On April 19, 1775, the long-simmering uneasiness between the American colonies and the British Crown broke out into open warfare with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. A year later, rebellion turned into revolution and, in 1783, after eight years of war, the United States of America gained its independence from Great Britain.
Today, visitors to Minute Man National Historical Park can experience firsthand where the American Revolution began. The Park passes through three towns; from the Battle Green in Lexington, past the Hartwell Tavern and Bloody Angle in Lincoln, and westward to the Old North Bridge in Concord. Parts of the five-mile-long Battle Road Trail literally follow in the footsteps of the Colonial militia and British Redcoats. Along the way, there can be seen many buildings, called “Witness Houses” by the National Park. These were the homes and farms of the people who lived here in the 18th century, and these houses bear mute testimony to the violence, chaos, and bloodshed of April 19, 1775.
Here are four of the eleven historic buildings you’ll see on the Battle Road Trail, highlighting the lives of the people who experienced the first day of the American Revolution.
Concord is a town steeped in history. From the American Revolution that began here in 1775, to the beginnings of transcendentalism in the 1830’s. From ground-breaking social justice activists who opposed slavery and supported women’s rights, to authors whose works are pillars of the American literary canon. While we could happily spend a lifetime studying the myriad aspects of Concord’s history and its vibrant contemporary society, here are just a few of our favorite places to visit.
The Battle at the North Bridge on April 19, 1775, was well documented, but the running battle of the Minutemen and militia companies chasing the Regular Army out of Concord back to Charlestown along what we now call Battle Road is lesser-known. Records are incomplete and make the first five miles of the retreat impossible to reconstruct accurately. Nevertheless, the National Park Service has hunted down slender clues to provide a more complete history to the forgotten families who experienced fighting on their front lawns. Minute Man National Historical Park Ranger Jim Hollister was able to share some stories about families that lived on the Battle Road.
