Recap of Events
Lynne B.
Location:
The Old North Bridge is located one mile north of
the Town Green. It crosses the Concord River, near the Old Manse that
is the home of Reverend William Emerson. A road a little past the river
led to the Colonel Barett's farm where the war material was being kept.
Setting:
In the beginning, the setting was not the same as
it is now. In the 1770's the land surrounding the Old North Bridge was
flat. There were farms and meadows surrounding the Bridge. Some trees
could be found but not nearly as many as there are today. Now there is
a large building, which is the Visitor Center, on a hill near the Bridge.
There are many monuments on each side of the Bridge. Walking on and around
the Bridge are many people dressed in costumes of that time period.
Historical Significance: This event is historical for the shot heard around the world and for starting the American Revolution.
What happened and when?:
On April 19th, 1775, 400 colonists werefighting
against 96 British redcoat soldiers. British soldiers were commanded to
seize ammunition and destroy it. The soldiers wanted to cross the Bridge
and continue on to the farm of Colonel Barett to search for ammunition.
A shot was fired from the redcoats. Colonists outnumbered the redcoats
400 to 96 so the redcoats quickly retreated and were chased by the colonists.
The first shot fired by the colonists was known as the "shot heard
around the world".
How long did the battle at the Bridge take place
for?:
The battle at the Bridge took place for five minutes.
Who fired first at the Old North Bridge and
who ordered them to fire?:
Major Buttrick on the colonists' side ordered them
to fire. He said, "Fire, for God's sake, fire!"
What
led the redcoats to the North Bridge and why did the colonists fire?:The
redcoats were ordered by England to capture ammunition from the colonists.
Paul Revere learned that the redcoats were coming. He and William Dawes
went to warn the colonists. On the way Dr. Samuel Prescott joined Revere
and Dawes who volunteered to join them in their route to warn the colonists.
Revere never made it to Concord because he was stopped by English soldiers
who made him give up his horse. The next morning about 400 colonists met
the 96 redcoats at the North Bridge. The redcoats fired warning shots
at the water and an unknown person fired first. The first shot fired by
the colonists was the shot heard about the world.
What was the major event that triggered the
400 colonists to commit treason by firing at the 96 redcoats?:
The colonists were walking towards the British at
the Old North Bridge when they began to see smoke rising from the town
square. They suspected the British had done it. The British felt intimidated
and fired warning shots into the river in hope that the colonists would
fall back. Joseph Hosmer, a colonist, said "Will you let them burn
the town down?". The men cried, "No, and the two groups of soldiers
fired upon each other.
When and who made this site into an official
historical site?:
In 1959 the National Park Service together with
the federal government made this site into an official historical site.
More Information on the Web:
http://www.concordma.com/features/then%26now/monument.html
http://www.concordma.com/magazine/nov98/bridge.html
http://mac110.assumption.edu/courses/ws03e1/jodell/page%203.htm
Bibliography:
Colby, Jean P. Lexington and Concord, 1775. New York: Hastings House, 1975
Birnbum, Lewis. Red Dawn at Lexington. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1986.
Nichipor, Mark A. The Lexington-Concord Battle Road. USA: Eastern National Park and Monument by Wee Bee Publishing, 1977.
D. Michael Ryan. The Concord Magazine. Nov. 1998. 26 Oct. 2000. http://www.concordma.com/magazine/nov98/bridge.html