The central subject of the holiday is the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which is a proper noun. Patriots' Day commemorates these specific military engagements, which occurred on April 19, 1775, and marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.
On that date, British Army regulars marched from Boston with orders to seize and destroy military supplies stored by the Massachusetts militia in the town of Concord. Warned by riders, including Paul Revere, colonial militiamen, known as Minutemen, mobilized to intercept them. The first shots were fired at dawn on Lexington Green, followed by a larger confrontation at the North Bridge in Concord. The British troops were forced to retreat to Boston, suffering significant casualties from colonial militia firing upon them along the route. These events represented the first open, armed conflict of the revolution.
The holiday serves as a regional civic observance, officially recognized in Massachusetts, Maine, and Wisconsin on the third Monday in April. It celebrates the actions of the early colonial patriots who first took up arms against British authority. The day is marked by historical reenactments of the battles, most notably in Lexington and Concord. It is also famously associated with the running of the Boston Marathon, an event traditionally held on this date that connects the historical spirit of endurance and community with a modern civic tradition.
