The commonwealth of Massachusetts is unveiling its plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War.
Surrounded by elected officials and reenactors clad in 18th century finery, Governor Maura Healey spoke on the State House steps in Boston Tuesday.
“We want to welcome everyone this morning to what is the birthplace of America, Massachusetts, where the revolution began and where the revolution continues,” she said. “First in freedom, first in education, first in healthcare, first in innovation. We celebrate that history, we honor that history, and every day we’re also making history, making history as we launch Massachusetts 250.”
The war for independence from Great Britain began in Massachusetts in 1775.
“This is going to be an ongoing celebration of who we are, of where we’ve been, and what is to come,” Healey continued. “We’re going to leverage this moment to draw in visitors from all around not just the state, the country, but literally the world, who are going to come here to Massachusetts to see and to celebrate where it all began.”
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll announced a new slate of grant opportunities in line with the anniversary celebration.
“These are projects that highlight the themes of revolution and independence and celebrate significant historical firsts in Massachusetts, using creative approaches to showcase our state’s rich 250-year history,” she said. “They cover the length and breadth of Massachusetts, from Pittsfield to Fall River and Newburyport to Nantucket. They include new exhibits, trails, websites, videos, productions, events and more.”
“The first major event actually happened last December; it was the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, and that got a great crowd, it got a lot of attention,” Democratic State Senator Paul Mark of the Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire District and co-chair of the Massachusetts 250 Commission told WAMC. “It had this America 250 commission come down to Boston, and I had to testify before them and talk about what Massachusetts is doing.”
The next phase of the celebration that will stretch into 2026 is the 250th anniversary of the revolution’s first shots in Lexington and Concord.
“You’re going to have what hopes to be a really big event, a really big celebration in Lexington and Concord, specifically, in April and so every year in Massachusetts, we have the Patriots Day holiday,” said Mark. “By chance, the actual day that the battle took place, April 19th is going to happen on a Saturday. And so, the events and the commemoration and the reenactment that happens every year is going to happen on Saturday, April 19th next year. And when we hear accounts of how this played out in 1975 for the Bicentennial, it was a major event. I know Gerald Ford, the president at the time, attended.”
Mark says the rolling celebration will touch all corners of the commonwealth.
“You’re going to have the Battle of Bunker Hill next June, you’re going to have statewide collaboration and an opportunity for the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts to shine next January, January of 2026,” he said. “You’re going to have a reenactment of the noble train of artillery, which people know as the Knox trail. And so, there’s going to be a reenactment of people that brought the cannons down from Fort Ticonderoga in New York, there’s going to be a ceremony for an official handoff at the New York Massachusetts border. There’s going to be several events around the state, and one of them is going to be in January in Great Barrington, specifically.”
Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism Executive Director Kate Fox says the Massachusetts 250 initiative is an opportunity to confront longstanding systemic inequity.
“We want to make sure that we are using a contemporary lens to reframe the stories of the American Revolution and amplify the indigenous and Black stories from the revolution, as well as the role of women and children,” she told WAMC. “And then, on a more contemporary level, we’re looking for all of the firsts, whether it’s the first chemotherapy treatment or the first long distance telephone call, we’ve accomplished a lot in Massachusetts over the last 250 and even 400 years, and we want to keep telling those stories.”
The project’s culmination will come on March 17th, 2026 — the 250th anniversary of Evacuation Day, when British forces left Boston once and for all. The nation marks its semiquincentennial on July 4th, 2026, marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
