Patriots Day
A Unique Massachusetts Holiday
Grades 1-3
By Mrs. Paula McMullen
Library Teacher
Norwood Public Schools
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5/11/2010
Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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A State Holiday
• Patriots Day is celebrated on April 19th. It
is a unique Massachusetts state holiday.
• Patriots Day honors the memory and
meaning of the beginning of the
American Revolution.
Story of Patriots' Day
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Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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The Revolutionary War
• The American colonies fought for
their independence from Great Britain during
the American Revolutionary War.
• The Battles of Lexington and Concord, in
Massachusetts, were the first battles between
British soldiers and the colonial “Minutemen.”
5/11/2010
Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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Paul Revere’s Ride
Paul Revere
and two other
men rode
from Boston
to warn the
Minutemen
that the
British were
marching to
Lexington and
Concord.
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Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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First Battles of War
• Fighting took place on April 19, 1775
Lexington’s town common, on North Bridge in
Concord, and along Battle Road.
• The Minutemen won the battles, forcing the
British troops to retreat along Battle Road
back toward Boston.
5/11/2010
Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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Minuteman Statue in Concord
The Minutemen
were farmers who
were ready in a
minute’s notice to
fight to fight the
British troops.
This statue shows a
common farmer with
a till for farming in
one hand, and a
musket for fighting in
the other.
5/11/2010
Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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“The Concord Hymn”
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard ‘round the world.
By Ralph Waldo Emerson
First stanza of this famous poem is carved into the stone
pedestal of the Concord Minuteman statue on previous slide.
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Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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Emerson’s Words Carved into Pedestal
of Minuteman Statue in Concord
5/11/2010
Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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Minuteman Statue in Lexington
This is a statue of
Captain John Parker.
He was a captain in
the Lexington militia.
The militia was a
group of men who
protected local people
when needed. They
were not regular
soldiers.
5/11/2010
Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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Captain Parker’s Words
“Stand your ground. Don't fire unless
fired upon, but if they mean to have
a war, let it begin here.”
These words were spoken by Captain John Parker to
his men on Lexington Green as the British soldiers
arrived.
5/11/2010
Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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Parker’s Words Carved in Stone
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Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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Colonial “Minutemen”
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Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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British Soldiers
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Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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Lexington Green on April 19, 1775
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Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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Lexington Green Today
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Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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Concord North Bridge
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Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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Battle Road
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Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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End of the Revolutionary War
• The Revolutionary War ended six years later
on October 19, 1781 when General George
Washington and his troops defeated the
British army at Yorktown.
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Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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Patriots Day Resources
•
•
•
•
Kidport.com - Battle of Lexington and Concord
nps.gov - Patriots Day
nps.gov - Photos & Video
sunniebunniezz.com - Patriots Day
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Mrs. Paula McMullen, library teacher,
Cleveland Elementary School
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The End