In early 1776, the young Continental Army colonel Henry Knox moved dozens of heavy cannons and mortars from Lake Champlain to the siege lines around Boston; one of the most famous stories from the Revolutionary War. And like many famous stories, it embodies a fair amount of legend and lore. This talk sorts out what […]
In the aftermath of the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, numerous civilians found themselves trapped within Boston, encircled by the newly formed Massachusetts Grand Army. The constant fear of an American assault, coupled with outbreaks of disease and the erosion of civil liberties under martial rule fostered an atmosphere of desperation. Civilians found […]
We welcome you to join us at our Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Meeting with a presentation by Russ Cohen! Dinner and snacks will be provided free of charge. Presentation: Nibbling on the Wild Landscape of Middlesex County Duration: 0.5 hour business meeting & 2 hour presentation with Russ Cohen (includes Q&A and nibbling on foraged […]
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. Monday, November 10th 7:00-8:30 PM Acton Town Hall, 472 Main Street, Room 204 THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. Professor Bill Fowler will explain the importance of British naval power in the early years of the Revolution. The Royal Navy was the most powerful in the world at that time and […]
Professor Bob Allison inaugurated the Acton 250 Lectures Series in 2023 with an account of the Boston Tea Party of 1773 and the pivotal events that sparked the American Revolution. He returned to explain the critical changes occurring in the year 1774 when the Crown’s response solidified the colonial opposition. We are thrilled to have […]
Noted author and historian J. L. Bell will discuss the key role of military intelligence and spies before the momentous battle at Concord and how the Colonials also effectively disseminated news of the outcome. Besides his writing, John maintains the Boston 1775 blog, boston1775.blogspot.com/ which offers daily helpings of history, analysis, and unabashed gossip about […]
Nationally renowned sculptor Meredith Bergmann, an Acton resident, has created inspiring monuments to great Americans: FDR, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Abigail Adams, and many more. Her artistic process includes learning about each figure as she creates each bronze statue. Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753 – December 5, 1784), whose bronze statue appears in the Boston […]
Please join local historians Bob Pion, Bill Klauer, and Anne Forbes discussing recent learnings of Acton’s Black residents. Black citizens were among the residents here when Acton first became a town in 1735 and several fought in the Revolution at the Concord Bridge and other New England battles. Acton Town Hall, Room 204 from 7-8:30 […]
In 2015, Joel Bohy began a collaboration with conflict archaeologist Dr. Douglas Scott to understand more about the objects that were turning up during archaeological investigations on former battlegrounds. They studied all the surviving bullet-strikes including Buckman Tavern in Lexington, whose front door still bears the mark of a bullet fired on April 19, 1775. […]
At the end of the 1780s, a group of Mohegans bemoaned that “he times are exceedingly altered, yea the Times have turned everything topside down.” That was certainly true for indigenous peoples between the Appalachians and the Great Lakes, where a half-century of war and displacement had crested with the U.S. victory and the end […]
Countdown to April 19th, 1775: Acclaimed historian and author Robert Gross joins the Acton 250 Lecture Series to present: Acton’s and Concord’s Roads to Revolution Wednesday, October 23rd, 7PM in Room 204, Acton Town Hall, 472 Main Street, Acton MA Acton and Concord joined together on April 19, 1775, at the North Bridge, igniting […]
Crown Resistance Day in Acton, 1774 with Historian Mary Fuhrer September 25 at 7PM in Acton Town Hall, Room 204, 472 Main Street, Acton MA Historian Mary Fuhrer returns to explore this critical point in Acton history in the next edition of the Acton 250 lecture series. Remote Participation: You can participate in the Q&A […]