Tufts Blogs

“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.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Concord Hymn” (1837)

That poem is one of the most legendary in the canon of American literature. And yet, even as an American history buff who could tell you where Chester A. Arthur went to college, I had never heard it until this year. 

It refers to the opening skirmishes of what would become the American Revolutionary War, as the minutemen of Lexington and Concord’s militias took on the mighty British redcoats for the first time. The monument for which the poem was written, an obelisk at the foot of the Old North Bridge, is just under a 30-minute drive from Tufts. And yet, just as I had never heard the full poem until recently, I had never visited the site of the “shot heard round the world,” either. 

When my mother and younger sister made the drive up to visit me from New Jersey during the long Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend, though, I found myself en route to Minute Man National Historical Park. My sister had learned about the American Revolution in her seventh-grade American history class and was eager to see where the revolution began. So, we made the drive out to the suburbs on a beautiful fall day to soak up some sun and history. 

Our original goal was to start at the Minute Man Visitor Center and walk along the Battle Road Trail. However, all of the information centers, restrooms, and parking lots there were closed due to the ongoing government shutdown. Undeterred, we were still able to walk along the Battle Road Trail, taking in sites such as Hartwell Tavern and the Bloody Angle. After about 30 minutes of enjoying the stunning fall scenery and learning some history, we went back to the car to move on to Concord. 

Featuring a classic New England town square, abundant in churches and bakeries, Concord offered a picturesque segue into our afternoon. It was in Concord that we visited the Old North Bridge, the site of the famed shot mentioned in Emerson’s poem. The poem is inscribed on an obelisk monument at the base of the bridge, which spans the Concord River. On April 19, 1775, the bridge witnessed the first instances of the American minutemen inflicting casualties upon their British opponents. The bridge and its surrounding landscape are quite stunning, and presented the chance for another stroll. After visiting the Old North Bridge Visitor Center and gazing out at the scenic surroundings, we ventured into Concord’s town center.

In search of a midday nosh, we picked up apple cider and pumpkin donuts from Main Streets Market and Cafe, which hit the spot. We followed the donuts with drinks from the punnily-named Haute Coffee.  

After the snack break, we decided to finish our journey in Lexington’s town center. After a quick stop at the Visitor’s Center, we went to the Lexington Battle Green. The Green is the site of the first shots of the revolution, which led to eight minutemen being killed. After viewing the Minuteman Statue and reading about the fateful events of 1775, we saw yet another obelisk monument. This one was surrounded by the remains of the first eight soldiers to give their lives for American independence. We closed out our visit to Lexington by doing a loop around the inviting main street before heading back to Somerville. 

Overall, I would highly recommend visiting Minute Man National Historic Park and the battle sites in Lexington and Concord. It is downright incredible that Tufts is located just a few miles away from the cradle of American independence and from some of the most integral locations in our nation’s history. Like my sister, you too could finally see the pursuit of American independence come to life. And, best of all, the area is stunning, making it the ideal place to spend a sunny fall afternoon. 

While you’re there, make sure to take a lot of pictures. I hear that each camera shutter there is heard round the world. 

Photo Credit: Max Druckman