Battlegreen of Lexington, Lexington, MA

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In the spring of 1775, Massachusetts colony was a hotbed of conflict with England. Preparations had been underway to store munitions and arms in nearby Concord, and training of militia was organized to defend against British troops should that become necessary. The military governor of Massachusetts, General Thomas Gage, was ordered to seize the arms and munitions at Concord and to arrest the patriot leaders, John Hancock and Samuel Adams, who had been staying in the village of Lexington.

As General Gage left Boston to proceed westward, Paul Revere, William Dawes, and other riders galloped ahead to sound the alarm that soldiers were approaching. Hancock and Adams fled to safety. Revere was captured in nearby Lincoln, but William Dawes and Samuel Prescott were able to continue westward to sound the alarm of approaching troops. In the early morning fog of April 19, 1775, local militia assembled on the Lexington Common and opposed the advancing British troops. As the soldiers arrived, they issued a warning to the minutemen to “lay down your arms, you damned rebels..”. Soon shots were fired, a soldier was injured, and several minutemen lay dead. There was no turning back; war with England was started. The British troops marched onward towards Concord where more militia and battle awaited them.

The view from this location is approximately where Captain Parker's militia stood as they awaited the British troops, who were approaching from the east in front of the rising sun. The Buckman Tavern and Captan Parker's statue can be seen at the northeast edge of the Battlegreen.