April 19, 1775-The Dawn of Revolution-On the night of April 18, 1775 approximately 700 British soldiers gathered on Boston Commons to prepare for a raid on American military supplies stored in nearby Concord. Informed of the British troop movement, Paul Revere and William Dawes, Boston residents set out to warn their fellow colonists.Over the next twenty-four hours, a series of events ensued which took Massachusetts and colonies a major step closer to Independence. Casualties, first in Lexington, then in Concord , and finally on the road back to Boston, marked a turning point in a decade-old struggle.
By the end of the day on April 19, the Minute Men had surrounded Boston and laid siege to the port city. On July 2, 1775, George Washington, a planter from distant Virginia, took charge of the army. Eight months later, on March 17, 1776, British troops evacuated Boston. In Massachusetts the fighting was over, but the War for Independence had only begun.
Exhibits and audiovisual programs in this Visitor Center tell the story of the events of April 19, 1775, the immediate consequences of those events, and their meaning for our Republic.
(Colonial Era • War, US Revolutionary) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
