Living ItJoe Wolverton

On April 18, 1775, a column of roughly 700 British Regulars marched out of Boston under orders from General Thomas Gage. Their mission was to seize and destroy Colonist munitions hidden outside Concord, Massachusetts. They expected a disorganized resistance; what they encountered was a well-armed militia that had been warned by Paul Revere and other messengers. The battles at the Lexington village green and Concord’s North Bridge ignited the American War for Independence.

• The words in the Declaration of Independence mean nothing if we do not put them into practice. • Learning and applying the principles in the Declaration is the best way to celebrate it. • Prior to the American Revolution, patriots informed fellow citizens through the Committees of Correspondence. • In a very real sense, we should “celebrate” the Fourth of July every day through our patriotic endeavors.