Native Americans had learned over generations to live off the land by hunting and eventually developing agriculture. In the 18th century, most colonists engaged in barter and trade rather than using money, exchanging goods like fish, wheat, and blankets. Many early colonists lived in poverty as immigrants without money or skills to survive. They feared for their lives and loved ones due to risks of disease, violence, and uncertainty in the new land. Housing improved as colonists built larger homes on expanding available land. The colonial population grew due in part to more sanitary food