Patriots’ Day is a festive celebration commemorating the battles of Lexington and Concord. The holiday observes the April 19 anniversary of when the American colonies first took up arms against the British Crown in 1775.
Massachusetts and Maine officially recognize the historic anniversary. Recently the holiday has been observed on the third Monday in April to allow for a three day weekend. The Boston Marathon takes place today and the Boston Red Sox are always scheduled to play at home.
Historian David Hackett Fischer has an excellent narrative account titled Paul Revere’s Ride . Fischer’s book also chronicles the Lexington and Concord skirmishes in a manner I found to be nothing less than fascinating. His account also references clergymen who took up arms against the British as well.
Jules Crittenden also provides a substantial amount of first hand accounts of Lexington and Concord with a nice tribute to Patriots Day titled“April Morning.”
Charlie Foxtrot provides a humorous comment on his blog which pokes fun at Senator Barack Obama’s recent gaffe on religion, guns, and small town America. Foxtrot notes that “233 years ago, a group of bitter men clung to their guns and religion, driven by their antipathy towards people who weren’t like them. In the end, I think it worked out OK.”
