June 2015, Minute Man National Historical Park, MA

This historical park was the most interesting thing I saw in Boston.  I could have spent more time here but we had to keep moving.  I really found out how little I remembered of American History on this trip.  I will try to keep this history lesson brief but it will help you appreciate the importance if this wonderful park.

Fast forward about 150 years from the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth.   By this time, Boston (Boston Town) was a bustling town and the countryside around Boston was peppered with small towns and farms.  The British government required all men from 16-60 years old to sign up for the Militia.  This was a citizen’s army to be used to protect British citizens and interests in case of Native American uprisings and/or threats from other countries such as Spain or France.  The British government supplied the Militia with weapons such as muskets and some cannons.  They drilled and had military exercises.   Minute Men were Militia soldiers who voluntarily signed up to be a kind of “elite” force who would always carry their weapon and be able to respond to a problem within minutes of a call.  The ringing of bells in the common was the sound to respond to.   Each town, including Boston, had a common (sometimes called a “Green”) which was an open field in center of town where these military exercises took place.  The Colonial citizens are British citizens under the control of the British government in England.

The Colonials were getting very upset about the oppressive taxes and lack of representation in England.  The English government was dictating everything with the Colonists having no input or control over what was happening.   The unrest was building.  Uprisings were occurring  such as the Boston Tea Party.  In response, in early 1775, England closed the Boston port and stripped Massachusetts of the right of any self government.  The British army sent troops to patrol the towns outside of Boston.  More British troops were sent from England.  The tension continued to build.

The Colonists began to stockpile weapons and ammunition in preparation of what might become hostility between the Militia and the British army.   They were beginning to feeling increasingly desperate about their future.   The oppressive taxes were making it harder and harder for them to provide for their families.   The British army got word that the Militia was stockpiling weapons and ammunition.  By this time they had a substantial stockpile– enough for about 15,000 men in addition to their personal weapons.  The weapons were hidden in barns near Concord, a town about 16 miles from Boston.

The British Redcoat army planned a march from Boston to Concord to destroy these weapons.  They had gotten word from Colonial Loyalists where they were.   The Redcoats were in downtown Boston which is situated on a peninsula with a small land passage to the mainland.  They would have to either leave by water over the Charles River and land in Charlestown (shortest route to Concord) or by land over the narrow land passage.

The Colonial Militia got word of the plan of the British Redcoat army.  They devised a plan themselves.  First they moved and hid the weapon stockpile.   Colonials in Boston kept a close watch on the Redcoat army movements.  If they realized the Redcoats were leaving town by water—-they would hang two lanterns in the North Church steeple seen across the river in Charlestown.  If they were leaving by land, one lantern in the steeple.

The Redcoats prepared to  leave town on the night of April 19th, 1775—-across the river.  The Colonials noticed and hung two lanterns in the North Church Steeple.  Paul Revere was a metal worker who lived in Boston — a few blocks from the Boston common.   He quickly crossed the river into Charlestown, gets a fast horse, and runs ahead of the Redcoat army.  Others rode out of Boston by land on the longer route alerting towns along the way.   They were ahead of the army and woke up towns as they went toward Concord.  There were now 2 other men with Paul Revere—-William Dawes and Samuel Prescott.

This set the background for this wonderful historical park.  The road that the army took toward Concord is about 16 miles. The historical park covers about half of this route.  You can walk along trails that are on the path of the original road.

About 1:00 am, a routine British patrol surprised and captured Paul Revere on the road — about half way to Concord.  The other two escaped capture and continued.   This monument marks where Paul Revere was captured.

At 5:00 am, the redcoats reached the town of Lexington—well behind when Paul Revere would have come through here.  About 75 militia were waiting for them in the common.   This is the Lexington common today.  Shots were fired and 8 Militia were killed here.

Notice the flagpole.   It says “The Birthplace of American Liberty.”

This is a memorial for the 8 colonial soldiers that was built in 1799.   All 8 bodies were moved and buried here in 1799.   It is the oldest war memorial in the nation.

The British reached Concord about 7 am.   They divided and began to search houses and barns in the area.  Several hundred Militia watch from outside of town but didn’t confront the soldiers at this point.  About 9:00 the British burned the few weapons that they did find.  The Militia saw the smoke from this and think the British are burning houses in town.   There were about 95 British soldiers left to guard this bridge leading into Concord—-called the North Bridge over the Concord River.  The others were still searching farms and houses. At about 9:30am the Militia approached and confronted the British at this bridge.

Shots were fired and two Militia were killed.  The Militia officer then ordered his men to fire on the British soldiers.  This was the first time that Militia soldiers were told to fire on the “Kings Army”—-their own countrymen—-an act of treason against the British government.   These were “the shots fired that would be heard around the world.”   Two British soldiers were killed and one officer mortally wounded.

This statue stands at the foot of the bridge where the Militia were standing.   This is called the Minute Man Statue.  Notice the soldier is holding a musket in one hand and a plow in the other to show that he is a soldier AND a farmer.

This statue is a symbol of freedom—used in advertisements for war bonds during WWII.

The two dead British soldiers were left here.  They were buried by farmers nearby and their grave is here on the side of the bridge that the British were standing on.   A local junior ROTC group was here laying flowers at the grave of these soldiers when we were there.

The British Soldiers regrouped and started to march back to Boston.  The militia had grown in numbers by now and fought the British all along the road back to Boston.  It would have been a massacre  of the Redcoats if not for the reinforcements who arrived to help at the town of Lexington.  At the end of the day—73 British were dead and 174 wounded.  The Colonials had 49 dead and 41 wounded.  The war was officially on and the rest is history.

The park has preserved houses and other structures along the road that were here on that fateful day.

Houses are open for tours on a rotating basis and rangers give interesting interpretive talks.  There was a musket demonstration on this day.

Overall—-a wonderful place.  Wow—-our freedom is so precious.  I take it for granted.  So much blood shed to make it possible for us to live in a free country and worship as we desire.

Also—this 1910 Model T was sightseeing at the North Bridge while we were there.   A BEAUTIFUL car.