Bullet Riddled Artifacts: Curated Objects of Memory from the First Day of the American Revolution

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "The World Turned Upside Down: Revisiting the Archaeology of the American Revolution" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The British Regulars retreat from Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 is legendary in American history. Colonial militias and the famous Minute Men companies ambushed the British column along the retreat route back to Boston. Our study began with documenting an extant bullet damaged house from the day. An additional four bullet damaged structures, two objects, and nine curated architectural elements have now been identified. These artifacts of conflict were saved by participants and witnesses to commemorate a momentous event in American history. These artifacts are the legacy of memory, memorialization, and commemoration of the first day of the American Revolution. Though their meaning and appreciation has changed through time they are still important artifacts of the founding of the United States.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The World Turned Upside Down: Revisiting the Archaeology of the American Revolution   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology