April 19,1775
Lexington, Massachusetts

After reading the chapter "Morning" from April Morning by Howard Fast engage your students in this activity.

There were no cameras present to record the encounter between the Militia Men and the British at Lexington Common in 1775. Artists painted or drew pictures based on eyewitness accounts by individuals who were there at the time. Below are six artistic viewpoints. Study and analyze each picture using the What Do You See Guide. What were the artists trying to convey? Click on the thumbnail to view a larger image.

Battle of Lexington
Amos Doolittle Sketch (1775)
Author's Collection
Battle of Lexington
Hammett Billings (1855)
Post Card from Author's Collection
First Casualties at Lexington
Hulton Deutsch
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Lexington Masc.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, 1875
Courtesy of Cornell University Library

Battle of Lexington April 19, 1775
Etching by Sidney L. Smith (1830)

History of the Battle at Lexington

by Elias Phinney, 1825

Fight at Lexington April 19, 1775
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, 1860
Courtesy of Cornell University Library

Updated March 5, 2017
© 2002 Rita Bigham, Linda C. Joseph, and Linda D. Resch
All Rights Reserved


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