Commonwealth of Massachusetts
A Proclamation
His Excellency Deval L. Patrick
Whereas Throughout the evening of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere and William Dawes rode through the countryside from Boston, informing the local militias that the British had mobilized and were headed to Concord to seize and destroy militia weapons and ammunition; and
Whereas By the early morning of April 19, 1775, the local Minutemen and the British Army had gathered on the Lexington Green where the “shot heard ‘round the world” was fired. Eight Minutemen were killed, resulting in a retreat as the British continued to Concord; and
Whereas At Concord’s North Bridge, a skirmish broke out, causing the first British causalities. British troops attempted to retreat back to Boston, but were met with resistance from the Minutemen who fired at them from behind trees and walls; and
Whereas The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of the long struggle for American Independence; and
Whereas Today we remember and pay tribute to the patriots who gave their lives in the pursuit of liberty and independence,
Now, Therefore, I, Deval L. Patrick, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim April 16th, 2012, to be,
Patriot's Day
And urge all the citizens of the Commonwealth to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance.
Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston, this first day of March, in the year two thousand and twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
By His Excellency
Deval L. Patrick
Governor of the Commonwealth
William Francis Galvin
Secretary of the Commonwealth
God Save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts