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7/11/26

First Parish in Concord Declaring Independence: Then and Now in Concord

20 Lexington Road

Concord, MA

United States

Declaring Independence: Then and Now in Concord

Step into 1776 and become part of the decision that changed history. What did it feel like to hear the words of the Declaration of Independence for the very first time? Join us for Declaring Independence: Then and Now in Concord, an immersive living-history experience where you become part of the story. Hear the Declaration read aloud as citizens once did, learn about the debates and doubts that surrounded independence, join the discussion, and cast your own vote: Would you have said yes to independence?

Reception to follow at the Wright Tavern, next to First Parish.

The Summer Issue is Here!
As our nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this issue explores the people, ideas, and stories that continue to shape its legacy. Inside, Professor Robert A. Gross offers fresh perspective in “A Referendum on Independence,” while a special foldout guide, “Following in Thoreau’s Footsteps,” invites you to explore the landscapes that inspired him. Discover an unexpected connection in “A Tale of Two Authors,” revisit the moving story of “A Hawthorne Homecoming,” and enjoy summer events, arts, and ways to experience Concord firsthand.
A Referendum on Independence
The road to American independence took time to complete, and Massachusetts, despite its reputation as a vanguard state, was not always in the lead. In 1775, even after the battles of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill, most Patriot leaders were still seeking restoration of colonial rights within the British empire. Thomas Paine broke the logjam with the publication of Common Sense early the next year. The instant best-seller argued the case for separation by appealing to economic and political self-interest, emotional resentment of a brutal and oppressive king, and a utopian vision of America as “an asylum for mankind.”
A Hawthorne Homecoming
Two white horses pulled the hearse into Concord’s Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, a top-hatted driver at the reins. A band of mourners followed on foot as they made their way toward Authors’ Ridge.Except for the bright sunshine, this scene wouldn’t seem out of place in a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. But it happened a mere twenty years ago, on June 26, 2006. That was the day Hawthorne and his wife and daughter were reunited after his death separated them 142 years earlier.