To honor the day - Reflecting on "the shot heard ’round the world" and a New Birth of Freedom

Today, genuine American citizens have the opportunity to reflect on the painful birth pangs of the beginnings of the Land of the Free. Those who cherish Freedom may remember that America was born at a time when good, common people were willing to lay down their lives for the freedom of their children and for the future generations. Brave and strong-willed people were prepared to lay down their lives for the freedom of others whom they would not know, nor ever hope to know. This is truly the deep and bloodstained reality of the birth of the Land of the Free. Those who can appreciate this, and who are grateful for such sacrifices offered for our sake are genuine Americans. Genuine Americans cherish Freedom and are willing to protect it.

Yet, it surely seems “We the People” have come full circle at such a time as this in the resistance and rejection of tyranny in the Americas. And once again, “..It is for us the living… to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought… and we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom…” The words from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address still apply to those of us who love the cause of Freedom. We can choose to pretend we do not understand the clear and present danger to the survival of Freedom, or we can grasp a stronger hold upon the self-evident truths which those who came before were willing to protect with their very lives.

In November of 1863, Abraham Lincoln had renewed hope that the Union would arise from the deathbed of the Civil War. He had the strength of hope to proclaim that “...government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Where are those who genuinely love Freedom today? They need to arise from the deathbed of hopelessness, and despair and return to the infectious level of courage that our forebears held within their hearts and minds in troubled times in other ages.

Fear cripples, yet courage empowers and enables, and we in this time, should look into the pages of our past to once again allow the courage of our ancestors to embolden us who love Freedom today. With this in mind, it is good and helpful to sort out the particulars of what led up to the “shot heard round the world” because a majority of Americans seem to have lost connection with that historic and pivotal moment in human history. The story is motivating in many ways, especially to set aside excuses for inaction and to summon courage in this time.

It was between April 18 and 19 of 1775 that the cries of danger swept through the countryside of Massachusetts, and brave men and boys gathered their powder horns and musket and shot and made their way to Lexington Green to wait for the dreaded British troops marching methodically toward their objective. British Gen. Thomas Gage, the king’s recently appointed governor of the Massachusetts colony, was tasked with restoring order and dominion over the rebellious people in the colony. The British had previously seized 250 half barrels of gunpowder. So, confiscation of ammunition, guns, and powder was a primary objective. Gage dispatched around 700 British regular troops to seize a cache of gunpowder, ammunition and weapons, reportedly stashed near Concord, and to also arrest just two men: Samuel Adams and John Hancock. The men were wanted by the British government for their rebellious activities in and around the Boston area, and Adams was known to have organized the Boston Tea Party. So after nightfall, around 9pm on April 18th, the troops began their march from Boston to Lexington.

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The unique American response to the British military’s harassment of the people had been organized. The primary plans, directives from the primitive Continental Congress to prepare local militias to meet the British threat, also worked. Also in April of 1775, American spies had learned of the “secret plan” of the British overlords. The Americans, based on gathered military intelligence, had implemented contingency plans. On the weekend prior to the 18th, Paul Revere had organized a plan to use lighted lanterns hung in the tower of the Old North Church as signals to other riders that the British troops would be on the march and taking a land route or one by water. Revere was not certain he would be able to leave Boston with a British curfew in effect. However, he was able to slip away in the night and had arranged for compatriots to row him across the Charles River to get a decent head start to warn the two leaders.

On that April evening, as Paul Revere and William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott, as well as other riders, alerted their fellow citizens that the British regulars were on the march. As they marched the British military harassed the people in their homes. As the cries of alarm spread “through every Middlesex village and farm, for the country folk to be up in arms,” as Longfellow reminded Americans in 1860, ordinary folk in that region rose from their sleep, left their beds, and braced themselves to face the wrath of a fearsome, formidable foe.

A little after midnight, in the wee hours of April 19, 1775, Paul Revere reached the home of Rev. Jonas Clarke in Lexington where Hancock and Adams had been meeting with the famous patriot pastor. Dawes arrived at the home around 1 a.m. They both left rather quickly to set off to Concord to extend the warning to the patriot leaders there. By that time, however, Americans had already moved most of the small arms and their ammunition to another area.

And, though Revere and Dawes successfully made it to Lexington, neither of them made it to Concord. They met young Dr. Samuel Prescott who was to guide them to Concord not long after they left the Clarke home. However, within approximately 15 minutes of riding, all three were captured by a British patrol along the road. Dawes and Prescott got away, but Dawes was thrown by his horse, and eventually only Prescott made it to Concord. There had been a race to awaken the people that their government had taken up arms against them.

Yet, the shot heard ’round the world’ sparked warfare. A rag-tag band of men and boys made their way to Lexington Green to wait in the dark of a cool April morning. They would have been uncertain of what would happen next because it had never happened before. Certainly, these brave souls had not read a British military manual instructing them that it was futile to resist. They stood their ground, waiting. Some may have been wondering if they would get back home to their beds that day. Approximately, 38 – 77 citizens (accounts vary) stood their ground — against 700 feared Redcoats. The ensuing conflict was a long and hard fought war and many people lost their lives. Yet, the founding generation understood that freedom came at great cost.They were willing to pay the price.

A long time ago, a wise person of faith stated that: “The cost of Liberty is eternal vigilance.” To keep a vigil, one must remain awake. To resist tyranny and reaffirm our grip upon foundations of Freedom, we must not only awaken, but all who love Freedom must must arise, and stand with others who are aligned with God and other patriots, to defend the Republic. America needs a new birth of freedom – a renewal of the government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

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