Unveiled on April 19, 1875, The Minute Man statue, by sculptor Daniel Chester French, is an American icon and has stood guard over hallowed ground ever since. It is set near the spot where the first colonial militiamen were killed in Concord on that fateful day in 1775.
The seven foot tall bronze statue was cast from old Civil War cannons by the Ames Foundry of Chicopee Massachusetts. The pedestal base measures over seven feet tall and four feet on each side. Inscribed on the front facing is the first stanza of the poem “The Concord Hymn” by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"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."
If you're like me and you need a quick refresher course on the events of April 18th and 19th, here you go:
On the night of April 18, 1775, hundreds of British troops set off from Boston toward Concord, Massachusetts, in order to seize weapons and ammunition stockpiled there by American colonists. Early the next morning, the British reached Lexington, where approximately seventy minutemen had gathered on the village green. Someone suddenly fired a shot—it’s uncertain which side—and a melee ensued.
When the brief clash ended, eight Americans lay dead and at least an equal amount were injured, while one redcoat was wounded. The British continued on to nearby Concord, where that same day they encountered armed resistance from a group of patriots at the town’s North Bridge. Gunfire was exchanged, leaving two colonists and three redcoats dead. Afterward, the British retreated back to Boston, skirmishing with colonial militiamen along the way and suffering a number of casualties; the Revolutionary War had begun.
The Minute Man has come to mean many things to many people. He stands as a reminder that sometimes our freedoms must be fought for, and to never take them for granted. He has adorned the uniforms and flags of our nation’s National Guard as they serve around the globe.
NOTE: Did you know that under the base of the statue are two time capsules? The first one was placed there in 1875 and the second capsule was buried in 1975.
NOTE II: Did you know that there is an exact copy of the Minute Man Statue outside the grounds of Knott's Berry Farm in California? (Actually there is also an exact replica of Independence Hall complete with a copy of the Liberty Bell) You can click HERE to read more about those replicas.
