American Spring

the long version

From the Book... Today, amid the cacophony of Patriots' Day sights and sounds, there is--if one listens closely--a background quiet that filters down to the present. Some of the buildings that stood more than 240 years ago still stand about Lexington Green, throughout Concord, and along Battle Road. The steeple of the Old North Church looks out across the Charles River to the granite spire honoring those who fought on the slopes around Bunker Hill. One can walk past Parker's Revenge, Merriam's Corner, and the spot where a messenger named Paul Revere was captured. But look deeper. Who were those who once walked these same streets, endured great anxiety and hardship, and ultimately made a choice? Who were those at risk in the spring of 1775?