Day Two – Lexington, Concord, and Quincy
Lexington -
We arrived at around 9:00am at Lexington, Massachusetts at what is now called Battle Green. It was the common area at the time. This is where the first skirmish of what was to become the American Revolution occurred. Today Battle Green is tree lined and very beautiful. In 1775, it would have been much different. There would have been few trees and it would have been a large open area without sidewalks surrounding it. The colonists used trees to build their homes and furniture as well as fuel for cooking and keeping warm during the winter. The colonists cut down trees before they became 24 inches in diameter. If the trees were 24 inches or more, they belonged to King George, but if they were smaller, they could use them for their own purposes.At that time in Boston, there were about 500 (or some say as many as 700) British Army Regulars stationed in Boston. They were given secret orders to capture and destroy military supplies (muskets, gun powder, and musket balls)that the Massachusetts militia had been stockpiling in Concord, MA. The Patriots found about this secret plan and began moving the supplies to other locations so it couldn’t be captured.
As the sun was rising on the morning of April 19, 1775, the first shots were fired at Lexington. It seems that both the British and the Colonists were trying to keep things from getting out of hand. Captain John Parker of the Massachusetts militia gave the order for his men to disperse and go home. A British officer rode through the crowd waving his sword and demanding that the militia lay down their arms. Someone fired a shot at that point although no one know who it was. Both sides claimed they did not fire the shot. They did agree that the shot was not fired on the green but came from a nearby tavern or behind a hedge. At that time and to this day, no one knows for sure who fired first.
Eight Massachusetts men were killed that morning. The militia was outnumbered and had to “fall back” many of them running for their lives. Only one British soldier was injured. The Regulars continued on to Concord.
There is a monument on the Battle Green to honor the eight soldiers killed in that first battle. There is also a statue of a minuteman who is supposed to represent Captain John Parker.
Concord
After the tour of Lexington and Battle Green, we hopped back on our bus and rode over to Concord and the North Bridge. On the way we passed the site where Paul Revere was captured during his “Midnight Ride.” He was arrested but later released. He never made it to Concord that night.
The North Bridge
The North Bridge is the site of “The Shot Heard Round the World.” The minutemen were gathering at this site but realized they were outnumbered by the British Regulars. So they pulled back and waited for reinforcements and watched what was happening. The British divided up their 700 soldiers between several different sites. This meant there weren’t as many soldiers guarding the North Bridge. In the meantime, the militia continued to grow as they waited and watched. Soon they outnumbered the British Army regulars.
As they waited for orders, the militia saw smoke from the town center. They mistakenly believed that the British were burning their town. In fact, they were burning some military supplies they had found. They began to march on the British. A shot was fired by a British soldier, perhaps as a warning shot, and several other soldiers fired on the colonists as well. The British began to panic since they were outnumbered 400 to 95. They began to retreat, but not before three British soldiers were killed and several wounded.
Today there is a monument in honor of the Massachusetts militia or minutemen. There is also a stone to recognize the British soldier that died there as well.
Adams National Historic Park, Quincy, Massachusetts
After lunch a quick lunch, we boarded the bus again and headed toward Quincy, the birthplace of two of our Presidents – John Adams and John Quincy Adams.
Deacon John Adams, John Adams father, bought their home and six acres of land in what was then known as Braintree, Massachusetts. He was a farmer during the summer and a cordwainer (shoemaker) during the winter. He was able to increase his land holdings from the original six acres to 188 acres. The land included fields, orchards, salt marshes, meadows, and woodland – everything that the Adams family needed for survival.
John Adams was the oldest of three children. As the oldest, he was the only one of the three boys who received and education. He began studying at the age of six and by the age of fifteen, was declared ready to attend Harvard. He graduated in 1755 at the age of 20. He then paid $100 to train as a lawyer under attorney James Putnam. After two years of studying law, he was then admitted to bar and had his first case within weeks.
John Adams married Abigail Smith in October 1764. They moved into the Belcher house which was only seventy-five feet away from his birthplace. They had five children, one of which died as an infant. John practiced law in his home. He was a very successful
John Adams helped to negotiate the Treaty of Paris that ended the American Revolution. He asked Abigail and his daughter Nabby to join him in England. They lived in Europe for about five years. John and Abigail purchased their home sight unseen while they were still in Europe. Abigail had visited the house when she was a child and remembered it being very large. Much to their surprise it was quite smaller than the home they lived in while in Europe. When they returned home, they moved into their new home which John called Peace field. He called it this “in commemoration of the Peace which I assisted in making in 1783, of the thirteen Years Peace and Neutrality which I have contributed to preserve, and of the constant Peace and Tranquility which I have enjoyed in this Residence” (John Adams Diary, September 8, 1796).
Today’s Trivia Question
What famous trial did John Adams preside over and win in 1770?
