This Day in History - April 19, 1775 - The American Revolution Begins

Multiple sources ^ | April 22, 2022

[al_c]

Ah ... never mind. that was on Sept. 11. My bad.

[ought-six]

“By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flags to April’s breeze unfurled;
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard ‘round the world.”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson.

[Ezekiel]

Some long while back I had wondered what was the origin of the saying, "No King but Jesus!"

Turns out is it dubious lore from that morning in Lexington. Supposedly Reverend Jonas Clarke exclaimed this to the British when the deplorables were told to disperse and lay down their arms.

Funny how sketchy stories from one century can become reality in another. It's like the recent thread title:

Jesus Christ’s Resurrection Is Probably The Best-Documented Historical Event Ever

Or like the famous GE slogan:

We bring good things to life:

The General Electric Building (also known as 570 Lexington Avenue) is a skyscraper at the southwestern corner of Lexington Avenue and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building, designed by Cross & Cross and completed in 1931, was known as the RCA Victor Building during its construction.

General Electric Building

Light is always on the move, because now the GE HQ is at 5 Necco in Boston. That's down where the big Necco factory used to be located, but then they moved to... Revere.

It's so hard to keep up because the famous Necco factory in Revere closed a few years back. Then the next big news,

"Amazon Opens Delivery Center in Former Necco Candy Factory"

In other news, today is the anniversary of Ingenuity's first flight, demonstrating that what's old is new again. Ginny's up to 25 now, light being the 25th word of the Torah. Light (we bring good things to).

[EvilCapitalist]

I know it’s a Disney movie, but I think I’ll dig out, and watch my copy of Johnny Tremain.

[ExSoldier]

When I get send to TEACH this day to my high school and middle school students I used to have the kids rip out sheets of paper from their notebooks and ball them up. I’d split them into two groups against opposite sides of the classroom and have one side line up into three ranks while the other got to kneel behind desks or bookcases. Then I let them have a paper ball war. I refereed. Then we had a discussion (after cleaning up the “battlefield!”)

It was a lesson between conventional warfare and special operations warfare and it was very effective. Kids all loved it. But they had to admit that the British were incredibly brave to stand their ground or not break ranks despite withering effective fire from the colonials who were sniping from cover all along the Concord Road.

Of course, the British put out flanker’s who walked in the woods parallel to the route of March. The colonists had no concept of “security.” So the British got their licks in as well. They were, at times able to ambush the ambushers.

[skeeter]

Fischer’s book gives a very detailed account of the battle all the way back from Concord. It wasn’t all sniping from cover - the colonials did line up in formation and confront the British on a few occasions that day.

But the story of Samuel Whittemore is my favorite.

[ExSoldier]

My comment was not so much about the Concord Road engagements, but rather that if you will get a little more creative about how you present history to your kids, it’ll stick more.

[skeeter]

Agree entirely. Personally, I might’ve actually stayed engaged in class instead of staring out the window if I had teachers as imaginative.

[ExSoldier]

In 1988, when I first started teaching I was covering the era of the Mountain Man and showed my high school students the movie Jeremiah Johnson and I came dressed to school in full Mountain Man regalia (Buckskins, Wolf Fur cap and possibles bag) I also brought along (with prior permission from my Principal) a Flintlock muzzleloader in .50 caliber. Each class, I would dim the lights and show the kids the sparks as the flint hit the frizzen. Then I showed them a short video of me loading and firing the same Kentucky Long Rifle. I got rave reviews from faculty, staff, students and parents at that time. Not one single complaint! I’d probably be hanging from a lamppost in front of the school, today. I’m so blessed to have retired from teaching in 2018.

[ExSoldier]

Columbine happened on the 20th which also is the Birthday of Adolf Hitler and the massacre was planned to specifically connect to that birthday anniversary.

[jmacusa]

Paul Revere hasn't got a thing on 16 year old Sybil Ludington.
.
Read this young lady's story. She rode 40 miles, round trip in the dead of night to warn the Danbury militia that the British were coming to seize their guns and powder.

That's twice the distance Revere rode.

[jmacusa]

April 19, 1943 is also the date of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

[Daffynition]

I love the graduated clapboards on 18th C. NE homes and churches.

Eric Sloane wrote about them and their manufacture in *A Reverence for Wood.*

Clapboard Siding: Exterior Look of Refinement".

My favorite Vermont building, the Rockingham Meetinghouse, Rockingham, Vermont.