Minuteman Statue, North Bridge, Battles of Lexington and Concord - Concord, MA - Political Revolutions on Waymarking.com

In Concord, at the Old North Bridge within the Minuteman National Historic Park, are several monuments related to the skirmish around the bridge on April 19, 1775. The most notable memorial is the one with a sculpture of a minuteman.

The Minuteman Monument

The monument is made of bronze on a stone base. The bronze sculpture is of a farmer with a gun, leaving his plough behind to join the battle that he heard. The base has inscriptions on it. The front inscription is a verse of a poem by Ralph Emerson:

"By the rude bridge
that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's
breeze unfurled.
Here once the embattled
farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard
round the world."

On the backside, the stone has been etched to create the text:

"1775
Nineteenth of April
-
1875."

Thus, this memorial was placed on the Centennial of the battle.

Other Supporting Monuments and Markers:

There is also a monument in the shape of an obelisk on the east side of the bridge. This monument was erected in 1837 by the citizens of Concord, and in this ceremony, Ralph Waldo Emerson read the poem that has it's first stanza on the Minuteman statue.

Near the obelisk is a stone in a stone wall marking the graves of two British soldiers who died during the battle and are buried at this site. Beside the Minuteman Monument is a plaque about the colonial miliria men who died at this location, including Captain Isaac Davis of Acton.

Background on the Battle(s) of Lexington and Concord

The events of the battle(s) (depending on the source, it's either one battle or several) on April 19, 1775, were a result of mounting tension between the British government and the people who had colonized the east coast of today's United States. After victory in the conflict known as the French and Indian War, the British government searched for ways to pay down its debt from the war. Over the next 14 years, the government tried imposing new taxes and duties and tried to limit the area that colonists could settle. In short, these were received badly by the colonists, resulting in such local events as the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party. The British government sent troops to occupy Boston to try to quell the protests. In April they decided to act to destroy a store of powder and guns held on the grounds of Barret's Farm by rebel activists. The army landed in Charlestown and marched to Concord via today's Cambridge and Arlington to Lexington, where they were met by the Lexington militia and there shed the first blood due to armed conflict between both sides. The army marched on to Concord where they encountered a second militia. Exchanges of fire took place and the British moved on and raided the store. They then marched back, dogged by the militias all the way to Charlestown. The storage was damaged, but much was salvaged. The resistance movement used the battles as propoganda and managed to changed the attitude among the thirteen colonies to move toward independence from the British government. Before the battle, only about a third of the colonists were considering this radical option.

Every year, on the third Monday of April (known as Patriots Day in Massachusetts), a ceremony is held at this location that involves reenactments and dedication of the graves and monuments. See the National Park Service web site for details.

Other Sources:

CTMonuments.net (Old North Bridge):
(visit link)

Worcester Poly-Technic Institute (Battle of Lexington and Concord):
(visit link)

National Park Service (Minuteman National Historic Park):
(visit link)

Name of the revolution that the waymark is related to: American Revolutionary War Adress of the monument: Monument Street Minuteman National Historic Park Concord, MA United States of America 01742 What was the role of this site in revolution?: It was one of a series of skirmished that are collectively called the Battle(s) of Lexington and Concord, which is considered the start of the American Revolutionary War. Link that comprove that role: [Web Link] When was this memorial placed?: 04/19/1875 Who placed this monument?: Citizens of Concord

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