Virtual offerings
After this exceptionally long month of March it is hard to believe we are already halfway through April. And because it is the middle of April, we celebrate the early steps toward our Nation’s founding, with Patriot’s Day. Many cities and towns hold parades, re-enactments, and activities for families and history lovers to celebrate the beginning of our move toward nationhood. However, this year is a little different with a need for stay-at-home advisories and social distancing. So, the community of Lexington and the National Parks have taken Patriot’s day virtual!
The full list of activities are on the Lexington Historical Society’s website. And the National Parks have additional activities on their Minute Man National Historical page and on their Facebook page. Some of the Minuteman National Park events will be streaming on Facebook live. Events begin on April 18th and run through the 24th. So, there are plenty of opportunities to observe and participate from the comfort of home. These are great supplemental activities for anyone learning from home and a fun way to learn about local history from dedicated historians and re-enactors.
Malden Local History
Malden was also a major participant in our early nation building. Parts of the Malden Declaration were used in the Declaration of Independence. You can check out our copy of the original and information on Malden’s role on the library website. Or check out more information on the City of Malden page. And this re-enactment held at the Library on July 3rd, 2018 posted below and on Youtube.
For further reading we suggest: the contribution of Everett (then still a part of South Malden) to the battles on April 19th 1775 and the shots that started our journey to independence. You can also read an article by local resident and historian, Frank F. Russell, about Washington’s visit to Malden in 1789. Washington George in Malden Hist Soc 2017 (1),
Even though we cannot participate in this year’s events publically, Patriot’s day events are still available in new and inventive ways. Take this long weekend as an opportunity to explore your local history and get to know our nation in a new way.