Following the path of British regulars on their way to defend Britain against the colonists, The Battle Road begins where “the shot heard round the world” was fired on April 19, 1775. It marked the start of the American Revolution and the Birthplace of the nation.
The Byway passes through historic towns dating back to the very founding of America, including Lexington, settled in 1642 and Concord, the first inland settlement in Massachusetts dating from 1635.
There are more than 200 locations of historic significance along the fifteen miles of road. These include the three units of Minute Man National Historical Park, located in Lexington, Concord, and Lincoln, where the opening battle of the Revolutionary War comes to life as you explore the battlefields and historic structures where the fighting occurred. The incident, known as the “Lexington Alarm,” evoked a common spirit of American patriotism from Maine to Georgia.
During the 19th century, Concord was home to some of the greatest literary minds in America including Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson, Louisa Alcott, and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
