For this especial occasion I have cool post for you: last year I've been to dragged by my boyfriend (he's a history and English major) to a little town called Lexington. But why is this town so special to the US history and why does it make to a special post on the 4th of July? Let me tell you ...
The towns Lexington and Concord are famous for nothing less than being the "Birthplace of America". A pretty big burden right? But why is that?
In Lexington took place the first fight in the American Revolutionary War between the British and the Patriots - "the Minutemen"- on the 19th April 1775. You can still visit the battle field today - the "Battle Green". Of course nowadays it's a beautiful well-groomed field with a statue of Captain Parker in the middle of the town. For everybody who's wondering: Captain Parker was the leader of the Minutemen in this battle. The first shot in this battle is known as the "shot heard 'round the world" (Ralph Waldo Emerson in his "Concord Hymn"). After this first battle, the British went on to the town of Concord. The road they took is called today "the Battle Road".
When you walk through Lexington you will discover a lot of old (some more than 200 years!) and beautiful houses from the colonial era. For example the visit center is located in one of these houses. Also the oldest tavern in Lexington: the Buckman Tavern, which is open for tours from spring to fall. The interior today is pretty much the same as back in the days when the tavern was the headquarters of the Patriots. Another beautiful house is the Lexington Depot (the picture right after this section), which was built in 1847 and was once the social center of Lexington.
Are interested in a tour around the Battle Green? Than it's your lucky day! There are FREE tours on the weekends from April and May, and also daily from Memorial Day until the 30th October. For more information visit the website of the visitor center in Lexington.
