April 19, 1775 was a pivotal day in the founding of our nation as it marked the first armed engagements between the British Regulars and the Colonial “Minutemen” on Lexington Green, the Old North Bridge in Concord, and other locations between there and Boston.  This was indeed the beginning of the Revolutionary War, and the first step in the birth of our new nation.

The Concord Museum has recently completed a $1.2 million permanent exhibition that brings to life this conflict in engaging, emotional ways through powerful animation, artifacts, recordings, and story-telling.  Importantly, those stories are not just about Concord but are equally about the surrounding towns from which the militia men converged to the battle sites.  Whether you live or work in one of the towns listed below, or just want to learn more about the early events of the American Revolution, please join us for special virtual and in-person events celebrating the people and communities that answered the alarm in 1775.

April 7 and 14, 5:00-8:00 p.m. In-Person Events

Register for special after-hours access to our April 19, 1775 exhibition.  Enjoy insight from Museum curators about the roles of several local communities in the famous battles, and how their united efforts created a catalyst for the beginning of a remarkable Revolution.

April 7 Featured Towns: Acton, Bedford, Billerica, Lexington, Lincoln, Maynard, Sudbury, Wayland
April 14 Featured Towns: Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Medford, Waltham, Watertown

Please note: While we hope these events will offer camaraderie among the residents of the featured towns, you can register for either evening whether you are affiliated with a listed town or not.  The list of featured towns is not intended to be comprehensive, and we encourage participation from broader communities.

Register for April 7 Register for April 14

Advance registration required for in-person events due to covid-19 capacity limits.

April 6, 7:00 p.m. Virtual Event

Join us for a virtual evening with Curator, David Wood, Peggy N. Gerry Curatorial Associate, Erica Lome, and historian and author of The Minutemen and Their World, Robert Gross, for an inside look at the roles Provincials from communities across Massachusetts played in the events now celebrated on Patriots’ Day.  Get an inside look at the Museum’s new April 19, 1775 exhibition including animations and signature artifacts like the signal lantern hung in the North Church that began the events of that fateful day.

Register for April 6

 

All events in partnership with local historical societies including Acton Historical Society, Arlington Historical Society, Bedford Historical Society, Belmont Historical Society, Billerica Historical Society, Cambridge Historical Society, Lexington Historical Society, Lincoln Historical Society, Maynard Historical Society, Medford Historical Society, Sudbury Historical Society, Waltham Historical Society, The Historical Society of Watertown, and Edmund Fowle House & Museum.

Image: 18th century illustrations by Amos Doolittle showing the events of April 19, 1775 are enlivened with animation in the exhibition.