Inside the Vault: Firsthand Accounts of the Battles of Lexington and Concord
Just hours after the first encounters between Massachusetts patriots and British regulars at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, Colonel Isaac Merrill sent hastily written orders to the captain of the Amesbury militia. Merrill’s call to arms demonstrates the patriots’ early military intelligence efforts and the uncertainty the colonists felt during the first major battles of the American Revolution. As part of our America 250 series, we will discuss Merrill’s account alongside reflections on the battles by poets Mercy Otis Warren and Lemuel Haynes.
Join us on April 3, 2025, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT) when our curators discuss firsthand accounts of the Battles of Lexington and Concord with independent historian Dr. Brooke Barbier.
Submit your questions for Dr. Barbier here.
Featured Documents
- Isaac Merrill to John Currier, April 19, 1775
- Mercy Otis Warren to Catherine Macaulay, August 24, 1775
- Ezekiel Russell, “Bloody Butchery by the British Troops,” Salem, Massachusetts, 1775
Related Resources
- Essay: “The Road to Revolution” by T. H. Breen
- Essay: “Lemuel Haynes, Young African American Patriot of the 1770s” by John Saillant
- Essay: “The Righteous Revolution of Mercy Otis Warren” by Ray Raphael
- Timeline: “The American Revolution”
- Video: “Taxation and Representation: The Imperial Debate between Britain and the Americans” by Gordon S. Wood
- Spotlight on a Primary Source: “A British view of rebellious Boston, 1774” by Philip Dawe
- Spotlight on a Primary Source: “Calling out the militia after Lexington and Concord, 1775” by Isaac Merrill
- Spotlight on a Primary Source: “The Battles of Lexington and Concord, 1775” by Ezekiel Russell
I cannot attend the live program. Will it be recorded?
Yes! The program is recorded and sent in an email the following day to everyone who registers.
Future Programs
Inside the Vault: Senator Ted Kennedy on Caring for Veterans and Healing the Nation after the Vietnam War
But the first and immediate task is to care for the addict, the jobless, and the wounded veterans home from Southeast Asia.
— Senator Ted Kennedy
Many service people who had suffered physical and psychological injuries during the Vietnam War found limited support systems when they returned home. In addition, unlike earlier generations, Vietnam War veterans often faced a hostile reception due to antiwar sentiment and disappointment with the war outcome. After receiving a 1973 letter calling for amnesty for conscientious objectors, Senator Ted Kennedy wrote a response that expressed his support for the idea while pressing for improved care for veterans. We’ll be looking at this letter to examine the end of the Vietnam War and the needs of veterans as Kennedy saw them.
Join us on May 1, 2025, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT) when our curators discuss Senator Ted Kennedy’s 1973 letter with Dr. Barbara Perry, Professor of Governance at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center.
Inside the Vault: Building the Transcontinental Railroad
Join us on June 5, 2025, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT) when our curators discuss the construction of the transcontinental railroad with Stanford University Professor Gordon Chang.
About Inside the Vault
Inside the Vault: Highlights from the Gilder Lehrman Collection is an online program that highlights unique primary sources from the Gilder Lehrman Collection. From iconic historical treasures, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Emancipation Proclamation, to personal letters that reveal the contributions of ordinary American citizens, each session will investigate primary sources and discuss their background, impact, and potential use in the classroom.