America’s independence was ignited in Massachusetts, where the spirit of revolution spread across its cities, towns, and countryside. From the first shots fired at Lexington and Concord to the significant battles that took place throughout the state, these events from 1775-1783 paved the way to victory in the Revolutionary War. We call this journey The Liberty Trail.
Explore the many guided tours of The Liberty Trail
We invite you to visit the preserved locations along the Liberty Trail and to immerse
yourself in the extraordinary events that determined the fate of a nation.
Peter Salem, an emancipated Black man who fought as a minuteman, is credited with a significant role in the Battle of Bunker Hill and later served in multiple campaigns during the Revolutionary War.
A British Army officer who served in key conflicts including the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, Gate became Governor of Massachusetts and commander-in-chief of North America, overseeing events like the Battles of Lexington and Concord before being recalled to England in 1775.
Regarded as the first martyr of the American Revolution, Crispus Attucks was the first to fall in the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770. Of African and Native American descent, he became a powerful symbol of the fight for liberty, later embraced by abolitionists as a hero of both American independence and the struggle for equality.
Disguised as a man, Sampson served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, enduring injuries and maintaining her secret identity until 1783, and later became a public figure advocating for veterans' pensions.
