We Were Together. I Forget the Rest.
Why Rallies and Protests Matter
(Many thanks to Heather Cox Richardson’s April 18, 2025 Substack for this history of the 250th Anniversary of the hanging of the lanterns from which this summary is taken. The title of the post is taken from Margaret Wheatley/Who Do We Choose to Be?)
April 18th marked the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s ride alerting the colonists that the British army was on the move to Lexington and Concord. The British government had stationed thousands of British soldiers in Boston and closed the Boston harbor in an attempt to quell the resistance that had been growing there for years in response to taxes on stamps, tea and other much needed products imported from across the ocean. As a result of the closing of the harbor, ocean trade stopped, businesses failed and work was hard to find not only in Boston but across the colony. These acts intensified the resistance of a growing group of protesters, known as the Sons of Liberty. The original group was modest in size, but it grew as the tyranny of the King continued.
The British government grew increasingly impatient with what they saw as a growing rebellion. Fearing that the resistance would spread to the other colonies they planned an attack on the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Their mission was to arrest the colonial leaders of the resistance, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, who were then hiding in Lexington and to seize the munitions that were being stored in Concord.
Paul Revere, a native of Boston and a Son of Liberty learned of the British attack. Together with other townspeople who were resisting the occupation, they created a plan to warn the neighboring towns. In order to leave Boston, the British soldiers would need to either row across the Charles River or advance across a narrow land bridge called Boston Neck. The plan was to ensure a clear path that he and a small group of rebels could use to leave Boston and spread the alarm. The warning signal would be lanterns hung from the steeple of the Old North Church. The code was ‘one if by land, two if by sea’, thus revealing the path of the soldiers.
Because of the actions of a handful of patriots, the British army was unsuccessful in their mission that day. They colonists were warned and they responded to the crisis. As the British army retreated to Boston they were intercepted by an army of minutemen and suffered significant casualties. By the next morning, over 15,000 militiamen converged on the town of Boston. The resistance had multiplied. The Revolutionary War began on April 19, 1775.
Did You Know:
The Sons of Liberty was a catch all title for those causing trouble over the series of taxes imposed by the King. To protect identities, they remained anonymous but were joined by prominent leaders from across the thirteen colonies. John Adams was one of the leaders who helped organize and direct the boycotts and civil disobedience of the protesters. The group became more organized, created a method of communicating with other colonial legislatures, hosted events and encouraged their friends and family to ‘join the resistance’. The Sons of Liberty became a movement of diverse colonists growing weary of the increasing ‘taxation without representation’.
The group who organized the hanging of the lanterns in the Old North Church and the now historic ‘midnight ride’ consisted of about five local townsmen of various occupations and status. One other horsemen also rode to warn the others, taking a different route than Revere. Both men were later confronted by British soldiers before they reached Lexington. The soldiers took Revere’s horse and the other rider was bucked off his, so the two men returned home on foot. Word had nevertheless spread across the colony and the resistance galvanized and multiplied.
Even colonial grassroots organizing was messy and suffered setbacks! However, courage is contagious.
Why It Matters:
This past Saturday, on the 250th Anniversary of the beginning of the Revolutionary war, there were “No Kings” protests across Indiana, America and the world.
The local resistance is growing. Grassroots organizations are swelling their membership rolls and local Indivisible groups are springing up across the state. Empty chair town halls are regular events as Congress is in recess, and many Hoosiers are attending these town halls and rallies for the first time! Advocacy groups are coming together to share information, organize boycotts, and to form fluid networks across the state.
The Braun/Beckwith administration is in perfect synch with King Trump. Hoosiers are losing their liberties. We have lost jobs and many of us may lose our health insurance. Public schools are underfunded and under attack, international student VISAs are being revoked on our college campuses and the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC) on Purdue’s campus is shuttered due to federal budget cuts. Farmers across the state depended on MRCC and will be ‘flying blind’ as they enter into the planting season. Pregnancy is now an ‘at risk’ condition because of the implications of the total abortion ban. These are just a few examples of what it means to live in a ‘minority rule’ state where the desires of the citizens are ignored.
We can learn from the courageous actions of the early colonists. If we join together in our opposition to this hostile takeover by domestic enemies from within, we will prevail. Once we are on the other side of this crisis, perhaps what we will most remember is that we did this together.
What You Can Do:
It’s important to support the rallies and protests that are occurring across the country. These protests alone are not enough, but they are a place of connection and community. They offer the social proof that the body politic is paying attention. The witness of each rally and protest creates momentum, and the courage of each protester is contagious.
As the pro-democracy movement builds, we will create electoral power and political power. We will overthrow these tyrants at the ballot box.
Here are a few immediate things you can do:
Stay Connected, Informed and Engaged:
Continue to use 5 Calls or the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 to help you make strategic calls to legislators. The most urgent issue is to oppose the SAVE Act. If it passes the Senate, it will become law. This is an egregious attack on voting rights and will disenfranchise millions of citizens, especially married women who have changed their name.
MADVoters is the place to go for invaluable information about the Indiana legislature, events and activities to stay civically engaged and informed.
Join the 50501 May Day Rallies that will occur across the state
Indivisible has local groups across the state and is a good place for connection and involvement. Check the national website to find a group near you.
We are in this together!
The H4D team!