Words have been spoken here, books have been written here, things have happened here that have changed our lives. A million visitors come to Concord each year -- to explore the past, to imagine and reflect. We look forward to welcoming you.
"Why Concord?" is a six-gallery exhibition at the Concord Museum that explores the people, events, and ideas in Concord’s past from Native American settlement to the 20th century. Renowned as the site of the battle that began the American Revolution and as the home of Thoreau, Emerson, and the Alcotts, Concord is a community rich in association. Through rarely seen images, maps, creative hands-on activities, oral histories and artifacts from the Museum's outstanding collection, this exhibition offers an engaging overview of Concord's history.
"Establishing Concord" examines the reasons that Native Americans chose to settle in Concord 10,000 years ago and the Puritans in the 17th century, the relationship between them, and their legacies.
"Defending Concord" focuses on the events that led to the start of the American Revolution and "the shot heard round the world." American icons, such as the signal lantern associated with Paul Revere and the April 19th Doolittle engravings, together with an audio program of first-hand accounts of the day are key components of the gallery.
In "Reforming Concord" visitors will learn about the town's second revolution in the 19th century -- this time in the realm of ideas and literature. It explores the reasons why so many intellectuals were drawn to Concord and the influence of temperance, anti-slavery and other reform movements. "Emerson's Study," where a remarkable galaxy of writers and intellectuals gathered from around the world to converse, and the Museum's treasured "Thoreau Collection," including the desk where Thoreau wrote "Walden" and "Civil Disobedience," are important focal points. This section concludes with Concord's industrial growth and the development of the village of West Concord.
"Memorializing Concord" focuses on ways in which Concordians chose to preserve their past as early as the 18th century. The exhibition concludes with a brief look at the enduring legacy of Concord's past.
The Introductory Film
Before or after the exhibition, visitors may also view the Museum's new 14-minute film,
"Exploring Concord." This exceptional documentary connects the exhibition to
specific natural and cultural landscapes in town, uncovering the many layers of historical
significance. A driving/walking tour brochure is available to guide visitors to the sites
featured in the film.
This exhibition and film have been made possible by generous grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency. Additional support has been provided by Starmet Corporation, Welch’s, The Stratford Foundation, The Charles Engelhard Foundation, and Eastern Enterprises/Boston Gas.
Concord Then and Now
For over 10,000 years, Native Americans had used the rivers in the place they called
Musketaquid for transportation and a rich source of food. The English settlers also
selected the site for the rivers and for the open meadows which could be made into
productive fields. During the 140 years between its founding in 1635 and the battle at the
North Bridge, Concord became the hub of the region’s political, commercial and
military activities.
Concord is best known as the site of the first organized armed resistance to the British rule. On April 19, 1775, British soldiers marched out to this town to destroy the arms, ammunition and other provisions which the colonials had stored here. At the North Bridge in Concord, the command was given to return fire: the “shot heard round the world.” The American Revolution had begun.
In 1834, Ralph Waldo Emerson moved to Concord, the town where his grandfather had served as minister at the time of the Revolution. Emerson's stature as a writer, thinker, poet and philosopher drew other intellectuals to the town during America's literary renaissance. Within the town today are the homes of the Alcotts, Emerson, Hawthorne and Henry D. Thoreau. During the 1850s Concord was a center of anti-slavery activity and was a stop on the underground railroad for slaves escaping to freedom.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Concord was primarily an agricultural community. The farm land surrounded the two major commercial centers; the Milldam (now Concord Center) and West Concord Junction. Over the past century, farming has declined as a significant factor in Concord's economy. Nearly 16,000 people live in Concord today. Many have chosen to live here for its historical significance, its excellent educational and cultural institutions, proximity to Boston, and rural beauty. In spite of dramatic changes to Concord’s landscape, economy, and composition, Concord maintains a strong sense of its own history, expressing it in a number of monuments, historic houses and protected land. The town’s inhabitants continue to preserve and adapt Concord's cultural heritage for succeeding generations.