"Lexington in 1775: Colonial Life and the American Revolution"

Tax Stamp, 1765–1766. Courtesy of Allen and Jane Benting

An important part of our national story begins with the story of Lexington on the eve of the American Revolution.

Primary sources

The two curricula here are based on historical research conducted on many and diverse primary sources such as:

• private diaries and account books,
• public documents such as tax lists,
• town meeting records and probate records
• sermons,
• newspapers,
• artifacts,
• architecture
• and the landscape of Lexington itself

To learn more about these primary sources, you can explore posts about each type at our blog, “Learning at the National Heritage Museum”

Flexible lessons

The units are flexible. For younger students, they can be used to evoke the experience of living in revolutionary times; through them, more advanced secondary students can explore how primary evidence reveals the worldviews and motivations of bygone times. Elementary school teachers are invited to use these materials to turn primary evidence into stories that allow their students to imagine the complexities of the lives of real children who lived in Lexington in 1775. Secondary-level teachers are invited to use and adapt the materials flexibly. With their students they can consider and explore evidence and assess what is reliable and how to interpret primary sources to better understand the people of this rural community.

Join the conversation

Please join the conversation about this material through your feedback on our Learning Blog or by writing to us (programs@monh.org).

To return to the Curriculum Page, click here.