Latest news with #LexingtonMinuteMen
CBS News
20-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
The birth of the American Revolution
Newsreels told the story of World War II, and the early still photography of Matthew Brady chronicled the horrors of the Civil War. But with the American Revolution, which began 250 years ago this month, it can be harder to appreciate the life-and-death stakes in the colonists' fight for freedom. What did it feel like in Lexington and Concord, the two Massachusetts towns where, on one April day in 1775, the patriots and British redcoats first exchanged fire? Larissa Sasgen, John Nichols and William Rose, members of the Lexington Minute Men reenactors group, have studied the period to understand what the mood was like among the colonists. "We discuss it a lot, we read accounts, we read diaries," said Sasgen. "It's impossible for me, as someone who was born in the '80s, to ever imagine what it would have been like to have my freedoms taken as much as theirs were," said Nichols, "to be pushed into that proverbial corner where my only choice is to fight the world's best army." "When we think about the revolution, most people they start with, you know, the taxes, the Stamp Act, the Townsend duties back in the 1760s," said Jim Hollister, a park ranger at Minute Man National Historical Park. "By the time you get to 1775, it's a whole different ball game." By that point, the mother country and her Massachusetts colony were beyond estranged. Parliament had imposed onerous taxes without representation; sent thousands of British troops to occupy Boston; and - most egregiously - stripped Massachusetts of the power to govern itself, power it had enjoyed for nearly a century. "What gets somebody living a comfortable life to then take the most dramatic action?" asked Hollister. It was, he said, because they felt humiliated – and threatened. On April 18, 1775, seven hundred British soldiers began marching 18 miles through the night from Boston to Concord to seize arms that had been stockpiled by patriot militiamen. Hollister said, "There's not supposed to be a Massachusetts army; that is treason" - punishable by death. "They are taking a huge risk." About halfway between Boston and Concord: the town of Lexington, which happened to be where two future founding fathers, Sam Adams and John Hancock, were relying low. Hancock was one of the wealthiest men in the colonies, and a major financier of the patriot cause. Adams had helped plan the Boston Tea Party. At about 11:30 p.m. that evening, Paul Revere rode into town, sounding the alarm about the approaching redcoats. According to the Lexington History Museums' Sarah McDonough, Revere made a special stop in Lexington, to urge Adams and Hancock to flee. "John was very hesitant to leave," she said. "There are men outside who are going to fight the might of the British empire; he wants to be a part of that. He sees himself as a leader, and he very much was. Sam Adams was said to have sort of placed his hand on John's shoulder and said, 'We don't belong here.'" The two leaders escaped under cover of darkness, as 77 brave patriot militiamen stood, guns drawn, at sunrise on April 19, as the world's most vaunted army approached. It's not known who fired the first shot, but one thing is clear: It did not go well for the patriots. The colonists scattered, eight of them killed, a terrible toll for this tight-knit community. "All of these people were intimately connected, which makes the wave of grief that much worse because everyone lost someone," said McDonough. Hollister said, "Now, word is radiating: They've killed our people in Lexington. So, the militiamen that are turning out after that are infuriated." More than 400 Minute Men (called so because they were ready at a moment's notice) gathered later that morning to take on the redcoats as they arrived at Concord's North Bridge. "Then, a shot rings out, from the British side by all accounts, and then a second and a third," Hollister said. "And one of the Minute Men is grazed in the forehead. And then, Major Buttrick gives a fateful order: 'Fire, for God's sake, fire.' And that was the first time that a colonial officer ordered his Minute Men to fire on the King's soldiers. "Once the Minute Men open fire, the casualties in the British are very heavy, and they just break and they run," said Hollister. "There's no turning back. And for the Minute Men, imagine seeing the backs of British soldiers running … from you! " Throughout their grueling 18-mile retreat, the redcoats took fire from a growing number of colonial militiamen fighting from behind rocks and trees. This was terrain the patriots knew well. It was now the British suffering humiliation. By the time their day ended in Boston, more than 70 of them were dead and hundreds more injured. What changed that day? "The idea that the crisis could be settled peacefully, the idea that they were going to be able to return to their normal lives," said Hollister. "The world that they knew was gone." The following month, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia. There, delegates, including John Hancock and Sam Adams, appointed George Washington the commander of the newly-formed Continental Army. The Revolutionary War had begun. And for reenactor William Rose, himself a military veteran, the story of that fateful April day will always be worth retelling: "Maybe no one will remember me 50 years from now, but if some kid remembers me because I gave him a great story that he can relate to? Think about the immigrants, 1607 Jamestown or 1620 Plymouth, or 20 minutes ago on the Southern border, or any place else: they're coming here for a reason, for the ability to not have somebody else have a boot on your neck. If we can get rid of all the nonsense, the red and the blue and the value judgments, and just look at that reason, that's what America stands for. "And if I can convince one little kid that this is the place to keep striving for that," said Rose, "then that kid can be us dressed up in another 50 years." For more info: Story produced by Mark Hudspeth. Editor: Carol Ross. More revolutionary history from "Sunday Morning":
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Battle of Lexington reenactment draws early-morning crowds for 250th anniversary
By Hillel Italie and Michael Casey LEXINGTON — Thousands of people came to this Massachusetts town Saturday just before dawn to witness the beginnings of the American Revolution. Amid a hail of gunfire, they watched as British soldiers confronted an overmatched group of Lexington Minute Men on Lexington Battle Green. The battle, which left eight Americans dead and 10 wounded, marks the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The day offers an opportunity to reflect on this seminal moment in history but also consider what this fight means today. 'It's truly momentous,' said Richard Howell, who portrayed Lexington Minute Man Samuel Tidd in the battle. 'This is one of the most sacred pieces of ground in the country, if not the world because of what it represents,' he said. 'To represent what went on that day, how a small town of Lexington was a vortex of so much ... Lexington was the first town that was able to anywhere muster men and were the first to face the onslaught of the British.' The semiquincentennial comes as President Donald Trump, the scholarly community and others divide over whether to have a yearlong party leading up to July 4, 2026, as Trump has called for, or to balance any celebrations with questions about women, the enslaved and Indigenous people and what their stories reveal. The history of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts is half-known, the myth deeply rooted. Reenactors may with confidence tell us that hundreds of British troops marched from Boston in the early morning of April 19, 1775, and gathered about 14 miles northwest on Lexington's town green. Firsthand witnesses remembered some British officers yelled, 'Thrown down your arms, ye villains, ye rebels!' and that amid the chaos a shot was heard, followed by 'scattered fire' from the British. The battle turned so fierce that the area reeked of burning powder. By day's end, the fighting had continued around 7 miles west to Concord and some 250 British and 95 colonists were killed or wounded. But no one has learned who fired first, or why. And the revolution itself was initially less a revolution than a demand for better terms. Woody Holton, a professor of early American history at the University of South Carolina, says most scholars agree the rebels of April 1775 weren't looking to leave the empire, but to repair their relationship with King George III and go back to the days preceding the Stamp Act, the Tea Act and other disputes of the previous decade. 'The colonists only wanted to turn back the clock to 1763,' he said. Stacy Schiff, a Pulitzer Prize winning historian whose books include biographies of Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Adams, said Lexington and Concord 'galvanized opinion precisely as the Massachusetts men hoped it would, though still it would be a long road to a vote for independence, which Adams felt should have been declared on 20 April 1775.' But at the time, Schiff added, 'It did not seem possible that a mother country and her colony had actually come to blows.' The rebels had already believed their cause greater than a disagreement between subjects and rulers. Well before the turning points of 1776, before the Declaration of Independence or Thomas Paine's boast that 'We have it in our power to begin the world over again,' they cast themselves in a drama for the ages. The so-called Suffolk Resolves of 1774, drafted by civic leaders of Suffolk County, prayed for a life 'unfettered by power, unclogged with shackles,' a fight that would determine the 'fate of this new world, and of unborn millions.' The revolution was an ongoing story of surprise and improvisation. Military historian Rick Atkinson, whose 'The Fate of the Day' is the second of a planned trilogy on the war, called Lexington and Concord 'a clear win for the home team,' if only because the British hadn't expected such impassioned resistance from the colony's militia. The British, ever underestimating those whom King George regarded as a 'deluded and unhappy multitude,' would be knocked back again when the rebels promptly framed and transmitted a narrative blaming the royal forces. 'Once shots were fired in Lexington, Samuel Adams and Joseph Warren did all in their power to collect statements from witnesses and to circulate them quickly; it was essential that the colonies, and the world, understand who had fired first,' Schiff said. 'Adams was convinced that the Lexington skirmish would be 'famed in the history of this country.' He knocked himself out to make clear who the aggressors had been.' Neither side imagined a war lasting eight years, or had confidence in what kind of country would be born out of it. The founders united in their quest for self-government but differed how to actually govern, and whether self-government could even last. Americans have never stopped debating the balance of powers, the rules of enfranchisement or how widely to apply the exhortation, 'All men are created equal.' 'I think it's important to remember that the language of the founders was aspirational. The idea that it was self-evident all men were created equal was preposterous at a time when hundreds of thousands were enslaved,' said Atkinson, who cites the 20th-century poet Archibald MacLeish's contention that 'democracy is never a thing done.' 'I don't think the founders had any sense of a country that some day would have 330 million people,' Atkinson said. 'Our country is an unfinished project and likely always will be.' Is Harvard's resistance to Trump igniting a broader movement across higher ed? 'Free speech is in danger': Tufts student newspaper editor defends Rümeysa Öztürk Judge orders that Tufts student who was arrested by ICE be returned to Vermont Mass. Sen. Warren, husband report $925K in income in 2024 Senator points out glaring legal vulnerability of Trump deportations
Boston Globe
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Every year, they live and die as Revolutionary War reenactors. This year, it's special.
The soldiers on both sides are all Revolutionary War reenactors, and this recent, full-dress rehearsal for 'These were the first casualties to die for what we represent today,' said Henry Liu of the Lexington Minute Men, who will participate in his 35th reenactment earlier that day at Lexington Green, where the first battle of the Revolution occurred. 'It gives me goosebumps every year.' Advertisement For Minute Men and Redcoats alike, the extended outdoor drama is a chance to blend play-acting with a deep impulse to honor the men and women who sacrificed here, real people whom they have read about and studied. Related : 'The goal is to show people what this battle was about,' said Bob Allegretto of North Andover, who brings more than 40 years of experience to the fight, where he will portray a British major on horseback. Advertisement Valerie and Michael V. Graves portray a British Civillian Corps member and a Commanding Officer of His Majesty's Tenth Regiment of Foot at the Lexington Battle Green in Lexington. While the couple's day jobs are quite different, as Valerie is a receptionist, and Michael teaches at a university, they both enjoy being British reenactors of the American Revolutionary War. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe 'Take cover! Fire!' another British officer barked during the rehearsal, as a cluster of His Majesty's troops crouched behind a stone wall and peered into the thick forest for a fleeting glimpse of their pursuers. The reenactors run the gamut -- young and old, fit and overweight, male and female. They gather regularly from across New England to train, drill, and swap stories about a moment in history that many Americans know only through myth and stereotype. The hobby often becomes a family affair taken up by succeeding generations. The passion gets passed along, too. On April 19 in Minute Man National Historical Park, about 40,000 people are expected to watch what the National Park Service calls a 'tactical demonstration' unfold in fastidiously choreographed detail along Battle Road Trail, which stretches about five miles from Concord to Lexington. No blank cartridges were fired during the recent drill, as they will be for the crowds, but almost everything else was designed to replicate the real thing. That commitment comes with a price tag. Redcoats and Minute Men alike spend about about $2,500 to $3,000 each on period clothing, accessories, and muskets. And that doesn't count the cost of trips to venues outside Greater Boston for multi-day reenactments at Revolutionary battlefields such as Saratoga, N.Y., and Yorktown, Va. Members of the Tenth Regiment of Foot, a reenactment group portraying British troops at Lexington and Concord undergo drills in preparation for the April 19 commemoration in Lexington. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Related : 'It's an expensive hobby,' said Liu, a 59-year-old banker when he's not time-traveling. 'We used to be able to get away with linen and leather' for their outfits, but the Lexington Minute Men now require clothing to be as accurate as possible, which means wool for the coats, waistcoats, and breeches. Even the bayonets are real. Advertisement If nature calls during a break in the battle, the woods are conveniently available. And when reenactors are encamped 18th-century style, a porta-potty is often a walk away. 'We're not at the point where we're digging trenches for that,' said Becky Audette of Ayer, a co-captain of the Acton Minutemen. 'We're weekend warriors, and every one of us needs to go back to work on Monday without a broken back.' So why do they do it? Stephen Cole, captain of the Lexington Minute Men, offered a simple, direct explanation while addressing the group at a recent indoor run-through of this year's reenactment. 'The reason we're here is to honor the men and women we portray,' Cole said, a reminder that each of the Minute Men chose a specific person to represent. 'It's about keeping this alive for the 300th anniversary.' Along the way, there's plenty of fun to be had. Friendships stretch across decades, and laughter erupted when Lexington Minute Men who will die on the green were told to remain 'dead' while the reenactment unfolds. American Revolution reenactors Becky and Michael Audette stand on the Old North Bridge in Concord. The couple began reenacting in 2017 and have made their hobby a family affair. 'I think knowing your country's history is important. We never took our kids to Disney. We took them to a lot of odd places," said Becky. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe And then there was this: 'Please do not use any modern phrases. Watch the profanity!' Jim Roberts, who turns 70 on April 19, will portray Lexington tavern owner William Munroe and call the roll of the Minute Men before the British Regulars arrive on the Green and spill the first American blood of the Revolution. Roberts, a Lexington native who joined the reenactors 40 years ago, said the spirit of Patriots Day — 'its reverence' — was instilled in him as a child while watching the town's annual parade. Related : 'It's nice to fire muskets every once in a while,' but the camaraderie is special, Roberts said. And when they re-create a Revolutionary camp, he added, 'are there a couple of coolers inside a wooden box somewhere? Yes, there are.' Advertisement That fellowship also is felt on the 'enemy' side, where the chance for Americans to wear 18th-century British military garb, load and fire a Brown Bess musket, and chase after pesky Colonials brings its own unique satisfaction, even in reenacted defeat. 'I grew up watching 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and liked the 18th century, so I had to do this,' said Tyler Salfity of Quincy, a 21-year-old corporal in the British 10th Regiment of Foot, whose historical forebears made the arduous 40-mile round-trip from Boston to Concord on the original Patriots Day. 'Honestly, it's the most fun I've ever done,' said Salfity, a history major at Bridgewater State University. 'I echo commands, yell at the guys, and tell them to get back in the ranks. I also make sure everyone has gone to the bathroom before we get under way.' Their muskets were inspected by sergeants. They formed up in ranks. They drilled with their weapons. 'We keep track of attendance,' Graves said. 'If you're going to be promoted, we want you to show up.' Not only that, but each new recruit repeats the oath of allegiance to King George III that the original soldiers were required to take, Graves said. Advertisement After the inspection, the regiment decamped to the church parking lot, where it marched under the glare of a few streetlights and rehearsed the encounter on Lexington Green, where eight Colonial militia were killed and 10 wounded. On the other side, one British soldier was wounded. Then as now, the 10th Regiment can feel the heat. When the reenactors marched in this year's St. Patrick's Day parade in South Boston, they were booed lustily from beginning to end. 'It's part of the fun. We're the bad guys, so it's only natural,' said Salfity, the British corporal. 'And it's kind of accurate, you know? Boston was not a very friendly city to the British back then, so why now?' Brian MacQuarrie can be reached at
