On the morning of April 19, 1775, the town militia men of Lexington waited on the sides of the town common to stand in the way of the more than 700 British soldiers were sent by the Royal Governor Gage to destroy a store of ammunition and other supplies for an anticipated rebellion by the colonists.
About 77 colonial militiamen, led by Captain John Parker, had assembled on the town green to face about 700 British soldiers. The British ordered the militiamen to disperse, but a shot — later called “the shot heard ’round the world” — was fired from an unknown source. When the smoke from muskets cleared, seven militia lay dead, one would die later of his wounds, and ten more were wounded. The British soldiers continued on to Concord to try to confiscate and destroy the supply of arms and ammunition in Concord. The American Revolution had begun.
Each year, the towns of Arlington, Lexington, Concord, and Lincoln work with a dedicated corps of reenactors to recreate these events and honor the patriots who fought for liberty and equality.. Visitors to the event are hushed, the only sounds are orders shouted by British commanders and colonist officers and then the very loud musket fire of blanks used by the reenactors.