Detailed biography of the American revolutionary writer and thinker Thomas Paine. Includes discussion of the influence of his writing on international affairs.

How does one study history? Find four basic questions that historians use to examine events in an effort to explain them and put them in historical context. By examining the Battle of Lexington and Concord, students can practice using...

Find a good overview of the "shot heard around the world," the battle at Lexington, and the continuance at Concord. Read Paul Revere's account of his famous ride, and follow his route on the map. Then find a brief account of the capture...

Learn about the book "Prince Estabrook, Slave and Soldier" by Alice Hinkle. This biography tells the story of the enslaved Revolutionary War Minuteman.

Read about the life of Revolutionary War soldier Prince Estabrook and his time as a slave in the northern colonies.

By watching a biographical video and engaging in two primary source activities, students will encounter the ideas, writings, and impact of Thomas Paine.

A plan of the Battle of Concord, Massachusetts, at the opening of the American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775). Explanation of the Plan: (1) Lexington Road; (2) Hills and high land where the liberty pole stood; (3) center of the town,...

Put the Revolutionary war events in sequential order in this interactive activity.

Begins with a description of the British system of mercantilism that was imposed on the American colonies along with the taxes levied through the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act. The Americans complained that it was taxation without...

This set of sources focuses on a selection of events, legislation, and perspectives from both sides during this time period. The documents, images, and artifacts help the student-historian understand the process of going from loyal...

A sketch map of the area between Boston and Concord, Massachusetts, showing the events leading up to the Battle of Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775).

A map of the area around Boston, from Concord to Dorchester Heights, showing the sites of the first battles of the American Revolution in 1776.

This site from Schoolhouse Rock provides lyrics to a song that tells the story of the first battle of the American war for independence from England. This song, The Shot Heard Round the World, is taken from the popular 1970s cartoon...

An encyclopedia entry telling about Peter Salem, a slave who fought in the Revolutionary War and reportedly fired the shot that killed Major Pitcairn at Bunker Hill.

Wright's Tavern was used in October 1774 as the first meeting place of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress. In April 1775 it was the assembly point for Concord's Minutemen before the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

Jonathon Harrington, fatally wounded by a British musket ball, during the Battle of Lexington and Concord, managed to crawl back to his home, and died on his own doorstep.

The oldest of Lexington's inns (established c. 1690), local militiamen mustered here prior to the April 19, 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord that began the American Revolutionary War.