April 19, 2025 marks the semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, of the historic battles of Concord and Lexington. To mark the occasion, from April through June 2025, in collaboration with the Town Archives, the William Munroe Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library will present an exhibition on Concord’s April 19 anniversary traditions. The exhibition features a lecture by Michael D. Hattem, a historian of the American Revolution and historical memory. We are excited to share some highlights from anniversary events held in Concord over the past 250 years. We hope they will get you in the spirit of the upcoming festivities!
Isabel Bliss hurried her three children, aged four through seven, off to bed on the night of March 20, 1775. The two men who had come to her door looked like local farmers seeking counsel from her husband, lawyer Daniel Bliss. They wore the homespun coats of plain country folk, but the muskets they carried told a different story.
As the men huddled with Daniel in the parlor, talking in whispers, Isabel was startled by another knock at the door. She opened it cautiously and was relieved to see the familiar face of a neighbor. The woman was out of breath, and tears stained her cheeks. She begged Isabel to forgive her, because she had given the two strangers directions to the Bliss home without knowing who they were.
