Start of something wonderful

Today marks the true start of the Revolution and the birth of America. July Fourth just formalized things.

Paul Revere’s Ride

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

LISTEN, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, “If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light, —
One, if by land, and two, if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm.”

All of it Here

So as April 19th dawned, the Militia grabbed their guns and formed up on Lexington Green. The British killed and wounded a handful before marching on to try to capture the cache of weapons reported to be stored in Concord.  At Concord, beside the old North Bridge, the militia joined against the Lobsterbacks again. 

This time the British were routed. The King’s troops were harried all the way back to Boston. 

In subsequent weeks and months the Rebellion went to full Revolution as other colonies joined in and sent troops and materials.

You know the rest. 

At least you should. I will add, if you have never seen the first few episodes of Ken Burn’s Adams, you ought to try and find it pronto, even if you do not think you like history.