Battles of Concord and Lexington

All colonial newspapers appeared weekly and were sold by subscriptions. While most colonial newspapers had circulations of between 500 and 1,000, the Massachusetts Spy had a circulation of 3,500 from subscribers throughout the thirteen colonies making it the most popular American...

Israel Putnam (1718-1790) was born in Salem Village, MA to Joseph Putnam and Elizabeth Porter. He was not interested in education but loved being physically active and adventurous and had a reputation for courage and competitiveness as a young man. A year after marrying Hannah Pope in 1739, they...

April 19, 1775 was the first day of the American Revolution. There were several events that led up to this fateful day, including the Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, and the Stamp Act, to name a few. The colonists were agitated by the policies that the British crown continued to place...

Retreat of the British from Concord is an engraving by James Smilie (1807-1885), who was born in Scotland, lived in Quebec, and eventually moved to New York City. He worked mostly on banknote engravings, but was also known for his landscapes. The engraving is based on a painting by Alonzo...

The Struggle on Concord Bridge is an engraving by W. J. Edwards. It is based on a painting by Alonzo Chappel, and portrays the skirmish at the North Bridge in the smoke-filled air, when the militiamen ran the British troops back into town.

April 19, 1775 was the first day of...

Broadsides are single-sheet printed documents. They were frequently displayed or posted in public areas such as in taverns, outside meeting houses, or around municipal buildings. A variety of materials were printed on broadsides including poems, government proclamations, songs, and advertisement...

Broadsides are single-sheet printed documents. They were frequently displayed or posted in public areas such as in taverns, outside meeting houses, or around municipal buildings. A variety of materials were printed on broadsides including poems, government proclamations, songs, and...