The Shot Heard 'Round the World

Our time in Boston and Massachusetts is coming to an end. Our first trip to Massachusetts has been interesting, but not necessarily 'interesting' in a good, likable way. We didn't get to see all the historical sites we wanted to see because they are difficult to find for someone new to the area. Parking wasn't much of a problem in Boston because they have paid parking lots scattered throughout the downtown area. You just have to find them. (It's the same situation in Washington, D.C.; plenty of parking if you know where to look.) But when we went to Quincy, MA, a suburb of Boston and home of John Adams (2nd U.S. president) and his son, John Quincy Adams, (6th U.S. president), there was no parking to be found. All we could do was drive around and see the few things we could find. A tour is available for the two homes belonging to these men, but you'd have to be able to find parking. The best tip that we could give someone wanting to tour the Boston area is to sign-up with an organized tour group where someone in charge knows where the historical sites are and knows how to navigate all the areas.

The last historical site we visited was in Concord, Massachusetts, where the Battle of Lexington and Concord was fought. This battle is tied to the Old North Church in Boston -- "one if by land, two if by sea" was to warn the citizens of Lexington and Concord that "the British are coming." The lanterns were hung in the church on April 18, 1775, and the battle ensued on April 19, 1775, in Concord.

British General Gage sent troops to Concord to seize ammunition and guns that his intel told him were being stockpiled by colonists. The colonists didn't like that idea so they prepared to defend themselves and their property. General Gage ordered troops to take control of the two bridges in town: the South Bridge and the North Bridge (those are some well-thought out, clever names 😏). The current North Bridge is a recent restoration of the last bridge built on the site in 1956. The 1956 bridge was the fifth bridge to occupy the spot since the battle in 1775. The 1755 bridge was taken down in 1788.

When the British first deployed at the North Bridge, they were positioned on the west side of the river. This is the side where the Minute Man statue now stands. The colonial militia, with over 400 men, occupied the high ground overlooking the bridge.

Sometime after 9:00 a.m. the militiamen, believing the town was being set on fire, marched down upon the bridge. Hopelessly outnumbered by the advancing militia, the British soldiers pulled back to the east side of the bridge, where the 1836 obelisk now stands, and hastily organized for defense. When the shots were fired, the British were on the east side and the colonists were on the west side. The first gun shot is now known as the 'shot heard 'round the world' and was the beginning of the Revolutionary War. (all info is taken from https://www.nps.gov/mima/north-bridge-questions.htm)

We were really grateful to see this spot. And, for our LDS friends, we also did a session in the Boston temple. 

The next leg of our journey will be to begin heading to the west coast.

Boston Temple                                                                                   Civil War Monument in Concord

The Concord River

The area where the Revolutionary war started

The Old Manse was built in 1770 and belonged to Reverend William Emerson, grandfather of Ralph Waldo Emerson. The Manse overlooks the Concord River and sits right by the 1775 battlefield so inhabitants would have had front row seats to the battle. Not really a ticket most people would be interested in purchasing. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne both lived in the Manse.