The Revolutionary War was a period which was not only centered in the well-known venues of Boston Philadelphia, New York State, Virginia, and beyond, but also included key events and individuals on Cape Cod and the Islands who played important parts in the fight for Independence. This special presentation on a lesser-known topic will feature highlighted events and people from the period 1761 (end of the French and Indian Wars) to 1783 (the Treaty of Paris) as they unfolded on and involved people of the Cape and islands. Included also will be details on the Battle of Falmouth of April 1779. David Martin, Editor of a new book, “The Cape and Islands in the American Revolution—The Antecedents, the Rebellion, and the Conflict”, will provide the presentation, and the book will also be available for purchase.

Two hundred years ago, on 19 April 1775, American history changed. Colonial forces faced the British army at Lexington & Concord … and won. Word spread rapidly, and two regiments of Plymouth “Minute Men,” led by Colonel Theophilus Cotton, rallied to the Patriot cause. For the next six years, Plymoutheans participated in America’s battle for independence.
Although not the site of any great battles, nor the home of any triumphant generals, Plymouth is filled with the stories of the lawmakers and lawyers whose rhetoric inspired the Patriot cause, of the men who risked their lives and livelihood in military service, and of the civilians who kept the home fires burning, as well as of the Americans who, valuing loyalty above all, continued to support the King. They illuminate the complex and fascinating history of Massachusetts’ earliest town, as it embraced the movement for American independence, and the lasting impact it made on the Town’s historical landscape.
Lecture Schedule:

• April 2: Stephen O’Neill – Plymouth’s 1749 Courthouse: Revolution in the Courts
• April 9: Peggy Baker – Benjamin Warren’s War: A Plymouthean in the Continental Army
• April 30: Patrick Browne – “Patriotism in a High Degree Zealous”: Ephraim Spooner & the Home Front
• May 7: Mark Schmidt – Choosing Sides: Loyalists in the American Revolution
• May 14: Donna Curtin – Dr. James Thacher & Plymouth’s Revolutionary Generation

Between twenty and forty colonists who fought along the Battle Road on April 19, 1775, were of African descent or Indigenous. Although excluded from required militia service prior to the war, these individuals of color were the first of many to take up arms between 1775 and 1783. In this 90 minute walking tour we will examine the known history and stories of these Patriots of Color who fought for freedom locally both during the American Revolution and beyond. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT).

Join Hub Town Tours as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill! We will explore the military conflict between Provincial forces and the British troops under siege in Boston in 1775, and place the battle in the broader context of the beginning of the American Revolution. This 2.5-hour walking tour will travel along the Freedom Trail and follow in the footsteps of Colonial Bostonians, all of whom grappled with the difficult – yet essential – question of loyalty or rebellion to crown and country. As we travel past historic landmarks from Revolutionary Boston and Charlestown, your guide shares the gripping story of a small colonial town careening toward war with the British empire.

This tour explores Boston’s role in the fight to end legalized slavery and celebrates local abolitionists that helped to lead America’s “Second Revolution.” This 2.5-hour walking tour will visit sites along the Black Heritage Trail, including abolitionist landmarks like the African Meeting House and the Lewis and Harriet Hayden House. We will delve deeply into the tumultuous years before the U.S. Civil War when 19th-century Bostonians grappled with the institution of slavery and demanded an end to racial injustice across their young nation.

Join the Falmouth Museums on the Green and the Capt Joshua Gray–Jonathan Hatch Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for a symposium exploring Cape Cod and the Islands’ vital role during the American Revolution. As we approach the 250th anniversary of independence, this event will shed light on the region’s contributions, from battling British ships to communities facing political division and economic hardship. Discover the everyday experiences that shaped our coastal towns during this turbulent period in history.