Minute Man National Historical Park was the starting place of the American Revolution, where the resolve of citizens willing to risk their lives for the ideals of liberty and self-determination was instrumental in the formation of the American identity. The park preserves sites where Colonial militiamen and British soldiers clashed on April 19, 1775. A force of 700 British soldiers left Boston to seize military supplies stockpiled in Concord, while alarm riders alerted the countryside and militia companies in area towns assembled, ready to defend their communities and liberties if necessary. After brief battles at Lexington Green at 5:00 a.m. and Concord’s North Bridge at 9:30 a.m., fighting escalated along the Battle Road. As the British troops marched back toward Boston, militia companies poured in, and by afternoon nearly 4,000 Colonists unleashed an incessant fire upon the British soldiers. At the end of the day, the Colonists surrounded and laid siege to Boston, and the Revolutionary War had begun. The five mile Battle Road Trail from Meriam’s Corner to Fiske Hill provides pedestrian, bicycle, and wheelchair access to many cultural and natural sites within the park, including battle sites, agricultural fields, colonial homes and taverns, forests, fragile wetlands, and historic landmarks. Portions of the trail are on the Battle Road where the British column marched, while other sections follow stone walls and farm lanes traversed by the Colonists. Many visitors begin their tour at the Minute Man Visitor Center, where exhibits and an orientation program are available.
