"Behold, The Guns Were Gone:" ~250th commemoration of stolen cannon and political turmoil in September 1774.
September 14, 2024
10:00 am- 4:00 pm at North Bridge Visitor Center (174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA.)
1:00 pm Lecture at Minute Man Visitor Center (210 North Great Road, Lincoln, MA.)
Join us for a special 250th commemoration of the infamous Powder Alarm and patriot militia stealing four brass cannon from the British garrison in Boston on September 14/16, 1774.
Enjoy a day of lectures, artillery firing demonstrations, and interactive ranger programs focused around cannons and the politics of 1774. Today, Minute Man National Historical Park proudly displays the original “Hancock” 3pdr cannon in our North Bridge Visitor Center. This cannon was one of four recovered by Patriots from British controlled Boston in September 1774 and smuggled to Concord in early 1775. The day will include a keynote lecture from Historian John Bell about September 1774 and the importance of those stolen cannon in igniting the American Revolution.
Schedule of Events for September 14, 2024
10:00 am – Event begins.
(Informal Living History at North Bridge Visitor Center until 4:30 pm)
Parking at 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA
10:30 am– A September to Remember: The Powder Alarm and Court Closures:
Join Park Ranger Jim Hollister to explore how the events of September 1774 put Massachusetts on the path to war in 1775. Program at North Bridge Visitor Center.
Parking at 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA
11:00 am – Artillery Firing Demonstration (30 Minutes)
Join Park Living Historians as they demonstrate the safe firing of a 3pdr artillery piece. Program at North Bridge Visitor Center. Parking at 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA
11:30 am– Join the Artillery! (30 Minutes)
See if you have what it takes to be an 18th century artillerist in this non-firing hands-on experience. Join a Park Ranger for an interactive program about 18th century cannons and their use on the battlefield. Program at North Bridge Visitor Center. Parking at 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA
1:00 pm – The Gunhouse Heists and the New England Arms Race, Keynote lecture with historian and author, J.L. Bell (60 minutes)
Minute Man Visitor Center: Parking at 210 North Great Road, Lincoln.
Join historian J. L. Bell at Minute Man Visitor Center for a lecture about September 1774 and how patriot forces managed to steal cannon from their safehouses guarded by British soldiers in Boston.
2:30 pm – Artillery firing demonstration (30 Minutes)
Join Park Living Historians as they demonstrate the safe firing of a 3pdr artillery piece. Program at North Bridge Visitor Center. Parking at 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA.
3:00 pm—Join the Artillery (30 Minutes)
See if you have what it takes to be an 18th century artillerist in this non-firing hands-on experience. Join a Park Ranger for an interactive program about 18th century cannons and their use on the battlefield. Program at North Bridge Visitor Center. Parking at 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA
3:30 pm— Artillery firing demonstration (30 Minutes)
Join Park Living Historians as they demonstrate the safe firing of a 3pdr artillery piece. Program at North Bridge Visitor Center.Parking at 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA
4:00 pm – Join the Artillery (30 Minutes)
See if you have what it takes to be an 18th century artillerist in this non-firing hands-on experience. Join a Park Ranger for an interactive program about 18th century cannons and their use on the battlefield. Program at North Bridge Visitor Center.Parking at 174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA
This event is sponsored by Friends of Minute Man National Park
