(written by Islander)
I began the day, barely awake, by reading an account of how the U.S. Revolutionary War began 250 years ago today. It was delivered in a speech last night, on the 250th anniversary of the famed events that led to war’s commencement. The speaker was a historian, and she told the story at a lantern lighting ceremony at Boston’s Old North Church commemorating the “two if by sea” signal from the church’s steeple.
The narrative of what happened that night and the next day is a remarkable and inspiring story. If you’re so inclined, you can find it here or here. Of course, people now celebrate the events because the cause succeeded. It might just as easily have failed, and all the revolutionaries executed or imprisoned. They certainly didn’t know how things would turn out more than 8 years later, 8 years almost always spent on the brink of failure. They risked their lives anyway, resisting tyranny. Continue reading »
