April 19, 2025, marks the semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, of the historic battles of Concord and Lexington. To mark the occasion, from April through June 2025, in collaboration with the Town Archives, the William Munroe Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library will present an exhibition on Concord’s April 19 anniversary traditions. The exhibition features a lecture by Michael D. Hattem, a historian of the American Revolution and historical memory. We are excited to share some highlights from anniversary events held in Concord over the past 250 years. We hope they will get you in the spirit of the upcoming festivities!

Patriots’ Day was first celebrated in Massachusetts in 1894, proclaimed by Governor Frederic T. Greenhalge as a compromise between competing efforts by the towns of Lexington and Concord to mark April 19 “Lexington Day” or “Concord Day.” It also recognizes the other significant battle fought that day, which was in Menotomy—now Arlington, Massachusetts.

Thirteen years later, Maine followed Massachusetts and established Patriot’s Day [sic] on April 19, 1907. Since 1969, the anniversary has been observed on the third Monday in April in Massachusetts and Maine. Four additional U.S. states have designated Patriots’ Day as a legal holiday or a special observance day: Florida, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and North Dakota. The Boston Marathon, a world-renowned event, has been run on Patriots’ Day every year since its inception in 1897. 

Concord Square, 1875 Centennial Celebration

While the formal state-wide designation of April 19 occurred near the end of the 19th century, Concord marked the 50th anniversary of the Concord Fight, its first major recorded commemoration, in 1825. Many former minutemen were still alive, and Concord’s Committee of Arrangements involved them in the festivities and expressed their gratitude in toasts at the celebratory banquet. This active participation of the community in the celebrations has been a hallmark of Concord’s April 19 events over the years. 

The tradition of inviting an orator to Concord Fight anniversaries began in 1825 and continued throughout the 19th century. For the 50th anniversary, Concord invited Edward Everett to participate in the celebratory exercises and give an oration citing the day’s auspiciousness. These orations, often delivered by prominent figures of the time, were not just speeches but intellectual performances that inspired and educated the audience. While Everett would later serve in various political roles, including ambassador to Great Britain, secretary of state, and governor of Massachusetts, in 1825, he was already a known orator and educator; among his students at Harvard was future philosopher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Battle Ground, 1875 Centennial Celebration

While the historic North Bridge had been torn down by the town of Concord in 1793, after a new bridge had been constructed downriver (for the next 82 years, no bridge stood at the site), a new monument, a twenty-five-foot obelisk consisting of four pieces of white granite cut from a single boulder, was placed on top of a granite foundation in 1836, on a parcel of the original site of the North Bridge battleground. Inset into the east face of the obelisk was a white marble slab inscribed with a brief account of the battle at the North Bridge. On July 4, 1837, a procession led to the dedication ceremony at the unveiling site. The day’s highlight was Ralph Waldo Emerson’s recitation of the famous “Concord Hymn” for the first time.

In 1850, Concord and Lexington held a joint civic and military ball to commemorate the 75th anniversary of both battles. The 1850 anniversary marked the first recorded celebratory ball, and the only ball held jointly with the towns of Concord and Lexington.  Commemorative exercises included prayer and hymns led by Rev. James T. Woodbury. Politician Robert Rantoul Jr., who gave a highly anticipated oration, was followed by music from the Concord Band. The Fitchburg Railroad provided special trains to accommodate the many out-of-town attendees. Lawyer, orator, and politician Rufus Choate, Governor George N. Briggs, and others gave addresses. 

1875 logo

The 1875 Centennial was expected to be the largest town celebration that Concord had ever held. In previous years, anniversary banquets were held at Wright’s Tavern, but the Centennial’s expected attendance called for significantly more room. The large dinner tent could accommodate 4,000 diners. With anticipated attendance in the thousands, the Fitchburg Railroad once again provided special trains between Boston and Concord on the 19th of April. The Watertown Branch was also temporarily extended to Concord to shuttle even more people to the festivities. The town was excited as it prepared to welcome about 50,000 attendees.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Battles of Concord and Lexington, President Ulysses S. Grant visited both towns on April 19. He was accompanied by Vice President Henry Wilson, as well as five other cabinet members, which included William W. Belknap (secretary of war), Hamilton Fish (secretary of state), George M. Robeson (secretary of the navy), Columbus Delano (secretary of the interior), and Marshall Jewell (postmaster general). Unlike later presidential attendees, President Grant did not address the crowd.

The Centennial Celebration of the Concord Fight in 1875 had it all: the sitting U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, a parade with bands and flags, and a ball lasting late into the night.  According to Louisa May Alcott, what it did not have was recognition of the contributions and sacrifices of the women of Concord.  According to her published report on the women’s role in the centennial celebration, Alcott was incensed by the deliberate omission of women from the Concord celebration. Although expected to open their homes to the many guests who descended on the town, they were given no part in the procession. The town council had taxed the citizens of Concord to raise $10,000 for the Centennial, and women made up one-fifth of the taxpayers. Despite this financial investment, the women had no say in spending the money because they could not yet vote or run for office. 

On April 19, 1875, the women of Concord who wished to view the speeches, according to Alcott, were directed to wait at the Town House until “certain persons, detailed for the service, should come to lead them to the tent, where a limited number of seats had been provided for the weaker vessels.” They waited an hour before being told to move to the Common to wait for an escort. As it was a cold and windy day, the ladies waiting outside were freezing and apparently forgotten. When they finally entered the tent, the only place left for them was on the corner of the platform, near President Grant, who Alcott remarked looked “so bored that I longed to offer him a cigar.” But alas, the women were denied a seat on the platform and asked to join the standing crowd below. Alcott mused, “It was impossible to help thinking that there should have been a place for the great-granddaughters of Prescott, William Emerson, John Hancock and Dr. Ripley . . .  It seemed to me that their presence on that platform would have had a deeper significance than the gold lace which adorned one side . . . and that the men of Concord had missed a grand opportunity of imitating those whose memory they had met to honor.”  As the speeches went on, the platform began to give way, and here, the women assisted in keeping the festivities moving smoothly. George William Curtis, who gave the primary oration, managed to make it through his speech, but only due to the assistance of an unnamed woman who held the leg of his table up for nearly an hour despite his pounding on the tabletop. According to Alcott, some men finally offered up their seats, but the women declined, “telling them their platform was not strong enough to hold us.”  She concluded that, “there will come a day of reckoning, and then the tax-paying women of Concord will not be forgotten, I think, will not be left to wait uncalled upon, or be considered in the way; and then, I devoutly wish that those who so bravely bore their share of that day’s burden without its honor, will rally round their own flag again, and, following in the footsteps of their forefathers, will utter another protest that shall be ‘heard round the world’.”

The 125th anniversary celebratory exercises combined new and old traditions, including gun salutes and bells ringing throughout the day. The morning began with a new tradition of athletic events including relay races, pole vaults, high jumps, and bicycle races, followed by celebratory exercises. Charles Joseph Bonaparte, a progressive lawyer and activist, gave the oration, and Concord-born musician Thomas Whitney Surette provided organ music. The parade began at noon, followed by a luncheon at the Agricultural Building, a band concert at Emerson Playground, fireworks, and a ball.

1925 logo

In 1925, the festivities included a full schedule of activities, including flag raising, special morning religious services, a parade of 200 children in colonial costumes, patriotic exercises, a band concert by the U.S. Marine Band, a citizens’ vesper service, a patriotic meeting, the ringing of bells, a 150-gun salute, a parade, a battle reenactment, baseball and soccer games, more band concerts, literary exercises, fireworks, an anniversary concert and ball, and moving pictures.

By 1950, 175 years after the Concord Fight, Patriots’ Day had evolved significantly. Mainstay traditions were still observed, including gun salutes and bell-ringing, the ball, the parade, and the re-enactment. Literary exercises were also held, with General Omar Bradley and Senator Leverett Saltonstall as invited speakers. What was different this time was that millions around the nation watched the Patriots’ Day events, including the Boston Marathon, on television. 

Planning for the 200th bicentennial celebration in 1975 began nearly a decade early, in 1966. President Gerald Ford would attend and address the crowds at the North Bridge. Besides the reenactment, parade, and commemorative exercise at Meriam’s Corner, many other activities were planned, including performances by the Concord Players, Concord Chorus, Concord Band, the Concord Orchestra, and the Sounds of Concord, some of whom performed commissioned work. Attendance at the Saturday, April 19, events was estimated to be at least 120,000, and 230 portable toilets were brought in for the parade.

1975 logo

In addition to the weekend public ceremonies, more than 20,000 people descended on Concord to participate in the Peoples Bicentennial. Organized by economist Jeremy Rifkin, the gathering was intended as a statement of protest over economic injustice in America. Minute Man National Historical Park officials had awarded the Peoples Bicentennial Commission a permit to occupy the hillside below the Buttrick Mansion. After arriving in Concord in “Midnight Ride” caravans, the protestors assembled around 2:00 am near the North Bridge on April 19, where they held musical and theatrical entertainment, with Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger joining the nighttime festivities. 

April 19 has been significant historically in Concord, Massachusetts, for over two hundred years. As in past anniversary celebrations, Concord is preparing to welcome thousands of visitors this April to commemorate the moment that ignited the American Revolution in 1775. The celebration will include reenactments, a parade, music and theater performances, exhibitions, educational programs, a drone show, and programs honoring Patriots of Color, including a walking tour. We hope these stories of past celebrations convince you to spend April 19 with us!  For the most current information on events and schedules, please consult the official Concord250 website: VisitConcord.org/concord-250

All images Courtesy of Concord Free Public Library