CONCORD250

Celebrating 250 years of American spirit by honoring Concord’s leading role in the birth of our country.

The 250th anniversary of the historic battles of Concord and Lexington is approaching on April 19, 2025. Concord250 commemorates the semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary of  the American Revolution, which began here in New England. Two hundred fifty years ago, the men and women of what is now Massachusetts secured their independence from Britain and created a new nation dedicated to the ideals of liberty, equality, natural and civil rights and responsible citizenship. Concord250 honors our first 250 years and inspires Americans to imagine our next 250. To mark this significant anniversary, residents, friends, and neighbors of Concord are invited to commemorate and celebrate this anniversary throughout the entire year.

April 19 Schedule of Events

Full Schedule of CONCORD250 Events

Everything You Need to Know to Navigate April 19 in Concord

Sign Up for the Weekly Newsletter

Donate to the Town 250 Gift Fund

Concord250: Week at a Glance

Livestream on Minuteman Media’s YouTube channel

Media Inquiries & Credentials

Lantern

days left until
April 19, 2025

Lantern, 1775. Concord Museum Collection, Gift of Cummings E. Davis, M400a1

To see the lantern that was hung in the North Church as a signal on the night of Paul Revere's famous midnight ride, visit the Concord Museum!

Concord250 News & Upcoming Events

Eyewitness to the Revolution Forum and Book Launch

Monday | 7PM

Join us for the book launch of the Concord Museum’s publication Eyewitness to Revolution: The American Revolution Collection at the Concord Museum. Written by David Wood, the book tells the story of the Revolution through the Museum’s unparalleled collection of objects related to the early days of the American Revolution. David will be joined in conversation with his longtime colleague and author of The Minutemen and Their World, Robert A. Gross.
Free Members | $10 Non-Members | Free Virtual

Eyewitness to Revolution Forum and Book Launch

Concord250 Town Info Session - Are you ready for April 19?

April 1 | 6PM

Join us in the Goodwin Forum at the Concord Free Public Library for a Concord250 Info Session for residents!

Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83885213530?pwd=OFFtMEdSYVRDc 2hkUi9ma3cxSUxCZz09

Meeting ID: 838 8521 3530
Passcode: 225461

Concord250 Information Session for Residents

Concord Gets Ready Decorating Workshops

April 2,3,5,10

Get ready for the 250th! Stop by an upcoming workshop, pick up supplies, get ideas, get creative!

Concord Gets Ready: Decorate 250 workshops!

Harvesting the Spirit of Transcendentalism in Education Today

Wednesday, April 2 | 6-7:45PM

Harvesting the Spirit of Transcendentalism in Education Today.

Harvesting the Spirit of Transcendentalism in Education Today

Concord250 Exhibit: "Liberation Textiles: Our Social Fabric" at Concord Art

April 3 | 5:30 Opening Reception

Join us on Thursday April 3rd at 5:30pm for the opening reception of our upcoming exhibition, " Liberation Textiles: Our Social Fabric, " curated by Elizabeth Thach and Camilø Álvårez

Liberation Textiles: Our Social Fabric Opening Reception

Concord250 Event: Professor Michael Hattem “Concord and the Memory of the American Revolution”

April 5 | 2PM

Michael D. Hattem, Historian of the American Revolution and Historical Memory, will speak about the importance of the memory of the Revolution, specifically on how events in Concord have been perceived nationally.

Concord250 Event: Professor Michael Hattem “Concord and the Memory of the American Revolution”

Concord250 Event: Concord Art True Stories, Told Live: Freedom

April 9 | 7PM

As part of the town-wide celebrations for Concord250, we invite you to a new edition of “True Stories Told Live.” Join us for another fabulous evening of storytelling and community! This time, it will be a night of stories about freedom…
Thank you to our collaborating partners, Fugitive Productions and Transcendental Concord!

Concord250 Event: Concord Art True Stories, Told Live: Freedom

1775: A Society on the Brink of War and Revolution at the Concord Museum

April 10-11

What challenges did New England society face in 1775, and how did they impact the outbreak of fighting in Concord and Lexington?

The Concord Museum, the David Center for the American Revolution at the American Philosophical Society, and the Massachusetts Historical Society invite you to a conference on April 10-11, 2025 on the theme “1775”

1775: A Society on the Brink of War and Revolution

Concord Band Spring Pops! "Seeds of Revolution"

April 11 | 7PM

The Concord Band will present its spirited Spring Pops! concert on Friday, April 11, 2025, at 51 Walden Performing Arts Center. The program commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord as part of Concord250 festivities this year throughout the town of Concord. The concert features two compositions specially commissioned to honor the historic events of April 19, 1775.

Concord Band Spring Pops!

Barefoot Books Celebrates 250 with "Rise up! Powerful Protest in American History"

April & May

Enjoy events happening around town throughput April and May to celebrate 250 and Barefoot Book's brand new book "Rise Up!: Powerful Protests in American History"
Learn about 25 movements towards positive change that helped shape our country.

Barefoot Books Celebrates Concord250 with “Rise Up!: Powerful Protests in American History”

New Flag Ceremony

April 12 | 11am

Join us as we celebrate the unveiling of your new American flag!

New Flag Ceremony

Concord Businesses: April 19 Weekend Information Session Recording now available on YouTube

Attention Concord businesses:
Missed the meeting on March or want to share with your employees?
The recording is now available on Minute Man Media Network's YouTube Channel.

Watch video here
Concord250 Logo

Interested in volunteering for Concord250?

April 19

How to get involved:
Please email 250celebration@concordma.gov

We are looking for Adults to help volunteer as Ambassadors on April 19. Read here for information about the Ambassador role.

Call for Concord250 Ambassadors!

Concord 250: Monumental (Re)Make

ongoing

Celebrate the 250th birthday of the battles of Concord and Lexington by helping us recreate Daniel Chester French’s iconic statue The Minute Man through collaborative 3D printing!

Concord 250: Monumental (Re)Make

Interested in volunteering for CONCORD250?

At the heart of CONCORD250 are programs and events that will bring neighbors and communities together. United by a common vision, these will inspire us to explore the meaning and promise of CONCORD250.

Announcements

Concord250 Podcast #4 with Diane Taraz & Jane Ring Frank of the Concord Women's Chorus

Listen in as we chat with Diane and Jane about the Concord Women's Chorus and the Concord250 event on March 23!

Listen here

Quilts 250 "Stitching in the Spirit of Democracy"

March 22-23, 10am - 4pm Concord Academy Gymnasium 132 Main St, Concord, MA 01742 200+ Quilts on Display Antique | Traditional | Contemporary Spirit of 1775 | Quilts of Protest Quilts in Bloom Featuring quilts paired with floral arrangements Quality Boutique Children's Activities

QUILTS 250: Stitching in the Spirit of Democracy

MMN Video of March 14 Meeting now available

MMN Recording of March 14 Concord250 Business Info Session now available on YouTube

Watch MMN Recording here

Minute Man National Historical Park Events

Read all about the Minute Man National Historical Park events!

Commemorating 250 Years of Liberty: Patriots’ Day Events at Minute Man National Historical Park

Concord250 Podcast #3 with Joe Palumbo and Stewart Ikeda

Episode #3 Listen to Concord250 Podcast with Joe Palumbo and Stewart Ikeda In Episode #3 we chat  with Stewart Ikeda and Joe Palumbo about Concord250 Events such as "Where We Belong" and the March 15 event "Patriots of Color". Stewart Ikeda, Umbrella Arts Director of Public Relations & Strategic Partnerships, member of the Concord250 Communications sub-committee and member of Arlington 250, shares information about Joe Palumbo is the Chairperson of the Concord250 Events sub-committee and the Robbins House Co-President.

Concord250 Podcasts

New stamps: Battlefields of the American Revolution

Battlefields of the American Revolution First-Day-of-Issue Commemorative Forever® Stamps Dedication Ceremony

Battlefields of the American Revolution Commemorative Forever® Stamps First-Day-of-Issue Ceremony

Umbrella Arts presents New Engalnd premiere "Where We Belong" Friday, February 28

Indigenous Theater-Maker’s Journey Grapples with Geographic Borders and Cultural Legacies in a Universal Search for Belonging February 28- March 23, 2025

Concord250 Event: Where We Belong, New England Premiere!

Concord Gets Ready!

We're getting ready for Concord250! Decorate!

Concord Gets Ready: Decorate 250 workshops!

250th Celebrations

250th Celebrations in and around Concord

CONCORD250!

Concord250 Lantern Lighting Ceremony

Join us for a ceremonial lighting of the Concord250 Lantern, a 10-foot-tall commemorative lantern inspired by the historic signal light of April 19, 1775 housed today in the Concord Museum. The community lighting will take place on the grounds of the Museum where together we will light the way toward liberty and justice for all. The Concord 250 Lantern is presented by Art for All in partnership with the Concord Museum.

Concord250 Lantern Lighting Ceremony

Concord250 Event: Concord Orchestra performance "American Heritage"

The Concord Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Zeke Fetrow, is thrilled to perform “American Heritage” concerts as part of the Concord250 celebration. Performances are on Saturday, March 29 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 30 at 2:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at 51 Walden.

Concord250 Event: Concord Orchestra performance “American Heritage”

Concord's Secret History. World Premiere

The documentary reveals a long-suppressed secret, set in Concord, Massachusetts—the birthplace of the American Revolution, where the first shots were fired on April 19, 1775.

Concord’s Secret History. World Premiere

Concord250 Essay Contest Winners

Read about the Concord250 Essay Contest and the 5 winning Essays.

Concord250 Essay Winners Reception

Recording available - April 19th Information Session for Businesses

Now available: Video of the Concord250 Info Session for businesses is now available. Thank you, Minute Man Media Network.

RSVP here

NY Times features Concord in "2025 Travel Destinations: 52 Places to Go This Year"

Concord made the NY Times "2025 Travel Destinations: 52 Places to Go This Year" list, #23!

Read the NY Times article here

Listen to Concord250 Podcast #1

Listen to Concord250 podcast Episode #1: Public Safety with Fred Ryan Thank you to Minute Man Media

Listen to Podcast Episode #1 here

Donate to the Town 250 Gift Fund

Please support the Town 250 Gift Fund

Monumental (Re)Make

Celebrate the 250th birthday of the battles of Concord and Lexington by helping us recreate Daniel Chester French’s iconic statue The Minute Man through collaborative 3D printing!

Concord 250: Monumental (Re)Make

Get Involved in Concord250

At the heart of Concord250 are programs and events that will bring neighbors and communities together. United by a common vision, these will inspire us to explore the meaning and promise of Concord250. Email: 250celebration@concordma.gov

Talk To Us Here

Concord Orchestra Events

Concord Orchestra Concord250 Event March 29 & 30

Concord250 Concord Orchestra: American Heritage

Concord250 in The Boston Globe

Concord250 and Visitor Center's Beth Willams were featured in the Boston Globe

Learn More

Were you in Concord for the 200th Celebration in 1975?

If you were at the 200th Celebration in Concord in 1975, please send us your photos - we would love to share! Email: PollyConcord250@gmail.com

Minuteman Media Network

Minuteman Media Network (MMN) enables the citizens of Concord and Carlisle to learn, listen and communicate through television and web-based media services. MMN TV Schedule, YouTube Channel, Services, Video Archives

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Concord250 Coins

Pick up your commemorative coin at The Visitor Center or Middlesex Savings Bank

Learn More

Can I rent my house for the Concord250 Celebration?

Have questions? Here are answers.

Can I rent my home for the Concord250 Celebration?

Our Past Becomes Our Future

Part of commemorating Concord 250 is connecting to the past to inspire our future. Concord 250 is exploring the compelling, complex, and rich histories that make us who we are.

Concord Revolutionary War Sites

Wright Tavern

The Wright Tavern looks today as it did on the eve of the American Revolutionary War. This structure, built in 1747, is the location that the Committees of the Provincial Congress, and the Headquarters of the Minutemen the day before the “Shot heard around the world”!

On April 19, 1775, the day of the beginning of the war, this tavern changed hands and fell under British command. Located on Lexington Road in Concord, this is a must see location for American Revolutionary War enthusiasts.

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Old North Bridge

Concord’s North Bridge is the site of “the shot heard ‘round the world.” Here in this beautifully restored 19th century landscape, you will find the famous Minute Man statue by Daniel Chester French The North Bridge is part of the Minuteman National Historical Park

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Meriam’s Corner

The Meriam family lived at this corner, located within Minute Man National Historical Park, between 1663 and 1870. The Meriam House, a grey house at Meriam’s Corner, was built in 1705 and in 1775 was occupied by Nathan and Abigail Meriam and their eleven children. Josiah Meriam was a sergeant in a minute man company and his son, Josiah, Jr., was a private in the company.

After the fight at North Bridge on April 19, 1775, Meriam’s Corner was the next major engagement along Battle Road. At this location, thousands of militiamen from neighboring towns converged to bully the British back to Boston, thus beginning the Siege of Boston.

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America250

America250 is a national initiative established to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United Sated in 2026, promoting unity, education and civic engagement.

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MA250

MA250 is a statewide initiative in Massachusetts to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the beginning of the American Revolution, with events planed through 2026.

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Revolution 250

Revolution 250 is a proud organization encouraging residents to participate in various 250th commemorations in the Boston, MA area.

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Lexington 250

Lex250 is an initiative in Lexington to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and start of the American Revolution.

 

 

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National Park Service

The National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission (America 250) have partnered to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.

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Minuteman Media Network

The mission of Minuteman Media Network (MMN) is to enable the citizens of Concord and Carlisle to learn, listen and communicate through television and web-based media services.

 

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MBTA

Take the T to the 250th Celebration Events

We strongly encourage taking public transportation due to extremely limited parking and multiple road closures. Event organizers also predict high levels of traffic. There will be increased service on Saturday, April 19.

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The Concord Bridge

The Concord Bridge is an independent non-profit weekly newspaper, created in Concord, about Concord, for Concord!

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The Orchard House

Historic Orchard House, located in Concord, MA, home of Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women. Tours available!

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Discover Concord Magazine

Concord’s Only Visitor-Focused Magazine, full of stories, tips and advice for visitors to Concord.

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Concord Museum

The Concord Museum showcases the town’s rich history, including artifacts from the American Revolution, including Paul Revere’s lantern.

 

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The Robbins House

The Robbins House in Concord, MA, is a historic tow-family home built in the early 1800s for the children of Caesar Robbins, a former enslaved person and Revolutionary War veteran.

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Concord Free Public Library

The mission of the Concord Free Public Library is to inspire lifelong learning, foster personal enrichment, and connect the community to information, culture, and history.

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Concord Art Association

Concord Art provides a place for contemporary art exhibitions, art education, and relevant programming for everyone. Located in Concord Center, we are one of the must-see museums in Massachusetts.

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Arlington 250

Arlington will commemorate it’s place in Revolutionary War history with a series of events and commemorations.

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Lincoln 250

Lincoln will commemorate it’s place in Revolutionary War history with a series of events and commemorations.

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Freedom's Way

Freedom’s Way is a National Heritage Area spanning parts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, dedicated to preserving and promoting the region’s rich historical, cultural and natural heritarge, particularly related to the American Revolution.

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The Old Manse

The Old Manse is a historic house built in 1770, notable for its association with both the American Revolution and American literary history.

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Concord Chamber of Commerce

The Concord Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to promoting and serving  businesses, supporting tourism, and fostering a strong economic climate, all consistent and in  harmony with the character and culture of Concord. 
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Concord Visitor Center

Welcome to Concord, Massachusetts where America’s roots run deep Concord’s fascinating past makes it a popular tourist destination. Here you can retrace the steps of Revolutionary War soldiers and literary greats and learn about how “the shot heard round the world” led to America’s independence. To experience Concord is to experience the American story.

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The Umbrella Arts

The Umbrella is an expansive nonprofit regional arts center, offering visual, performing and public cart programming, as well as classes and workshops for children and adults.

 

Concord Anniversary Celebrations

Peace of Paris

The signing of the Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, formally ended the French and Indian War and marked the beginning of an era of British dominance outside Europe. Britain gained control of France’s claims in mainland North America east of the Mississippi. Although Britain doubled its colonies, its economy was nearly bankrupted by the cost of the war.

Proclamation of 1763

The Proclamation of 1763 “preserved to the said Indians” the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, forbade white settlement, and restricted commerce with the American Indians. Power over westward expansion was now in the hands of British officials.

The Sugar Act

To maintain the army and repay war debts, Parliament imposed new duties on colonial trade. The Sugar Act taxed imported wines, coffee, textiles, and indigo and expanded the customs service. The Royal Navy patrolled the coast to search for smugglers, who were tried in special courts without a jury.

“No taxation without representation”

James Otis, in The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved, carried his objection to a specific tax on sugar to a generalized argument in favor of natural rights and the consent of the governed. Otis, whose sister Mercy Otis Warren was also an American propagandist, is credited with coining the phrase “No taxation without representation.”

The Currency Act

The Currency Act prohibited colonial governments from issuing paper money and required that all taxes and debts to British merchants be paid in British currency.

The Stamp Act

Parliament passed the Stamp Act to help pay for British troops stationed in the colonies during the French and Indian War. The act required the colonists to pay a tax, represented by a stamp, on various forms of papers, documents, and playing cards.

Fall, 1765 – Stamp Act Response

  • Stamp Act required printed materials use embossed stamped paper on which a tax had been paid considered way to recoup costs of defending colonies in late War. Fiercely resisted as an unlawful tax – no taxation w/o rep – no reps in parliament.
  • Response  – “Braintree Instructions,” authored by John Adams as Braintree’s instructions to its representative in the General Court (Sept. 1765), and circulated around the countryside, which articulated the colony’s grievances. 
  • Other towns eventually adopted similar “resolves.” (Note time lag) usually as an instruction to the town’s representative to protest/resist the act in the General Court. Look for “resolves”
  • Stamp Act repealed March 1766 – may see references to great rejoicing, victory.

Patrick Henry accused of treason

Patrick Henry was accused of treason for denouncing the Stamp Act in the Virginia House of Burgesses. Legend has it that Henry declared, “If this be treason, make the most of it!”

Colonists react to the Stamp Act

Reaction to the Stamp Act ranged from boycotts of British goods to riots and attacks on tax collectors. In this letter, Archibald Hinshelwood, merchant and rising politician from Nova Scotia, describes his impressions of the Stamp Act and of the resulting colonial unrest.

Townshend Acts

Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townshend imposed new duties on imports of glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea in the colonies. Revenue paid the salaries of governors and judges, preventing colonial legislatures from exercising the power of the purse over those officials.

1767-8 Townsend Acts and Responses – Things Heat Up

  • Parliament passed a series of acts placing duties on imported paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea. 
  • Samuel Adams authored a “Circular Letter” from Boston to Mass. towns and to the other colonies. It laid out grievances and sought input from other assemblies.
  • Look for responses supporting the “Boston Letter” or resolves to encourage local manufacturing (to replace dutied items)

June-July 1768 British Response to Massachusetts Circular Letter – ultimatum to Mass. General Court: rescind letter or be dissolved. Ninety-two representatives (later to be honored as “the 92”) refused to rescind, and the assembly was forcibly dissolved. Huge backlash against bridging colonial right of assembly.

Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania

In his series entitled Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, John Dickinson called on colonists to resist the Townshend Duties. The letters, which were published in many colonial newspapers, helped turn opinion against the Townshend Acts.

British troops arrive in Boston

After Britain imposed the Townshend Duties in July of 1767, the colonists became even more restive. In 1768 two regiments of British troops arrived in Boston to quell the nascent rebellion.

1768 – Arrival of British Troops. Boston responded to the dissolution of the provincial assembly and Boston’s occupation by British troops by calling for “a convention of towns” to meet in order to devise a “speedy redress” of their grievances. Look for articles discussion whether to attend convention and voting on whom to send as representative.

1768 & 1769 – Non-Consumption Agreements – Samuel Adams called for a complete economic boycott of all British goods. Some towns ignored this, some mildly called to “Increase frugality and home manufactures,” others wholeheartedly embraced the boycott. Boston voted to promote local industry and home products and to curtail imports of the enumerated goods.

Receipt for land purchase from the Six Nations

The British authorities hoped to prevent further conflicts between white settlers and American Indians by forbidding the continued migration of settlers and by paying the Indians for lands they had already occupied. After giving up their land, the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy dispersed, with some staying in western New York and others traveling north to Canada and west to Wisconsin.

The Boston Massacre

By the beginning of 1770, there were 4,000 British soldiers in Boston, a city with 15,000 inhabitants, and tensions were running high. On the evening of March 5, crowds of day laborers, apprentices, and merchant sailors pelted British soldiers with snowballs and rocks. A shot rang out, and then several soldiers fired their weapons. When it was over, five civilians lay dead, including Crispus Attucks, an African American merchant sailor who had escaped from slavery more than twenty years earlier.

Phillis Wheatley on tyranny and slavery

Entitled “To the Right Honourable William, Earl of Dartmouth,” Wheatley’s famous poem reflects the colonists’ hopes that Dartmouth, the new secretary of state for the colonies, would be less tyrannical than his predecessor. Wheatley declares that her love of freedom comes from being a slave, comparing the colonies’ relationship with England to a slave’s relationship with a slave holder.

And can I then but pray
Others may never feel tyrannic sway

Late 1772/early 1773 – Boston Pamphlet – Sam Adams again attempted to rouse public resistance by publishing an account of a Boston Town Meeting in which the citizens

  •  laid out their rights,
  • chronicled the ways in which those rights had been violated
  • and called on other towns to form Committees of Communication to network

 

The Tea Act

To save the East India Company from bankruptcy, Parliament authorized the company to sell a tea surplus directly to the public without payment of duty. This effectively gave a monopoly to the East India Company. The move sparked protests ranging from boycotts by women to the famed Boston Tea Party of December 16, 1773.

Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)

Parliament enacted the Port Act as a reprisal for the Boston Tea Party. The first of the “Intolerable Acts,” the Port Act closed Boston harbor to all shipping until payment for the destroyed tea was made. In May, two additional Intolerable Acts forbade public meetings in Massachusetts unless sanctioned by the royal governor and transferred any trial of a British official accused of a capital offense to England or another colony.

Massachusetts Government Act

Passed by the Parliament of Great Britain effectively abrogating the 1691 charter of the Province of Massachusetts Bay giving its royally-appointed governor wide-ranging powers. The colonists said that it altered, by parliamentary fiat, the basic structure of colonial government, vehemently opposed it, and would not let it operate. The act was a major step on the way to the start of the American Revolution in 1775.

Middlesex Convention

Took place in Concord. The delegates resolved to say that the recent acts of the British Parliament are tyrannical and go against any notion of jurisprudence. The delegates reiterated their loyalty to the Crown, however they maintained their duty to protect their rights that had been granted through the Massachusetts Charter.

Massachusetts Provincial Congress

Meets in Concord after Royal Governor Thomas Gage dissolves the provincial assembly.  With John Hancock as its president, this extralegal body became the de facto government of Massachusetts outside of Boston.  It assumed all powers to rule the province, collect taxes, buy supplies, and raise a militia. Hancock sent Paul Revere to the First Continental Congress with the news that Massachusetts had established the first autonomous government of the Thirteen Colonies.

First Continental Congress

The First Continental Congress, called in response to the Intolerable Acts, met in Philadelphia. All thirteen colonies except Georgia were represented. They composed a “Declaration of Rights and Grievances,” which detailed “grievous acts and measures” imposed by the Crown to which “Americans cannot submit.”

By 1774 – 1775, you should be seeing notes in your town meeting records about

  • Establishing, equipping, training local militia and minute companies
  • Gathering/storing arms, ammunition, and medical supplies
  • Voting to send representatives to the extra-legal Provincial assemblies
  • Participating in actions to close courts
  • Establishing Committees of Correspondence & of Safety (local, extra-legal govt.)
  • Sending tax revenues to provincial collector Henry Gardner of Stow vs. royal agent
  • Sending goods to relieve Boston’s distress
  • Voting to erect a Liberty Pole

Harassing those suspected of Tory sympathies, requiring them to sign loyalty pledges

Slave trade halted

In late 1774 Congress halted the slave trade as part of anti-British protests. Historian James O. Horton notes that “the Revolution puts in sharp relief the difference between America’s ideals and rhetoric and America’s practice.”

  View the pay warrant for Sharp Liberty, an African American soldier who served in the Connecticut Line of the Continental Army.

The American Revolution began with the “shot heard ’round the world.” At the battles of Lexington and Concord, seventy-three British troops were killed and two hundred were wounded or missing in action. The patriot losses were forty-nine dead and forty-six wounded or missing.

Colonies declared in “open rebellion”

On July 5, 1775, one year before they would declare independence, the Second Continental Congress sent the Olive Branch Petition to England. The king refused to even look at it, and instead issued the Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition, declaring the colonies to be in “open and avowed rebellion.”

King George III’s address to Parliament

King George III addressed Parliament to declare that Great Britain would not give independence to the colonies: “The object is too important . . . to give up so many colonies which she has planted with great industry, nursed with great tenderness, encouraged with many commerical advantages, and protected and defended at much expence of blood and treasure.”

John Adams’s plan

In a letter to a fellow Continental Congress delegate, Adams described the basic structure of what would become the American government, including the separation of powers: “A Legislative, an Executive and a judicial Power, comprehend the whole of what is meant and understood by Government.” The ideas presented in this letter had a profound influence on the state constitutions of Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, and ultimately, the federal Constitution.

The Declaration of Independence

On July 2, 1776, Congress declared independence from Great Britain and two days later adopted the Declaration of Independence. Copies of the Declaration were then sent out to the new “Free and Independent States” to print and distribute.

  Watch David Armitage on “The International Influence of the Declaration of Independence.”

Articles of Confederation

The Second Continental Congress named a committee to draft the Articles of Confederation to define the relationship between the thirteen new states. The members worked from June 1776 until November 1777, when they sent a draft to the states for ratification. On December 16, 1777, Virginia became the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation. Maryland was the last, holding out until March 1, 1781.

Women and the Revolution

Women played many roles in the Revolution on both sides of the conflict. They boycotted tea, saved money and goods for the troops, and harbored fugitives. In a letter to her husband in 1777, Lucy Knox describes local unrest, including the arrest of Bostonians suspected of being Tories and the involvement of the local mob in Revolutionary politics. She also reports on the high cost of goods, noting that “the price of every thing is so exorbitant indeed it is difficult to get the necessarys of life here.”

Valley Forge

The American army claimed a major victory at Saratoga, New York, when Continental forces trapped British general John Burgoyne’s army in October 1777. But just months later, Washington made camp for the winter at Valley Forge where his army suffered incredible hardship through the winter, facing disease, cold, hunger, and lack of supplies. In this circular letter Washington pleads for aid from the states: “We had in Camp, on the 23rd Inst by a Field Return then taken, not less than 2898 men unfit for duty, by reason of their being barefoot and otherwise naked.

The Surrender at Yorktown

The last major battle of the American Revolution pitted American and French forces against Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. The war was essentially won, but it would take two years before peace negotiations were completed and the peace treaty was signed.

The Articles of Confederation Ratified

Newburgh Conspiracy

Continental officers who had long been waiting to receive pensions and back pay from Congress threatened to revolt against a “country that tramples on your rights.” Washington convinced military leaders to remain loyal.

  Learn more about Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy

Peace of 1783

The Treaty of Paris was signed by representatives of Great Britain and the United States. “For the British this was a profoundly traumatic event . . . they will never again achieve this kind of hegemony. . . . The Americans are now going to have to make their own way.” —Andrew Robertson

Washington lays down his sword

At the end of the war, George Washington returned his sword to Congress and said he wanted nothing more than to return to his farm. Upon hearing about this unprecedented refusal of power and profit by a victorious general, King George III remarked, “If that’s true, he will be the greatest man in the world.”

Treaty of Paris Ratified

The official end of the Revolutionary War takes place when Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris.

Constitution Convention Opens in Philadelphia

Constitution Ratified

The first presidential election

The first Congress under the Constitution convenes in New York City

George Washington Elected First President

Historic Videos of Patriot Days

Patriots Day 1925

Patriots Day 1950, Photo credit: Charles Dee Sr.

1975 200th Celebration

200 Years & One Day, Part 1 – Town of Concord Archives Digital Repository

200 Years & One Day, Part 2 – Town of Concord Archives Digital Repository

Concord 250 Stories

Concord250 to Print

250MAP-poster Concord250Communication – letter concord250 day of 4pg broc_draft4        

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Where can I buy Concord250 and Concord merchandise?

CONCORD VISITOR CENTER , 58 Main Street Products available at the Concord Visitor Center, 58 Main St., Concord, open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. T shirts, commemorative coin, ponchos    Proudly…

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Barefoot Books Celebrates Concord250 with “Rise Up!: Powerful Protests in American History”

Look for these Barefoot Books Concord250 Events:   Rise Up!: Powerful Protests in American History StoryWalk™ April 1st – April 30th Location: The Concord Free Public Library Visit anytime! Throughout…

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