# 619 - 1925 5c Lexington-Concord Issue: The Minuteman
1925 Lexington-Concord Issue
5¢ The Minuteman
First Day of Issue: April 4, 1925
First City: Washington, D.C.; Concord, MA; Concord Junction, MA; Boston, MA; Cambridge, MA; Lexington, MA
Quantity Issued: 5,348,800
Printing Method: Flat Plate
Perforation: 11
Color: Dark blue
Battles Of Lexington And Concord
As resentment grew against their British governors, the colonists realized they might have to fight for fair treatment. Farmers, craftsmen, and shopkeepers began to organize and prepare for possible conflict. In the spring of 1775, British troops gathered in Boston. The colonials stored arms at nearby Concord, and drilled and readied themselves to fight “at a minute’s notice.”
But the patriot underground in Boston sent two messengers to spread the alarm. William Dawes, a tanner of shoe leather, and Paul Revere, a well-known silversmith, galloped through the night toward Lexington by different routes. Shouting, “The British are coming!” they woke minutemen in houses along the way. Patriots hurried out to face British troops in defense of their freedom.
As they began to leave their positions, someone – to this day no one is sure which side – fired a single shot. Musket fire then commenced from both sides. When it was over, eight minutemen were dead and ten wounded. Only one British soldier was wounded, but this brave first stand by American patriots helped to rally the colonies toward the cause of the revolution and focus the world’s attention on the struggle.
The British left Lexington for Concord, and the minutemen fared much better there. The colonists had gained enough time to hide their munitions. While the Redcoats searched Concord for remaining military supplies, the Americans gathered near North Bridge. The battle at this site was immortalized by a later Concord resident, Ralph Waldo Emerson, in “Concord Hymn.” (Click here to read it.)
When Washington joined his new command, he did so with tact. Aware that New Englanders would resent a Virginian general, he exerted his authority carefully. At Cambridge, it became evident Washington possessed the leadership qualities to guide America through her fight for Independence.
1925 Lexington-Concord Issue
5¢ The Minuteman
First Day of Issue: April 4, 1925
First City: Washington, D.C.; Concord, MA; Concord Junction, MA; Boston, MA; Cambridge, MA; Lexington, MA
Quantity Issued: 5,348,800
Printing Method: Flat Plate
Perforation: 11
Color: Dark blue
Battles Of Lexington And Concord
As resentment grew against their British governors, the colonists realized they might have to fight for fair treatment. Farmers, craftsmen, and shopkeepers began to organize and prepare for possible conflict. In the spring of 1775, British troops gathered in Boston. The colonials stored arms at nearby Concord, and drilled and readied themselves to fight “at a minute’s notice.”
But the patriot underground in Boston sent two messengers to spread the alarm. William Dawes, a tanner of shoe leather, and Paul Revere, a well-known silversmith, galloped through the night toward Lexington by different routes. Shouting, “The British are coming!” they woke minutemen in houses along the way. Patriots hurried out to face British troops in defense of their freedom.
As they began to leave their positions, someone – to this day no one is sure which side – fired a single shot. Musket fire then commenced from both sides. When it was over, eight minutemen were dead and ten wounded. Only one British soldier was wounded, but this brave first stand by American patriots helped to rally the colonies toward the cause of the revolution and focus the world’s attention on the struggle.
The British left Lexington for Concord, and the minutemen fared much better there. The colonists had gained enough time to hide their munitions. While the Redcoats searched Concord for remaining military supplies, the Americans gathered near North Bridge. The battle at this site was immortalized by a later Concord resident, Ralph Waldo Emerson, in “Concord Hymn.” (Click here to read it.)
When Washington joined his new command, he did so with tact. Aware that New Englanders would resent a Virginian general, he exerted his authority carefully. At Cambridge, it became evident Washington possessed the leadership qualities to guide America through her fight for Independence.