By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Two and a half centuries ago, a courageous group of minutemen answered the urgent call of freedom during the storied Battles of Lexington and Concord—the first significant armed conflict of the Revolutionary War. We gather today to honor their memories, to remember their sacrifices, and to evoke the bravery of every liberty hero who valiantly spilled blood for the cause of independence on April 19, 1775.
After years of rising tensions and escalating animosity between the British Crown and the American Colonies, all paths to peace were shuttered, and it became painfully apparent to the patriots that war was the only avenue left. The Boston Massacre, the oppressive Intolerable Acts, and the persistent grievance of taxation without representation galvanized the colonists to form militias as a last resort in their fight for self-governance.
The British regime’s tyranny reached a boiling point when, in a courageous midnight ride from Boston, Paul Revere relayed the urgent news that the Redcoats were heading to Concord to arrest Colonial leaders and confiscate arms. As dawn broke, the British troops encountered 77 brave American minutemen, led by Captain John Parker, standing resolute in defense of their independence. The British, taken by surprise, fired a volley, fatally wounding eight patriots—these were the first American soldiers to lay down their lives for the nascent nation.
This ambush at Lexington became immortalized as the “shot heard ’round the world,” triggering thousands of young men to abandon their homes and livelihoods to join the frontlines of the American Revolution—marking the onset of one of the greatest struggles for liberty ever witnessed.
Later that morning, the Redcoats reached Concord only to find and incinerate military supplies belonging to the patriots. Witnessing the rising smoke from a hilltop, the colonists feared the town was ablaze, prompting them to advance toward the North Bridge. Captain Isaac Davis, leading his men, declared with unwavering resolve, “I haven’t a man who is afraid to go.”
As 400 determined militiamen charged down Punkatasset Hill toward the North Bridge, the startled British opened fire, killing 49 Americans, including Captain Davis. “Fire, fellow soldiers, for God’s sake, fire!” shouted Major John Buttrick of the Concord militia amidst the chaos of gunfire—this rallying cry sent the British retreating to Boston, marking a resounding victory for Colonial forces. For the following 12 miles, the patriots relentlessly pursued the Redcoats, ambushing them from the cover of trees, walls, and more. One British soldier famously remarked that the Americans “fought like bears, and I would as soon storm hell as fight them again.”
April 19, 1775, remains a pivotal milestone in our Nation’s enduring quest for liberty and independence. On this day, 250 years ago, fueled by an unquenchable fire for freedom, an extraordinary army of American minutemen triumphed over one of the most formidable military forces in history, setting the stage for America’s ultimate victory over tyranny.
As we stand here today, two and a half centuries later, we inherit their fortitude, claim their resolve as our birthright, and recognize the unwavering loyalty to God and country as the duty of every American patriot. With the 250th anniversary of our Nation’s independence on the horizon, we honor the valiant men who fought for their sacred right to self-governance. We renew our commitment to restore our republic to its full glory and to rebuild a country and culture that inspires pride in our past and confidence in our future.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, hereby proclaim April 19, 2025, as a day to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the dawn of the American Revolutionary War.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
