September 1–4 Events in Cambridge and Somerville Mark the 250th Anniversary of the Historic 1774 Powder Alarm

Date:
August 26, 2024
Contact:Chris Beagan
Contact:Beth Folsom
Contact:J.L. Bell

September 1 Spark of the Revolution Reenactment at Somerville Powder House, September 2 Rebellion along Tory Row Commemorations on Brattle Street in Cambridge, and September 4th Panel Discussion at Cambridge Public Library.

Cambridge and Somerville, MA - History Cambridge, the Somerville Museum, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, the Friends of Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters, Boston 1775, and the Cambridge Public Library will present three free events marking the 250th anniversary of the 1774 Powder Alarm and the start of Massachusetts' political independence from Britain.

• Spark of the Revolution: Reenactment and Historic Fair - Sunday, September 1, 9:30 am-12:30 pm, Nathan Tufts Park, Broadway and College Ave., Somerville, MA 02144. To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Powder Alarm, the Somerville Museum is partnering with the City of Somerville to produce a reenactment of the 1774 events at the Powder House, followed by a living history fair. The fair will include docent tours of the Powder House, activity tables, and even a scavenger hunt of the park! (Reenactment begins at 9:30 am sharp.) This free event is presented by the Somerville Museum and the City of Somerville. Click here for more information
• Rebellion along Tory Row: The 1774 Powder Alarm - Monday, September 2, 1:00-5:00 pm, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site and History Cambridge, Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. In response to the British soldiers emptying the Somerville Powder House, thousands of militiamen marched into Cambridge the next day. That response revealed a new political order in Massachusetts and upended the lives of families along Tory Row. The commemorations include family games and activities at Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, historians' presentations at History Cambridge, and a walking tour along Brattle Street. These free outdoor and indoor events are presented by History Cambridge, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, the Friends of Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters, Revolution 250, Boston 1775, and volunteers. Schedule:
  • 1:00-4:00 pm: Family games and activities at Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site.
  • 1:45 pm: J. L. Bell leads a walking tour of the colonial estates along Brattle Street, starting at Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site.
  • 2:30 pm: Prof. Robert J. Allison lays out the political situation in Massachusetts in 1774 at History Cambridge.
  • 3:30 pm: Michele Gabrielson speaks on Revolutionary printers and 18th-century media literacy at History Cambridge.
• Panel Discussion: The Powder Alarm and Political Change - Wednesday, September 4, 6:30-7:30 pm. Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138. In the library auditorium, four historians discuss the history and significance of the 1774 Powder Alarm, including its political context, how it affected Cambridge's Loyalist families, and the most basic fight for liberty along Tory Row. The panelists include Dan Breen, Caitlin G. DeAngelis, MaryKate Smolenski, and J. L. Bell.

More information- The United States will soon commemorate the 250th anniversary of the July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence, the country's founding document signaling the end of British colonial rule. For the people of Massachusetts, however, political independence began more than a year and a half before that with an event that historians have called the Powder Alarm.

On September 1, 1774, the royal governor of Massachusetts sent soldiers to Somerville (then part of Charlestown) and Cambridge to seize gunpowder and other militia supplies. In response, on September 2 thousands of Middlesex County farmers marched into Cambridge and demanded resignations or apologies from all the royal appointees in town. By the end of that day, it was clear that the governor no longer commanded any authority in most of Massachusetts. In the fall, towns set up an independent legislature and started to prepare for war.

This Powder Alarm is not as well-known as the Boston Tea Party that preceded it or the Battle of Lexington and Concord that followed nine months later, but it was a key event along the road to American independence. Brandeis University historian Dan Breen says that the seizure of gunpowder in September 1774 was "one of the most important things that ever happened in Somerville." The militia uprising at Cambridge showed both patriot leaders and the royal governor that Massachusetts farmers were ready to confront the British government.

Background: In 1774, General Thomas Gage was appointed royal governor of the British colony of Massachusetts, charged with enforcing Parliament's new Coercive Acts. Facing rural resistance to those changes in the colonial government, he decided to seize gunpowder and cannons assigned to the Middlesex County militia before that weaponry fell into hostile hands.

Early on the morning of September 1, 250 British soldiers rowed up the Mystic River, quietly marched through Winter Hill, and unlocked the Powder House. They moved the more than 200 half-barrels of gunpowder inside to Castle Island. A squad went to Cambridge and took away two small cannons.

Alarm at those events spread across New England, with rumors far outrunning reality. Many colonists took up arms and headed towards Boston. The next morning, several thousand angry men converged in Cambridge, most storing their guns as they realized the worst rumors were untrue. That crowd demanded the resignation of several royal officials, culminating in Lieutenant Governor Thomas Oliver. His house surrounded in late afternoon, Oliver finally signed a resignation under protest, and the people dispersed.

These events demonstrated the potential military strength of the militia system outside Boston. In fact, over the following days, tens of thousands of New England men mobilized at least briefly before learning that the crisis was resolved. The confrontation showed how most people in Massachusetts were no longer inclined to respect royal authority. The governor began to fortify Boston. Within weeks, patriot leaders organized a shadow government and formed special militia companies trained to respond quickly to any future movement of the king's soldiers. Those companies became famous as the "minutemen," and they would march on April 19, 1775.

Special thanks to Gavin Kleespies, Cecily Miller, Jonathan Lane, Kit Rawlins, and Charan Devereaux.

Learn more about the history: "The Revolution Could Have Started Here," Bob Thompson for American Heritage, Vol 69 Issue 3; "On the Night Before the Powder Alarm," J.L. Bell; May 23, 2024 Lecture - "How to Lose an Empire: The Road to the Powder Alarm," Dan Breen.

About the Somerville Museum - The Somerville Museum is the City of Somerville's mirror, playing a central role in preserving the past, reflecting the present, and helping to shape the future of this diverse urban community of 81,000. A private non-profit, the Museum has served as the city's premier cultural institution for nearly a century. For more information visit http://somervillemuseum.org/.

About History Cambridge - Formerly the Cambridge Historical Society, History Cambridge uses history to catalyze the connections that make Cambridge, Massachusetts more vibrant and cohesive. History Cambridge is a private non-profit funded by individual and corporate donations. For more information visit https://historycambridge.org/.

About Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site - Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site preserves a remarkable Georgian house whose occupants shaped the nation. It was a site of colonial enslavement and community activism, George Washington's first long-term headquarters of the American Revolution, and the place where Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote his canon of 19th-century American literature. Grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk. The site is open for free, ranger-led house tours every Friday through Monday through October 28, 2024. For more information visit www.nps.gov/longfellow.

About Friends of Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters - The Friends of Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters is a non-profit organization supporting programs and preservation that enrich the visitor experience at the Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site in Cambridge. For more information visit https://www.friendsoflongfellowhouse.org/about-us.

About Cambridge Public Library - Since 1889, the Cambridge Public Library has been a beloved hub of opportunity and civic engagement in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Our mission is to welcome all, inspire minds, and empower community. The Library envisions a Cambridge where everyone has equitable opportunities to learn, where people live their best lives, and democracy thrives. For more information visit www.cambridgema.gov/departments/cambridgepubliclibrary.

About Boston 1775 - Boston 1775 is a daily blog by J. L. Bell that provides history, analysis, and unabashed gossip about the start of the American Revolution in Massachusetts. For more information visit https://boston1775.blogspot.com/.

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