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Boston Globe
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
In 1775 and today, an elusive American unity
'It is hoped,' Washington continued, 'that all distinctions of colonies will be laid aside, so that one and the same spirit may animate the whole, and the only contest be who shall render, on this great and trying occasion, the most essential service to the great and common cause in which we are all engaged.' Those orders — a plea, really — still resonate 250 years later as American politics have become fractured and polarized. The country is split along regional, racial, and cultural lines; divided by President Trump's aggressive policies; and at odds over what the nation is, was, and should be. Advertisement 'I find it horrifying to hear people talk about having blue states secede, red states secede,' said Robert Allison, a Suffolk University history professor and chair of Revolution 250, a Massachusetts nonprofit group. Advertisement 'This is something that Washington understood, that Lincoln understood, that the liberties we have are something that we need to be unified for. Otherwise, the states will be at war with each other.' In July 1775, many soldiers and their families hoped that peace would prevail, and that Britain would once again permit the extraordinary level of self-government that many American Colonists, particularly in New England, had enjoyed for well over a century. Major General Artemas Ward's orderly book for July 2 to 4, 1775, which contains General George Washington's call for Colonial unity. Massachusetts Historical Society In camp, regional tensions would flare among the troops, few of whom had ever traveled far from their homes. And as the war progressed, they would encounter different religious beliefs, differing tastes, and different ideas about class and society. Still, with his orders, 'It's getting the important thing right from the beginning: This effort won't survive without everyone pulling in the same direction,' said Peter Drummey, chief historian at the Massachusetts Historical Society, founded in 1791. 'Washington understood that, at least in part, his appointment is the representation of that.' As the war progressed, the notion of a common 'American' purpose began to take hold: a revolutionary democracy built on the rule of law; a great nation bound by principles of fairness and equality, although not for the enslaved; and a government of public service elected by and accountable to its citizens. That Washington was a Virginian was a demonstration by the Continental Congress that beleaguered Boston was not alone, and that fighting for self-determination resonated beyond New England. Advertisement The George Washington statue in the Boston Public Garden in April. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff 'The separateness of the different Colonies is what they're trying to overcome' with Washington's appointment, Drummey said. 'I think almost everyone in the army thought of themselves as a Virginian or Bay Stater or wherever else they were from.' 'It's almost like they were fighting a war as if they were NATO countries under a NATO commander,' he added. And what the new commander saw in Cambridge 'horrified' him, Allison said. To his genteel Virginian eyes, New England troops were dirty, undisciplined, and averse to taking orders from someone they didn't know. There also were far fewer of them than he had expected. 'Saying Washington was not particularly impressed is putting it mildly,' Allison said. But for the rank-and-file troops, the arrival of an upper-class, well-dressed, slave-holding Southerner to lead them must have been startling. 'They've had other generals, other officers, and who's this new guy?' Allison said of Washington. 'But this call for unity, it's almost the first thing he says.' The war dragged on for eight more years, shifting to New York after the British evacuated Boston in March 1776, to New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and finally to the Carolinas and Virginia before a peace treaty was signed in 1783. But what Washington understood at the very beginning, Allison said, was a far-sighted foreshadowing of the need for national cohesion. What Washington managed to do in 'an extraordinary couple of sentences' in his orders, Allison added, was lay the framework for an epic fight that would prove longer and larger than most of his soldiers must have imagined. Mark DiSalvo, the North Andover town moderator and president of the Massachusetts Moderators Association, said that broadening one's allegiances beyond community or county boundaries would have been remarkable in Revolutionary times. Advertisement 'It was really hard to communicate, and you were narrow in your view,' DiSalvo said. 'You knew your neighbors, and you came to church, which became the town meetinghouse.' Town Meeting helped provide the spark for Revolution, DiSalvo said, as the defense of a free, local government became part of the provincial response, which also became absorbed in the broader Colonial debate. 'At first, it was what many people are fighting for today — in effect, due process,' added DiSalvo, who has encouraged moderators across the state this year to note the role of Town Meeting in the rebellion. But unity could be fleeting, even in the newly victorious nation. Massachusetts, the birthplace of the Revolution, summoned barely enough votes to ratify the Constitution. Local and state governments were deemed by many to be the best, most relevant means of legislating for one's neighbors. Federal law that benefited Georgia, say, might not necessarily be good for Massachusetts. And the contentious question of slavery, a subject of fierce debate at the Constitutional Convention, threatened ratification in an ominous taste of the great conflict that lay ahead. 'Even patriotic people who fought in the Revolution were not convinced that a federal government at a distance was the way forward,' Drummey said. For Washington, the concept of national unity remained important long after he issued his general orders in Cambridge, Allison said. Before his two terms were completed, bitter partisan battles over the scope and power of the federal government had crept into American politics. 'Washington will continue talking about this. It's a constant theme through his life and US history,' he added. Advertisement After 250 years, its relevance persists, and today's notion of what 'American' means has continued to evolve, just as it did at the dawn of the Revolution. 'How we define that is not as clear-cut as it seemed to be a relatively short time ago,' Drummey said. 'To some extent, the idea of what it means to be American is still being contested.' Brian MacQuarrie can be reached at
CBS News
17-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
American Revolution artifacts on display at Commonwealth Museum in Dorchester
Boston is a city steeped in history, but few places hold as many pieces of the past as the Massachusetts Archives and Commonwealth Museum in Dorchester. And now the museum is showcasing its Revolution 250 exhibition to commemorate the anniversary of the American Revolution. Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin emphasized the importance of the exhibit in preserving democracy. "The commitment to personal liberties, and to freedom, and democracy, and to an orderly government that holds people accountable," said Secretary Galvin. "That's still an issue today." Galvin said that the exhibit does more than simply recount the battles and bloodshed of the Revolution, it dives deep into the core ideals that the United States was built upon. "It's a call to continue the effort to promote democracy. It was the principles and that's why the lead up to the Revolution is so important, it's not just the battles and what happened and how it happened," Galvin said. "It's really why?" Sam Edwards, an archivist at the museum, invites visitors to come inside and explore the treasures of history. "You learn something every day," Edwards said. "Someone comes to you with a research question, and you get to just dive in and answer it in the most historically accurate way possible." For history enthusiasts and curious minds alike, the exhibit offers an opportunity to get up close to rare, iconic artifacts. You'll find documents signed by the likes of John Hancock and John Adams, letters written by George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, and even the sword of Major John Buttrick, who ordered the first shots fired at the battle of Concord. Normally stored in a climate-controlled vault, these artifacts are now on display for the public through June 17.
Boston Globe
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Imagining plans for the Revolution's 250th anniversary
Private organizations have been working on commemorations for years now. Bob Allison and Jonathan Lane of the nonprofit group Revolution 250 have done a tremendous job, and many communities have organized local celebrations. What we've needed hasn't been enthusiasm from a few but broad support — public and private — to execute on this tremendous opportunity 250 years in the making. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up Virginia 250, a state-chartered organization, is indeed the model. Take one of their slogans, 'Virginia's History is America's History,' or the name of an upcoming major Advertisement Lee Wright Marlborough The writer is founder and president of the Pursuit of History, a national nonprofit that offers history programming. In the Trump era, what's worth celebrating? Regarding various states' plans for the United States' 250th anniversary: I wonder what they think they are celebrating. Thanks to Elon Musk, Project 2025, and President Trump, they surely can't be claiming it's democracy. That was sold after 249 years. Massachusetts should keep the money to fund a new fight for freedom. In addition, I'd prefer not to be out on July 4 watching the Proud Boys and their ilk defile my streets. If you think they won't be marching, you're in serious denial. Ann Lozeau Maynard Advertisement Events of 1775 should serve as inspiration for today The article described how Massachusetts events commemorating the opening acts of the American Revolution seem to be underwhelming. Yet this moment in the American experience calls for inspiration from those embattled farmers who stood up to a king. They initiated our country's ongoing quest to treat all men and women as equals, endowed with the rights to 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.' Massachusetts should take great pride in the events that happened at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. The ' James C. O'Connell Newton
Boston Globe
22-02-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
250 years later, British ‘troops' retreat again from Salem
More than 300 heavily bundled spectators watched the theatrics Saturday, jeering at the Redcoat reenactors, cheering the Salem militia, and tossing 'huzzah' after 'huzzah' into the chilly air. Related : 'It's the Lexington and Concord that almost happened,' said Jonathan Lane, executive director of Revolution 250, a nonprofit group that helps Massachusetts communities tell their stories of rebellion and independence. Colonists line up with guns at the ready before they confront the British troops. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Advertisement Similar to the original retreat of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Leslie and 250 soldiers from the 64th Regiment of Foot, the British reenactors considered their dire options, accepted a face-saving compromise, marched a little farther, and then promptly turned around. This time, the Redcoats headed to warmth, lunch, and a few nearby pubs. In 1775, they marched to Marblehead and sailed the short distance back to Boston, without the cannon that General Thomas Gage had dispatched them to discover, and without a shot being fired by either side. 'The reason more people don't know about this is that it was an event that ended peacefully,' Lane said. 'A lot of people respond to the events that raise our heart rate.' Only 51 days later, British troops and Colonial militia exchanged deadly gunfire at the Battles of Lexington and Concord, where yet another North Bridge played a role in the 'shot heard 'round the world.' But Leslie's Retreat was a tense foreshadowing of those hostilities and showed that Colonials, angered by years of punitive treatment from London, were willing to fight the vaunted British army, and that the spark could occur at any time. 'Something incredible happened right here in Salem,' said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, a former mayor of the city. Advertisement The British troops in 1775 had landed at Marblehead on a quiet Sunday morning when townspeople would be at church services and presumably less likely to notice. But they were discovered, and messengers sped the short distance to Salem to warn its residents that the regiment was afoot. The drawbridge over the North River in Salem was raised to impede the British advance. Armed colonists gathered on the far side, where they admonished Leslie that he had no right to cross the bridge because it had been privately built and was not the king's property. Charles Thorland of Salem, playing Leslie in the reenactment, indicated how close the resulting confrontation had come to bloodshed. 'It may be necessary to fire on the mob!' Thorland announced to militia Captain John Felt, portrayed by Jonathan Streff, a history teacher at St. John's Prep in Danvers. 'Fire, and you'll all be going to hell!' Streff angrily replied, standing his ground in the middle of the overpass. 'Do you apprehend the danger you are in?' Thorland asked. 'Do you apprehend the danger you are in?' Streff shouted. According to a contemporary account in the Boston Gazette, Leslie told the Colonial militia that 'he had orders to cross ... and he would cross it if he lost his life with the lives of all of his men.' Leslie, a Scottish aristocrat, also told the colonists that he would stay a month if necessary. The assembled people of Salem joked that Leslie 'might stay as long as he pleased; nobody cared for that.' Drummer boy Myles Heinzman, 12, from Exeter, NH marches to the North Bridge with fellow British troops. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff As in 1775, the Reverend Thomas Barnard, an Anglican minister portrayed Saturday by the Reverend Maxfield Sklar of Hamilton, helped broker a compromise in which the British would be allowed to cross the bridge, as Gage had ordered, and reverse course after marching a short distance. Advertisement The colonists lowered the drawbridge, and the set piece played out as negotiated. 'It's a Solomonesque moment where Leslie achieves the most basic part of his orders,' Lane said. On Saturday, the British 'lobsterbacks' were booed as they marched away. 'I will see you all in Hades!' said George Weghorst of Litchfield, N.H., dressed in Colonial garb as he taunted the Redcoats. Although Salem has marked Leslie's Retreat with a small annual ceremony since 2017, the 250th anniversary featured a large commemoration, including reenactor groups such as the Lexington Minute Men and the British 10th Regiment of Foot. 'The story of Leslie's Retreat has been pretty well known within Salem, but it really hasn't escaped from the community. It's our little secret that we want to share with the rest of the world,' said Virginia Cherol, coordinator of Salem 400+, which commemorates the settlement's founding in 1626 and the Indigenous people who preceded them. Colonist Captain John Felt confronts the British troops on the North Bridge. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff 'Since we were able to talk everyone off the ledge, we don't have the flash and the pomp of the war starting. It easily gets forgotten and glossed over,' Cherol said. Still, Leslie's Retreat can resonate in these contentious times, she said, showing 'how important it is to to be able to come together during periods of heightened emotions ... and actually listen and come to middle ground and compromise.' 'People were able to come together and see the benefits of diplomacy and tact.' Colonial reenactors stopped for a photo before the start of the confrontation. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Feathers graced the caps of British troops as they retreated down Federal Street after the confrontation with colonists on the North Bridge. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Brian MacQuarrie can be reached at
Boston Globe
30-01-2025
- Boston Globe
Marking the American Revolution, relaxing in Caribbean luxury, and keeping your stuff dry in a duffel
Extend your visit with a meal and a stay at the Inn at Hastings Park, located steps from the Lexington Battle Green, where the 'shot heard round the world' took place. The 22-room luxury boutique hotel, the Boston area's only Relais & Châteaux property, was recently awarded a coveted Michelin One-Key — the equivalent of Michelin's restaurant star ratings for hotels. In advance of the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington, the hotel is offering a series of Revolution-themed packages. Soar by helicopter over Revere's route with the One If by Land, Two If by Sea, Three If by Air package; take a chauffeured tour of historic sites with the Revolution 250 package; or treat your sweetheart to Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries with the Revolutionary Romance Package. Early reservations are recommended for special dinners at the onsite restaurant, Town Meeting Bistro, including Spirits of Revolution Farm to Vine Dinner (March 27); 250th anniversary Paul Revere Midnight Ride Dinner & Candlelight Procession, with a 30-minute theatrical reenactment at the Hancock-Clark House (April 28); and the Patriots' Day Champagne Brunch (April 19). Winter rates from $325, including breakfast. Packages are priced separately. 718-301-6660 (reservations); 781-301-6655 (dining). Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Be among the first to stay at the recently opened JOIA Aruba by Iberostar, a family-owned European hotel chain committed to sustainability and responsible tourism. Iberostar Advertisement THERE: LAID-BACK CARIBBEAN LUXURY Be among the first to stay at the recently opened JOIA Aruba by Iberostar, a family-owned European hotel chain committed to sustainability and responsible tourism. All 240 luxury suites have private balconies and terrace Jacuzzis with panoramic views of the white sands and turquoise waters of Eagle Beach. Accommodations boast a contemporary coastal design, with colors inspired by coral reefs, parrot fish, the sand, and the Caribbean Sea. For dining and imbibing, choose from three unique restaurants and four bars, including a relaxed pool bar and aqua bar for sipping cocktails or mocktails without ever leaving the pool. Indulge in rejuvenating massages, revitalizing body and facial treatments, hydrotherapies, and nail and hair services at the Spa at JOIA Aruba. Like to golf? Guests can access the nearby Iberostar Tierra del Sol Golf Course, the island's only 18-hole championship course — designed by Robert Trent Jones II — with views of the sea on three sides. For those considering a destination wedding, the resort offers a romantic gazebo for ceremonies and a bridal suite complete with salon stations for the big day. Rates from $580. 833-399-7888, Advertisement The new Highwater Duffel by Bote is 100 percent waterproof-submersible to keep your stuff dry when rafting, surfing, paddling, and other water activities. BOTE EVERYWHERE: STYLISH AND STURDY WATERPROOF DUFFEL For adventures that require more than a water-resistant bag, consider the new Highwater Duffel by Bote, the innovative outdoor living company specializing in paddleboards, kayaks, skiffs, and more. The 100 percent-waterproof-submersible luggage will keep your stuff dry when rafting, surfing, paddling, and other water activities. The sturdy and spacious 39L duffel's nylon seam-welded construction features double-sided TPU coating and a fully waterproof main zipper; a side mesh pocket organizer; compression molded bottom panel (for structure and protection); two side grab handles and top handle; and a removable padded shoulder strap. It will fit easily into overhead storage bins on your flights. Available in six stylish colors. $249. Smaller, waterproof backpacks, sling packs, and belt packs are also available. $70-$175. 888-855-4450, NECEE REGIS Necee Regis can be reached at
