‘Shot heard round world’ might have occurred in Worcester
'Shot heard round world' might have occurred in Worcester 1775 CENTRAL MASS. TOO TOUGH FOR BRITS Author and historian Ray Raphael, speaking Thursday at the Worcester Historical Museum, says Worcester was such a hotbed of revolution in 1775 that the…
King George reacts to the Fight for Independence
Greenville, S.C. to Host 124th Annual Congress
Greenville, S.C. to Host 124th Annual Congress Members of the South Carolina Society invite compatriots and guests to join them in Greenville, S.C., as they host the 124th Annual Congress. Mark your calendars for July 18-23. Situated in the Upcountry…
A hidden secret in Worcester’s history revealed
A hidden secret in Worcester’s history revealed By Jacleen Charbonneau Worcester Magazine 30 January 2014, 5:00 am Worcester is known for its undeniable sense of community, but with the addition of its consortium, Worcester Revolution of 1774, Inc., community has…
Paul Revere's Other Riders
Exhibit: The Shot Heard Round the World: April 19, 1775
The Shot Heard Round the World: April 19, 1775 Exhibit Open to the public: Friday, April 18 through Sunday, September 21, 2014 (Concord, MA; January 23, 2014) On April 30, 1775, Concord’s minister William Emerson wrote in his diary: “This…
The True Start of the American Revolution
What could Massachusetts’ military governor, Thomas Gage, do about the uprising? Nothing. In Salem, the temporary provincial capital, patriots held a town meeting one block from the governor’s office, in direct violation of the Massachusetts Government Act. Then, when Gage arrested seven so-called ring-leaders for calling the meeting, three thousand farmers formed in an instant and marched on the jail, forcing the prisoners’ release. In neighboring Danvers, a town meeting continued “three howers longer than was necessary, to see if he [Gage] would interrupt them.” He did not. “Damn ’em,” he was said to blurt out. “I won’t do anything about it unless his Majesty send me more troops.”
Those troops finally arrived the following April, and it was then that Gage, under extreme pressure, moved to recapture the province that had been lost the previous year. Before sending out his troops, Gage dispatched spies to determine where to attack. They reported that a march on Worcester, a patriot stronghold and the largest storehouse of weaponry and powder, would be disastrous. Gage decided to go after Concord instead.
Researching your Revolutionary Family History at the Massachusetts Archives
Researching your Revolutionary Family History at the Massachusetts Archives Massachusetts Archives Introduction The Archives, a division of the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, is the repository for Massachusetts records generated by state government. Archives holdings date from the…
America’s First Declaration of Independence
This was indeed a declaration for independence. Since the new government must be based exclusively on the “suffrages of the people,” there could be no more monarchical prerogatives, as there were under British rule. Further, the new government would be formed without asking for the consent of existing British authorities. Although the Worcester document does not use the word “independent,” people at that point in time did label this move “independency.”