MA, USA
Adams and Hancock Flee to Safety
April 19, 1775
Samuel Adams and John Hancock had been staying at the Hancock-Clarke House, home of Reverend Jonas Clarke, when Revere arrived with his warning. The British expedition's purpose was to seize military supplies at Concord—and possibly to arrest these two radical leaders.
After considerable debate (Hancock reportedly wanted to stay and fight), the two men were persuaded to flee. They departed before dawn, narrowly avoiding capture. Their escape ensured the Revolution retained two of its most important political leaders.
As they heard the distant gunfire from Lexington Green, Adams reportedly exclaimed: "What a glorious morning for America!" Whether apocryphal or not, the sentiment captured the understanding that a new era had begun.
People Involved
The organizer who built the resistance movement in Boston through town meetings, correspondence committees, and strategic confrontations with British authority.
Boston artisan who became the Revolution's most famous messenger, riding to warn Lexington and Concord of the British approach on April 18, 1775.
President of the Continental Congress who was staying at the Hancock-Clarke House in Lexington on the night of April 18, 1775. Revere rode to warn him and Samuel Adams of the approaching British.