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Two and a half centuries after the first shots of the American Revolutionary War were fired on Lexington Green, a community gathering in Redwood City reenacted the story, marking the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington.
“I hope they (the attendees) take away what actually happened in the first battle of the Revolutionary War, how people were feeling, why they were frustrated, how we were going up against a powerful empire that no one expected us to win,” said Linda White, a regent of the Gaspar de Portolá Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.
The event, hosted jointly by the Gaspar de Portolá and Los Altos chapter of the DAR, included reenactments, musical performances and a color guard ceremony by the Moffett Squadron Sea Cadets, a Mountain View-based United States Naval youth cadet organization.
But for some in the room, the play got them drawing connections between the Revolutionary War and the present day.
The centerpiece of the event was a play reenacting the events leading up to, during and after the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775, which was the first conflict of the American Revolutionary War. The audience heard from colonists who opposed British rule, as well as a loyalist character who defended the Crown, offering contrasting perspectives on taxation, tariffs, self-governance and civil unrest. Cast members portrayed the midnight ride to warn of British troop movements, the confrontation on Lexington Green, and the personal toll of the battle on those involved, all through first-person monologues.
Attendees were given paper paddles and invited to express their support or disapproval during the performance, cheering “Huzzah!” with a raised arm when they agreed with a speaker, or saying “Fie!” in protest when they didn’t. According to White, this interactive cue was part of a colonial-era tradition, allowing the audience to voice approval or disapproval just as townspeople might have done during public meetings in the 18th century.
While the event focused on American history, several attendees drew comparisons to the political climate of the present day.
“The idea of tariffs comes around every 100 years or so, and they’re coming around again,” said Maggie Bostick, a member of the Gaspar de Portolá. “And history gives us a lot of lessons about what happens when you tariff.”
White said that while DAR is an apolitical organization and her views do not reflect the organization’s, she finds the current political climate under President Donald Trump very upsetting.
“One of the big things about our Declaration of Independence was self-governance. We believe in government by the people, rather than a monarch or divine rule,” White said. “The world thought people can’t govern themselves, they’re just not smart enough. And we proved them wrong, and hopefully we will continue proving them wrong.”
For another attendee, Sarah Adam, the parallels between the Revolutionary War and the present political moment were evident.
“It feels like we can learn a little bit from the past, kind of how we want to face the future,” she said. “How they were able to unite in secret, and how powerful that was … are people going to be able to do that now, if they need to do it in the future?”
The Sea Cadets, middle and high school students, said they were proud to perform the flag ceremony and contribute to the event’s message of historical remembrance.
The event also featured a quiz, designed to test the audience’s retention of the historical content presented during the play. Toward the end of the program, attendees were asked to join in singing patriotic songs.
“There’s always a good moment for people to think about how to be more united and care for each other. And I think that’s as true now, perhaps more than it’s been in a really long time,” said Chris Mugler, who portrayed Paul Revere in the play.
