“Do not fire on them unless they fire first, but if they want a war, let it begin here.”
Cold, windy day today. The sky is a light grey. The high will be in the very low 50’s. I have no plans for the day so I’m staying home, cozy, warm and, best of all, comfortable. Huzzah, there are buds on my forsythia and on my wild rose bushes. I noticed them this morning. They are always the first to bloom.
Today is Patriot’s Day here in Massachusetts, a state holiday. It commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the start of the Revolutionary War. That day helped define the character of Massachusetts.
I remember in the sixth grade learning about the Revolutionary War. Miss Quilter told it like a story, and I was enthralled. She explained about Paul Revere’s ride and how he, William Dawes and other riders rode all night to get to Lexington. She told us why it was called the “shot heard round the world” in Emerson’s poem. There was a picture in my textbook of Patriots hiding behind rocks to shoot at the Redcoats. Miss Quilter explained the picture and guerrilla warfare. That word wasn’t in my textbook, and I thought it was the same as the big monkeys. Miss Quilter went on to tell us the Red Coats didn’t see the shooters or know where the bullets were coming from. The Patriots followed the British all the way back to Boston and shot from behind rocks and trees.
We did a family outing one Sunday to Lexington and Concord. It was history come to life. I remember walking across the Old North Bridge in Concord and I remember standing on the Lexington Green just imagining the battle. The statue of the Minute Man seemed to stand above all else. We went into the tavern where Adams and Hancock were before they fled. On the way home we traveled the same route Revere had. I was in awe that whole day.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: grey day, guerilla warfare, Lexington, Minuteman, Patriots' Day, Redcoats, Revolutionary War
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April 20, 2015 at 12:21 pm
When I was in elementary school the Revolutionary war seemed as far in the past as the fall of the Roman Empire. You are fortunate to live in a place where the country’s origins were founded and can visit the places in the text books. History is always written by the victors. I’ve never read an account written by the British on their loss of the American colonies.
When I studied American history in the Dallas school district in the 1950s the Civil war was always referred to as the war between the states even though my parents referred to it as the Civil War. Also, slavery was never emphasized as a reason for the war only states rights were mentioned. After all I was living in a state that was defeated in the war and living during the time of segregation. There’s not much history here in North Texas. San Antonio and Houston are the areas where Texas History was made. North Texas was just the place where Comanche tribes roamed the Southern plains.
Today the sun is shining and the temperatures are forecast to be in the 70s. Rain is forecast for the rest of the week.
April 20, 2015 at 4:08 pm
Bob,
Living here, the Revolutionary War has always close in time. You get to visit Revere’s house and so many other places.
I found a video: Rebels & Redcoats – How Britain Lost America
Here it was always the Civil War and states’ rights were the major issue which included the rights of states to owns slaves.
Cape Cod too is in an historical area, think the Pilgrim’s, so this state is filled with history.
April 20, 2015 at 3:10 pm
Hi Kat,
We learned about Paul Revere in school but it was the kiddie version. Long after I left school I read more history. The book Paul Revere’s Ride had an old 19th century photograph of part of the route back to Boston from Lexington. It was fairly open land but the caption said that at the time of the battle the stone walls were closer to the road and so were the trees. The road was like that pretty much all the way back to Boston. Patriots were shooting from both sides and more patriots coming in the whole time. It must have been hellish for the British.
The plumber was here early and stayed for a couple of hours. The outside faucets are all fixed. No more leaks. No more handles that won’t turn on or, worse, won’t turn off once they have turned on. 🙂
It’s a miserable day here. Cloudy, windy, rainy and cold. I’ve watched the marathon and don’t envy the runners. Even the dogs don’t want to go out today.
Enjoy the day.
April 20, 2015 at 4:15 pm
Hi Caryn,
We were told he was one of any who made the ride. Miss Quilter explained the poem made him the hero. The British had never been confronted with shooting like that. They were used to that face to face ridiculous formation. I can imagine how awful it must have been not knowing where the bullets would come from next.
I hate needing a plumber, but I’m glad the plumber solved all your outside problems.
Miserable day here too. The rain took a while to get here, but it finally did. The wind is pretty strong.
April 21, 2015 at 10:57 am
The British knew where the shots were coming from but they had to walk that gauntlet anyway. Think of a long corridor with no exits and shots coming at you from both walls.
Here’s a neat map showing the march out to Concord and the running battle back to Boston.
http://www.nps.gov/mima/learn/education/upload/MIMAmap2.pdf
A friend and I were driving back from Concord to Boston in particularly nasty traffic. The kind of traffic where your head has to be on a constant swivel because cars are coming at you from everywhere. At one point my friend sighed and said “The British must be laughing at us now.” It took me a second to realize we were on that very route.
My outside faucets are lovely now.
April 21, 2015 at 12:32 pm
As soon as a shot rang out, the shooter moved-hard for the British to pinpoint where they were. The British were followed all the way to Boston-that had to be scary and miserable.
I remember there were signs all along the road. I thought it was so neat we were following the same route.
April 20, 2015 at 7:07 pm
I had to think about the title quote (Captain Parker at the Battle of Lexington). With a similar explanation Germany started WW II.
Tonight we saw Californian singer-songwriter Jesse Ballard with Joe Kučera on sax at the folk club next town. Nice concert. One song was “Just another war” about more recent wars.
April 20, 2015 at 7:54 pm
Birgit,
That is also carved into a memorial rock on the Lexington green.
You are right-it is a simply quote which changed the world. No one believed that thirteen colonies could defeat the mighty British.
I don’t know Jesse Ballard but I guess I’ll have to do some hunting.