08/10/2026
🇺🇸 Our Journey Through American History Continues! 🇺🇸
Our Dashers continued stepping back in time with a stop at the impressive Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Standing proudly in front of the monument is a statue of Colonel William Prescott, one of the American commanders at the Battle of Bunker Hill and the man traditionally associated with the famous command, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!”
The 221-foot granite Bunker Hill Monument was built to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill, fought June 17, 1775, one of the first major battles of the American Revolution. Although the British ultimately took the ground, they suffered tremendous casualties, and the battle proved that the colonial forces were capable of standing their ground against the powerful British Army. Construction of the monument began in 1825, on the 50th anniversary of the battle, and the monument was completed in 1842 and dedicated the following year.
From there, we traveled to the historic towns of Lexington and Concord, where our guide walked and guided us along the very roads and through the countryside where the opening events of the American Revolution unfolded on April 19, 1775.
A truly memorable hands-on moment of the day came when our Dashers had the rare opportunity to handle a replica of a Revolutionary War musket, with an original historic firearm displayed in the background for comparison. Our guide explained that a good English marksman was trained to master the many steps required to reload in about 15 seconds, while an inexperienced militia soldier might take 30 seconds or more. Those who could reload more quickly were often considered more valuable in battle and could even receive a higher wage. Feeling the weight of that long arm in their hands gave everyone a powerful sense of what soldiers of the era carried—heavy, unwieldy, and demanding real strength, discipline, and repetition to use effectively. It was a humbling experience that brought the reality of 18th-century warfare into sharp focus.
Along the way, we passed several of what are known as “witness houses”—homes and buildings that were actually standing in 1775 and quite literally witnessed the events of that historic day. We saw places associated with families such as the Hartwells, Wayside, and other residents who found themselves living directly along the path of the British Regulars and colonial militia as fighting spread between Concord and Boston. It is incredible to realize that some of these structures remain standing more than 250 years later!
We also visited the area where Paul Revere was captured by a British patrol during his famous Midnight Ride. Revere never actually made it all the way to Concord that night, but the warning continued through other riders and the colonial alarm system, allowing militia companies throughout the countryside to begin assembling.
While in Concord, we also got to see Orchard House, the home of Louisa May Alcott, beloved author of Little Women. Before the Alcotts moved into the home, it was previously occupied by the Hoar family, who are also considered part of the home’s early “witness” history, having lived there during the years when the surrounding Concord landscape was still directly tied to Revolutionary-era memory. The Alcott family moved into the home in 1858, and it was there that Louisa May Alcott wrote and set much of Little Women, drawing inspiration from her own family and her life with her sisters. Seeing the home added another wonderful chapter of American history to our day.
Our journey eventually brought us to one of the most significant places of all—Concord’s Old North Bridge.
Our guide shared the story of what happened here on the morning of April 19, 1775. Colonial Minutemen and militia gathered on the hillside overlooking the bridge while British soldiers searched Concord for military supplies. As the colonists advanced toward the bridge, shots were exchanged. Here, colonial forces fired a coordinated volley against British troops—an extraordinary moment when American colonists openly stood against the British Army.
It was this confrontation at the North Bridge that Ralph Waldo Emerson would later immortalize with the words “the shot heard round the world.”
Standing there, looking across that peaceful bridge and the surrounding countryside, it is almost hard to imagine the events that unfolded on that very ground more than 250 years ago.
From Bunker Hill to Lexington, Paul Revere’s capture site, the witness houses, Louisa May Alcott’s Concord, and the Old North Bridge, this was another incredible day of seeing the places where the stories we learned about in history books actually happened.
We finished the night with a wonderful Italian dinner at Chateau. It was a perfect way to end the day—famous for their warm, fresh Italian bread that many of us couldn’t get enough of, and their house-made Italian dressing, which was so good several of us ended up taking bottles home. A delicious and relaxing finish to an unforgettable day of history and travel.
Our Dashers’ Patriotic Journey continues! 🇺🇸
