Concord 4th of July
Old North Bridge Old North Bridge, Concord, MA, United StatesConcord Reading of the Declaration of Independence
Concord Reading of the Declaration of Independence
The Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Boston, MA is a cherished tradition that brings history to life. Held annually, this event gathers crowds in historic locations such as Faneuil Hall or the Old State House to witness the powerful words of the founding document being recited. With passionate speakers and a reverent atmosphere, this reading commemorates the spirit of liberty and serves as a reminder of the ideals that shaped the nation's journey towards independence.
4th of July Parade and Reading of the Declaration of Independence
Declaring Independence, Then and Now
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Powder Alarm, the Somerville Museum is partnering with the City of Somerville to produce a re-enactment of the historic event, followed by a living history fair. The fair will include docent tours of the Powder House, activity tables, and even a scavenger hunt of the park! The re-enactment […]
This year marks the Bicentennial celebration of the Marquis de Lafayette’s Farewell Tour of the United States! Throughout his yearlong tour of all 24 states, Americans honored Lafayette with a parade and great fanfare at almost every stop he made. Local craftspeople also produced many types of commemorative memorabilia, such as the pictured drum, baby […]
On Saturday, September 7th at 10am in the Old Burying Ground join the Arlington 250th Committee and His Majesty’s 10th Regiment of Foot during the unveiling and commemoration of the memorial to the fallen British soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Battle of Menotomy on April 19th, 1775. Welcome Angela Olszewski Co-Chair, Arlington […]
Learn about Marbleheaders during the Revolutionary War and visit various historic sites in town during this weekend-long event. Pick up a program book and experience Revolutionary War-era Marblehead at various sites in the Historic District. Meet the wife of war hero, James Mugford; explore Fort Sewall with Glover’s Regiment; meet diarist Ashley Bowen portrayed by […]
On October 7, 1774, ninety chosen representatives met at Salem in defiance of General Gage’s order. They elected John Hancock to serve as chairman. They resolved to form themselves into “a Provincial Congress...to take into consideration the dangerous and alarming situation of public affairs in this province, and to consult and determine on such measures […]
The 2024 Massachusetts Provincial Congress “Exploring Democracy – Our Rights and Our Responsibilities” October 11, 2024 9:30am – 4:30pm First Parish in Concord and The Wright Tavern *Register here to attend* In October 1774, the political conflict between Great Britain and Massachusetts reached a crisis. Parliament enacted the “Intolerable Acts” to punish the province for […]
Commemorating a milestone of the American Revolution, January 1, 1776, when General Washington raised a new American flag over the highest point of the American fortifications surrounding the then-occupied City of Boston. Featuring a procession from City Hall in Somerville to Prospect Hill Park, followed by an hour-long program of activities. Numerous city officials, the […]
Join us for a special ceremony commemorating Samuel Whittemore. Learn the story of Whittemore’s courageous acts on April 19, 1775 as the oldest known combatant in the entire Revolutionary War! Remarks at his monument in Whittemore Park will be followed by an open house and refreshments in the Dallin Museum and Cutter Gallery. This program […]
"Spies Among Us" will open on Thursday, February 6th at 10 a.m. during the museum’s first Thursday opening hours. We will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 6th and will be open every Thursday going forward from 10-4. We will also showcase the exhibit during our February Second Sunday Open House […]
"Spies Among Us" will open on Thursday, February 6th at 10 a.m. during the museum’s first Thursday opening hours. We will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 6th and will be open every Thursday going forward from 10-4. We will also showcase the exhibit during our February Second Sunday Open House […]
"Spies Among Us" will open on Thursday, February 6th at 10 a.m. during the museum’s first Thursday opening hours. We will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 6th and will be open every Thursday going forward from 10-4. We will also showcase the exhibit during our February Second Sunday Open House […]
Join us as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of “Leslie’s Retreat,” a pivotal moment that marked Salem’s first stand against British authority and helped spark the American Revolution. On February 26, 1775, just weeks before the shots at Lexington and Concord, Salem witnessed what could have been the first battle of the American Revolution. When […]
Celebrate History with us! The Revolution Ball is a colonial dress/black tie evening of live music, dancing, food, and drinks. The event celebrates the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Leslie's Retreat from the Salem gunpowder raid of 1775. In February of 1775, Colonel Alexander Leslie and his British regulars were sent to raid the […]
The Acton 250 Committee presents Acton’s celebrated historians Anne Forbes, Bill Klauer and Bob Pion who will discuss recent learnings of Acton’s Black residents in honor African American History Month. Black citizens were among the residents here when Acton first became a Town in 1735, and several fought in the Revolution at the Concord Bridge […]
Historian J.L. Bell will tell the thrilling story of Leslie's Retreat, the first armed resistance to the British crown, and its connections to Marblehead. On Sunday, February 26, 1775, about 250 British soldiers marched through Marblehead, sent by the royal governor to search for weapons. When that column of redcoats stalled at a drawbridge in […]
Join us for a ceremonial lighting of the Concord250 Lantern, a 10-foot-tall commemorative lantern inspired by the historic signal light of April 19, 1775 housed today in the Concord Museum. The community lighting will take place on the grounds of the Museum where together we will light the way toward liberty and justice for all. […]
Concord-Carlisle High School & Lexington High School Bands present 250th Celebration Concert; working title: Sound Revolutions Including world premieres of new works commissioned to commemorate this historic occasion CCHS Auditorium, March 4th, 7pm Details coming soon
In October 1774, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress ordered the towns across the colony to prepare for war with England. In response, Essex County entered a wartime phase that included creating minute-man companies, stockpiling arms, ammunition, and equipment, and establishing a defense network ready to mobilize if the redcoats marched from Boston into the countryside. Join […]
"Spies Among Us" will open on Thursday, February 6th at 10 a.m. during the museum’s first Thursday opening hours. We will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 6th and will be open every Thursday going forward from 10-4. We will also showcase the exhibit during our February Second Sunday Open House […]
The producers of From Sea to Shining Sea: Katharine Lee Bates and The Story of America the Beautiful are pleased to announce a Premiere screening of the film on March 13, 2025 at 7:00pm at the Falmouth Public Library. Writer and Director, John de Graaf, Bates’s biographer Melinda Ponder, and local author Leonard Miele will […]
Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds Historic Newton celebrates the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution! Join us in exploring what life was like in 18th-century New England. Reenactors will scatter the museum exhibits and grounds to create an immersive experience of revolutionary life. Guests can participate in hands-on period-specific activities and listen to reenactors debate politics, […]
Join Paul Revere (as portrayed by Michael Lepage) by fireside at the Wayside Inn for a spirited review of the notoriously inaccurate Longfellow poem that immortalized his Midnight Ride. Heavy hors d’oeuvres included with the price of a ticket. Drinks available for purchase at the bar. Tickets $25.00 via Resi: https://resy.com/cities/sudbury-ma/venues/longfellows-wayside-inn/events/paul-revere-fireside-chat-2025-03-20?seats=2&date=2025-03-07 Members of The Wayside […]
Showcasing the creative energy of quilters near and far, Quilts 250 will display as many as 250 quilts that visually express through fabric and thread themes related to our country’s founding and evolution and the dynamic range of quilting arts in the last 250 years. The show is sponsored by the Concord 250 Celebrations Committee […]
Throughout February and March of 1775, the people of Massachusetts were preparing for war. The Provincial Congress organized a network of intelligence to monitor the British Army and the military supplies throughout the province. Aware of the rebel operations, the British Army conducted military intelligence missions into the Massachusetts countryside. These efforts would see moments […]
The Evacuation Day Cruise is a two-hour excursion through the Boston Harbor that tells the story of the Siege of Boston (June 1775 to March 1776). Park rangers will provide historical narration of events as we pass key landmarks, all while navigating the waters the British used to evacuate town. The trip will begin at […]
Join historian Patrick Browne as he explores the tension and resistance to British rule in Duxbury and on the South Shore of Massachusetts during the Revolutionary period. This talk will be held in person and broadcast online. Dr Browne will highlight the unique loyalty of Duxbury's neighbor Marshfield to the Crown, including its request for […]
Join us for a special Sunday afternoon tea party at the Museum of Old Newbury to explore a tea mystery. For generations, Newburyporters claimed to have been the first to protest onerous British tariffs by destroying tea imported from British India. Before Sam Adams's band dunked that tea in Boston harbor, as the Clipper City's […]
In observance of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution, Norumbega Harmony, a vocal group specializing in early American shape-note music since 1976, will present a concert of the era’s patriotic and religious tunes. Songs by William Billings of Boston, along with his associates Oliver Holden of Charlestown, Daniel Read of Connecticut, […]
Join us for a special USS Lexington Ceremony commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington, the historic clash that ignited the American Revolution. On the morning of April 19, 1775, colonial militia and British Regulars exchanged the “shot heard ’round the world” on Lexington Green, marking the very beginning of America’s fight for […]
Two hundred years ago, on 19 April 1775, American history changed. Colonial forces faced the British army at Lexington & Concord … and won. Word spread rapidly, and two regiments of Plymouth “Minute Men,” led by Colonel Theophilus Cotton, rallied to the Patriot cause. For the next six years, Plymoutheans participated in America’s battle for […]
Groton Celebrates America’s 250th Anniversary! Take a walk back in time and discover Groton’s contributions to America’s independence, the battles in Concord, MA, and Boston’s Bunker Hill. Program Schedule 1 p.m. Minutemen with Fife & Drum Gather on the Minuteman Common, Groton Center 2 p.m. Joshua Vollmar Lecture at Lawrence Academy (Richardson-Mees Performing Arts Center) […]
Two hundred years ago, on 19 April 1775, American history changed. Colonial forces faced the British army at Lexington & Concord … and won. Word spread rapidly, and two regiments of Plymouth “Minute Men,” led by Colonel Theophilus Cotton, rallied to the Patriot cause. For the next six years, Plymoutheans participated in America’s battle for […]
What better way to honor the generation of 1775 than to enjoy the ales and ciders many of them drank to drown out the latest outrages from Great Britain? Brandeis Professor Dan Breen will deliver a captivating lecture on New England's tavern culture and its relevance to the Revolution. Discover how long-gone or remarkably remaining […]
The Battles of Lexington and Concord erupted on April 19, 1775, pitting the brave Massachusetts militia against the formidable British forces. This confrontation followed the dramatic Midnight Rides and the urgent Lexington Alarm, which mobilized the countryside in preparation for the impending advance of British troops toward Concord. Tensions reached a breaking point when British […]
Join us for Woburn’s Historic Battle Road Celebration! This special event will honor the courage and legacy of Woburn’s Minutemen, who played a crucial role in the Battle of Lexington and Concord. We will unveil a new monument along Battle Road to commemorate Woburn’s important contributions to the Revolutionary War. Stay tuned for more details […]
Visit the Nathan Meriam witness house and talk with costumed park staff about the Meriam family and the importance of the crossroad near their home on April 19, 1775. In the early afternoon of that fateful day, Militia soldiers arriving from Reading, Chelmsford, and Billerica attacked retreating British soldiers near this home. From Meriam’s Corner […]
Join us as we commemorate Woburn’s rich Revolutionary War history with the unveiling of the new Battle Road Memorial Area! This special event will honor the brave men of Woburn who marched on April 19, 1775, with a brand-new monument, interpretive signage, and a dedicated space for reflection. Event Highlights: – Monument Dedication – Honoring […]
Join the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) for a free community open house commemorating 250 years since Boston printer and patriot Isaiah Thomas brought his printing press and newspaper, The Massachusetts Spy, to Worcester--a move that helped shape the American Revolution. Thomas's original eighteenth-century press, which he named "no. 1," is housed at AAS, the national […]
“LISTEN my children, and you shall hear. Of the midnight ride of…” Samuel Prescott? On the evening of April 12, 2025 join National Park Rangers as we commemorate and explore the true story of the famous midnight ride 250 years ago. On April 19th 1775 a midnight alarm spread across Massachusetts about the impending march […]
"Spies Among Us" will open on Thursday, February 6th at 10 a.m. during the museum’s first Thursday opening hours. We will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 6th and will be open every Thursday going forward from 10-4. We will also showcase the exhibit during our February Second Sunday Open House […]
On April 19th, 1775 a contingent of about 120, British Soldiers marched over the North Bridge to Barrett’s farm in search of military arms and supplies. During this open house program explore the interior of this 319 year old home, talk with park staff about military preparations in 1775, and learn the story of Rebeckah […]
This special event will open the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library's newest gallery exhibition, “Protest & Promise: The American Revolution in Lexington." This exhibition explores how ordinary Lexingtonians protested for their rights and helped fuel the movement for American independence, as well as how the choices made at Lexington in 1775 became an important […]