Michael Ruderman lives in Arlington and is an author and historian. He is a frequent presenter on topics of local history to community groups and historical societies. His love of history began in grade school, when he discovered many of his Duxbury classmates were descendants of Pilgrims.

The Battle of Menotomy

March 28, 2025

Michael Ruderman

No Comments

In 1775, Menotomy was a village of about 400 farmers, millers, tavern keepers, and their families. Located in today’s Town of Arlington, Menotomy stretched along Massachusetts Avenue from “the foot of the rocks” near Lexington to Alewife Brook. On April 19, 1775, the Battle of Menotomy would be the largest, longest, and bloodiest engagement of the day.

The Battle of Menotomy

June 15, 2023

Michael Ruderman

No Comments

Menotomy was a village of about 400 farmers, millers, tavern keepers, and their families in 1775. The Battle of Menotomy was one of the bloodiest of the American Revolution.

Harvard’s Year of Exile

Lexington and Concord. April 19, 1775. Where and when the Revolutionary War started is well known. Not so well known is the fact that Harvard played an important, if odd, role afterward in the early days of the Revolution, turning its campus over to the nascent American army. On May 1, 1775, undergraduates were dismissed and given an early summer vacation. Classes resumed on Oct. 5 in Concord, 20 miles away — the beginning of a wartime academic sojourn.

The Spring Issue is Here!

Patriots' Day is almost here, and this issue of Discover Concord brings you a list of events, the parade route, and much more to make your celebration special. Also in this issue is an in-depth look at the new PBS documentary "Henry David Thoreau," a fascinating piece on how the Concord Lyceum came to be, and a look at how Massachusetts civilians on the homefront managed the challenging months of January - May 1776. Freedom's Way National Heritage Area is launching an exciting program you won't want to miss called "Declaring Independence: Then & Now" in more than 20 towns across Massachusetts. With two special fold-out inserts, maps, lists of shops, and so much more, you'll want to get your copy early!

From a New Eden in Concord to Little Women: New Alcott Family Collections

The William Munroe Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library has recently expanded one of the nation’s most significant archives devoted to Louisa May Alcott and her remarkable family. With the acquisition of several newly discovered letters by Alcott and two important collections assembled over decades, the Library has added new layers of insight into the life, work, and legacy of the author of Little Women.

Michael Ruderman

ARTICLES

The Battle of Menotomy

The Battle of Menotomy