“Behold, the Guns Were Gone” Commemoration at Minute Man Park, 14 Sept.

On Saturday, 14 September, Minute Man National Historical Park will host a special event called “‘Behold, The Guns Were Gone’: 250th commemoration of stolen cannon and political turmoil in September 1774.”

This has been in my calendar for a long time as “cannon fun day.” But the formal event description is:

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.

And here’s the schedule of events.

10:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.
Informal Living History
North Bridge Visitor Center, parking at 174 Liberty Street, Concord

10:30 A.M.
A September to Remember: The Powder Alarm and Court Closures
Park Ranger Jim Hollister explores how the events of September 1774 put Massachusetts on the path to war in 1775.
North Bridge Visitor Center

11:00 A.M., 2:30 P.M., and 3:30 P.M.
Artillery Firing Demonstration
Park Living Historians demonstrate the safe firing of a 3pdr artillery piece. (30 Minutes)
North Bridge Visitor Center

11:30 A.M., 3:00 P.M., and 4:00 P.M.
Join the Artillery!
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. (30 minutes)
North Bridge Visitor Center

1:00 P.M.
The Gunhouse Heists and the New England Arms Race
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. (60 minutes)
Lexington Visitor Center, parking at 210 North Great Road in Lincoln (allow five minutes to walk to the visitor center)

My talk will of course draw from The Road to Concord—and from what I’ve learned since writing that book.