18th Century Costumed Guide Biographies
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These are the Freedom Trail Players' historic characters, the regular citizens of Boston and Massachusetts who were at the front line of the revolt against Britain, played on their walking tours of the Freedom Trail. For special events–corporate and conventions–the Players also play the more famous men and women of the Revolution such as Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, George Washington, Abigail Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, Charles Dickens, Jane Austin and many more men and women of the 17th and 18th centuries. Hannah Adams
Nabby Adams
Despite having such a charismatic and outspoken mother, Nabby was actually a rather shy, quiet young woman, though quite stubborn and nonetheless independent of mind and spirit. At 16, she was pursued by a young lawyer, Royall Tyler, who was more successful in winning the affections of the older Abigail than the marriageable Nabby, though she did eventually concede to a sort of engagement. In May 1784 Abigail and Nabby joined John at his post in Paris for a year, and then moved with him to London when he was made the first U.S. minister to Great Britain where they remained for three years before returning to Massachusetts. While abroad, Nabby’s engagement to Tyler cooled and she broke it off, shortly thereafter falling for the charms of her father’s new secretary, Colonel William Stephens Smith, who had served as George Washington’s aide in the Continental Army. They were married in London on June 12, 1786. Nabby died of breast cancer on August 15, 1813 at the age of 48. Crispus Attucks
Nathaniel Balch
As his dear friend John Hancock lay dying, he called Nathaniel to his side and dictated the minutes of his will in which he specifically directed that his grand stone mansion, standing alongside the newly built Massachusetts State House, should be left to the commonwealth as a governor's mansion. Why he should summon a hatter rather than a lawyer to compose his will is curious. John Hancock died intestate. His family struggled to hold on to the mansion, losing it in the early 1800's.That great house in which so much mirth and history had been shared over a bounteous table was finally torn down; and to this day, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides no official residence for its governors. Mary Clapham
Jonas Clarke
Mr. Clarke was noted for his hospitality, and was entertaining John Hancock and Samuel Adams at his house on the night of 18 April, 1775, when Paul Revere warned him of the approach of the expedition sent out by General Thomas Gage, one of whose goals was to surprise and capture these two patriots. When asked by his guests whether the people would fight, Mr. Clarke replied that he had "trained them for this very hour; they would fight, and, if need be, die, too, under the shadow of the house of God." It was but a dozen yards from Mr. Clarke's house that the first blood of the revolution was shed on the following day, 19 April, 1775, and the men that fell were his parishioners. "From this day," said he, when he saw their dead bodies, "will be dated the liberty of the world." Mr. Clarke published several sermons, among them one to commemorate the battle of Lexington. Susannah Farnham Clarke
Richard Dale
He was an officer on Lexington until she was taken by the British. Imprisoned in England, Dale twice escaped, and made his way to France. His next position was as a Lieutenant on board the Continental warship Bonhomme, commanded by John Paul Jones. He performed valiantly during her desperate fight with HMS Serapis on 23 September 1779. For the remainder of the war, Dale served in the frigates Alliance and Trumbull, and was Commanding Officer of the privateer Queen of France. Mehitable Dawes
William Dawes
Like Revere, Dawes was asked by patriot leader Dr. Joseph Warren to escape Boston with word of the British Advance on Lexington. Unlike Revere, Dawes chose an overland route, managing by unknown means to pass through the checkpoint on Boston neck. From there he proceeded to Lexington after alerting the Roxbury militia. Despite the fact that he had begun his ride hours before Paul, he found upon arrival that Revere had beaten him there by half an hour thanks to the advantage of a shorter route facilitated by a boat ride across the Charles' River. From there, Dawes and Revere made for Concord. Along the way, Revere was captured by British soldiers and William Dawes fell off of his horse and out of the history books. William Dawes was a leather tanner, and after the Revolution, a successful grocer. He fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill and became a major in the Continental Army, serving as an army commissary. Dawes had a reputation as a stout fellow who didn't take any guff- he once pushed a British Redcoat who made an inappropriate remark towards his beloved wife Mehitable. Nathaniel Ellis
Nathaniel was part of the Militia in 1779 that protected the port of Falmouth from British raids as they were hitting various ports along the coast for provisions. The Battle of Falmouth, as it came to be called, was where Nathaniel Ellis made his mark. There, he and about fifty other men repulsed a 200-man invasion of British soldiers attempting to take the city by force from tall ships. The colonists won that day, but alas, Falmouth was later burned by the British but not when Nathaniel was present. Captain Michael Finch
Captain Michael Finch was an officer and adjutant with the First Foot Guards.The detachment consisted of 15 privates from each of the 64 companies of Foot Guards and the appropriate addition of officers. The Guards wore the standard red coat with royal blue facing, collar and cuff colors.Captain Finch would have come from a family of substantial means, often aristocratic in origin. His uniform was elaborate, and, therefore, expensive and had to be paid for by the officer himself. The average British officer transported three coats and no less than 20 shirts. British social class consciousness demanded that he always maintain strict dress code, even during war. Margaret Kemble Gage
It was suspected that I was a spy for the colonists and leaked such military secrets to Dr. Joseph Warren such as the Redcoat invasion of Lexington and Concord. Allegedly I not only informed Warren of British activity but also had an affair with him. After rumors of me were flying around the colonies, Thomas sent me back to England to "tend to the family estate," but also due to his embarrassment of me. I was a known to enjoy partying, and upon the completion of my portrait, John Singleton Copley stated that it was the best painting of a woman he had ever created. Jean Gordon
Dorothy Quincy Hancock
Shortly after this, at the advanced age of 28 (a decided 'old maid' by contemporary standards!) she married John Hancock. They had two children, a daughter Lydia, who died at the age of eight months from a childhood illness; and a son John George Washington Hancock. This young boy was nine years old when he had a tragic accident while ice skating on Frog Pond, on Boston Common, and died. The couple was survived by no children. Dorothy outlived John by some 40 years, eventually marrying Capt. James Scott, whom she also outlived. George Robert Twelves Hewes
George was an important participant in the American Revolution, present at the Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party and fought in the war itself as a member of the militia and as a privateer. Perhaps most exciting of all was his involvement of an incident that took place in 1774 and centered around Hewes himself. Hewes stood up to a loyalist customs official named John Malcolm who was preparing to strike a young colonist with his cane. Malcolm struck Hewes instead, and the blow was so serious, a dent could still be observed in Hewes' head in his old age. A mob of patriots tarred and feathered Malcolm, and threatened to hang him and then to cut off his ears if he did not renounce his job. He did. Hewes also met some very great men. He once repaired the shoes of John Hancock, and went to Hancock's house to deliver them. He was taken to see George Washington to give him information about Boston. Hewes had fifteen children. He named his fifteenth child George Robert Twelves Fifteen.
Barzillai Lew
With wages from his military service, Barzillai and Dinah purchased a large tract of farmland on the far side of the Merrimack River.They built a house near Varnum Avenue and Totman Road. As active members of the community, he and his wife served as musicians at the Pawtucket Society Church on Mammoth Road, which in 1832 organized the first anti-slavery meeting in Lowell.
Mackintosh earned the phantom title of "Captain General
of the Liberty Tree," derived from the magnificent elm
which served as the outdoor rallying point of the Sons of
Liberty, He was a founding member of the revolutionary organization,
but was ultimately pushed out and replaced by Thomas Wharton
Jr., who would later become Governor of Pennsylvania.
Lydia Mulliken
Dr. Samuel Prescott was at the home of Ms. Mulliken that fateful night. When the hour got late, he let himself out of her house by jumping out of the back window; and then, mounting his horse, rode toward his home in Concord. He soon encountered Paul Revere and William Dawes on the road, and, as fate would have it, joined them in their famous "midnight ride." While Doctor Prescott was gone, Red Coat reinforcements arrived from Boston and proceeded to burn down the home and shop of Lydia Mulliken and her family. She survived. But that night sealed Lydia's claim to fame.
She was accused of being a traitor and a spy. Officers on both sides of the conflict defended her honor. She died in 1785 at age 58. Elizabeth Murray is buried in Kings Chapel Burial Ground and her grave is no longer marked. Judith Sargent Murray
Robert Newman
In 1775 the steeple of the church was quite visible from across the river in Charlestown. Paul Revere was charged with riding to alert the countryside of the British advance on Lexington. If Revere failed to escape Boston’s boundaries, the lantern lights in the steeple of the “The Old North Church” would ensure that a warning would at least reach Charlestown. One lantern light would indicate that the British were leaving Boston by land, two lights would indicate that they were crossing the river. Fortunately, Revere succeeded in escaping the city, and made his ride to Lexington. Years later, a poem would immortalize Revere, and make passing reference to an anonymous friend who hung the lanterns in the Old North’s steeple. In 1804, a hurricane destroyed the steeple. That same year, Robert Newman died.
Richard Palmes
At Preston’s trial some months later, Palmes was called as a witness for the defense and was said to be “the most material witness to the case” by the attorney for the defense, future President John Adams. Palmes’ testimony underlined the chaos of the situation in King’s Street, and his proximity to Captain Preston revealed the uncertainty of whether the soldiers were actually ordered to fire. Captain Preston was found Not Guilty, the “Massacre” more accidental than deliberate. After his brief appearance on the stage of history, Richard Palmes slipped back into the obscurity from which he came.
Dr. Samuel Prescott
On the night of April 18th, 1775, Dr. Prescott was visiting with his fiancé, Miss Lydia Mulliken at her house in Lexington, MA. Departing late in the evening, he began his ride home to Concord, at which time he bumped into Paul Revere and William Dawes on their way out to Concord from the Hancock-Clarke house. He accompanied them and escaped British troops who attempted to arrest the trio. Dr. Prescott was the only rider that night to successfully reach Concord. After joining the Continental Army as a medic, Dr. Prescott accompanied Henry Knox to Ft. Ticonderoga and helped to liberate Boston from the British siege. He then volunteered aboard a privateering ship and was captured by British troops. He was sent to a POW prison in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he died in his cell of cold and starvation in 1777. Josiah Quincy
After the Boston Massacre, Quincy and Adams defended the soldiers against the charges of Murder and Manslaughter brought by the angry and bloodthirsty town, in what was the colonial trial of the century. Though it was a highly unpopular defense that was contrary to their own political leanings, Josiah felt the soldiers were entitled "by the laws of God and man to all legal counsel and aid." The prosecuting attorneys included Robert Treat Paine and Josiah's older brother Samuel Quincy, a loyalist. Quincy and Adams proved that the soldiers were essentially trying to protect themselves from an unruly, violent mob and got most of the soldiers acquitted of all charges. In September 1774, Josiah sailed for England on a diplomatic mission to gain allies for the colonies amongst some sympathetic British politicians. Returning successfully from the mission, Josiah Quincy died of tuberculosis at the age of 31 on April 26th 1775, just a week after the American Revolution began in Lexington and Concord. His son Josiah Quincy III was the second mayor of the city of Boston and the man who oversaw the building of Quincy Market near Faneuil Hall. Rachel Revere
Susanna Rowson
Susanna returned to America in 1793 to join an acting company based out of Philadelphia and acheived considerable success and fame. She also continued to write and publish her works. Her "Charlotte Temple" became America's first best selling novel, and her play "Slaves of Algiers" was shockingly feminist for its time and met with controversy which only increased her renown. In 1796 she moved back to Boston to join the Federal Street Theatre, before retiring from the stage forever a year later. She opened a girl's school in Boston and dedicated the rest of her life to the education of young women. She never had any children of her own, but provided for a large family including her husband's illegitimate son, two adopted daughters, and the widow and daughters of her half-brother. She finally retired in 1822, and died in 1824. Dr. Benjamin Rush
Deborah Samson
Serving for a little over one year, Deborah was stationed in Upstate New York, where her regiment maintained control over uproarious Loyalists who refused to support the Revolution. She engaged in hand-to-hand combat and suffered a musket ball wound to her upper thigh. Rather than expose her true identity, Deborah dug the musket ball out her leg with her knife and wasn’t discovered until she later fainted from a fever. The punishment for a woman impersonating a man was severe, but Deborah had deceived her entire regiment and the Continental Army. On October 23, 1783, General George Washington hand delivered a notice of honorable discharge to Deborah, making her not only the first woman to serve in the American Military, but the first to be honorably discharged. After her military service ended, Deborah continued to work diligently, touring the country, speaking about her military experiences. “The American Heroine,” as Deborah was coined, was the first professional female lecturer. Deborah Samson married Benjamin Gannet in 1785 and together they had three children. Her life spanned nearly seven decades and she passed away in Sharon, MA on April 29, 1827 in a home built by her son, which still stands today. On May 23, 1983, Governor Michael J. Dukakis named Deborah Samson “The Official Heroine of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” Isaiah Thomas
Mercy Otis Warren
Young Mercy insisted on being educated alongside her brothers, and read Shakespeare, Pope and Milton. When her older brother James attended Harvard College, he would bring home new ideas and books to share with Mercy. Still, Mercy was a proper young woman, marrying James Warren, and bearing five sons. She occasionally wrote poetry about personal losses and the beauty of nature, but inspired by her outspoken brother James, and her close friendship with John and Abigail Adams, Mercy began to turn her pen to more political topics. In 1772 she wrote her first play "The Adulateur" a satire featuring a Governor Hutchinson-like villain and became the first female American playwright. The play was so popular that names from the play were used as pseudonyms for their real life counterparts. Other plays soon followed. Because of strict Puritan laws against theatrical performance, Mercy's plays were not performed, but were published anonymously in local newspapers and pamphlets. She also published patriotic themed poems, including one commissioned by John Adams to celebrate the triumph of the Boston tea party. The masterwork of her writing was a three volume history of the Revolution titled History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution. Mercy died in 1814 at the age of 86. Richard Waite
Phillis Wheatley
Wheatley achieved international renown, traveling to London to promote her book and being called upon as well as received by noted social and political figures of the day — including George Washington, to whom she wrote a poem of praise at the beginning of the war, and Voltaire, who referred to her "very good English verse." Wheatley was a supporter of the American Revolution, but the war hurt the publication of her poetry. Wheatley lived in poverty after her 1778 marriage to John Peters, a free black Bostonian. Although Wheatley advertised for subscriptions to a second volume of poems and letters, she died before she was able to secure a publisher. Her final manuscript was never found. Wheatley died alone on December 5, 1784, at age 31. George Wright
Prudence Cummings Wright
After finding out that the redcoats were coming through Pepperell to spread information to commanding officers Prudence decided to take matters into her own hands. She gathered all of the women of her town and had them don their husband’s clothes. They collected whatever weapons they could find (the men had taken most of the guns so they were brandishing pitchforks for the most part) and assembled at Jewett's Bridge. Prudence was elected Captain and they awaited the arrival of the redcoats. Sure enough, her brother Samuel Cummings and Captain Whiting came across the bridge. She shouted "Halt!" and her brother said "I recognize Pru's voice. She would wade through blood for the rebel cause." The men dismounted and Prudence confiscated the loyalist documents they were carrying. She delivered the documents to the Committee of Safety and the men were set free on the terms that they leave the colony. Prudence never saw her brother again and died in 1824. |
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Hannah Adams, born October 2, 1755, was the first professional woman writer in America.
Born in Medfield, Massachusetts, and having learned Greek and Latin from Harvard boarders
at her family's home, she published her first book in 1784, An Alphabetical Compendium of
the Various Sects Which Have Appeared from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Present
Day. After lobbying the federal government in 1790 to pass the first copyright law, Adams
wrote several other books which earned her the respect and assistance of prominent Boston
intellectuals who then gave her access to their libraries. A distant cousin of John Adams,
Hannah died in 1831 and is interred in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Abigail “Nabby” Adams was born July 14, 1765 in Braintree, Massachusetts (now
Quincy), the first child of John and Abigail Adams. In Nabby’s youth, the family
moved back and forth between Braintree and Boston, following John’s law practice.
By the time she was 10 years old, Nabby’s father, John, was most often away, first
travelling to Philadelphia for both Continental Congresses, then as a diplomat to
England and France. In her father’s absence, Nabby helped Abigail run the family
farm, and from her learned the art of correspondence.
Crispus Attucks was a dock worker born around 1723. He is listed in the Massacre court
record as mulatto, which in 18th century Boston meant he was not "pure" white.
With the last name of Attucks, he was probably Natick Indian, as that is a Natick name.
In addition, he was possibly the same person listed as a runaway slave by a local slave
owner. This fact suggests possible African heritage, though Indians were also slaves in
17th-18th century Boston. Attucks was involved in protests against the British Regulars,
and that he was shot in the chest, at close range and killed in the Boston Massacre, by
a soldier of the King's 29th foot regiment. Regardless of these particulars it is known,
from his actions leading up to his death, that he did perceive himself to be a part of
the locals, calling himself a "Nor'endeh."
Nathaniel Balch was a hatter in the old town, and a finer hat could not be found anywhere
on Freedom Trail. He was a very close friend of a John Hancock, who gained great renown
for his leadership in our country's founding. John Hancock was a witty fellow and would
frequently invite Nathaniel to his many splendid dinner parties. Nathaniel's witticisms
never failed to "set the table in a roar." During Hancock's administration as
the first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Nathaniel was a constant
companion who sometimes jibed him as "King Hancock."
Mrs. Mary Clapham lived and rented rooms in a house next to the Exchange Tavern
on King Street, close by the State House, Customs House and right in the thick
of things on the night of March 5, 1770—the night of the "horrid massacre"
when five Bostonians were killed and six wounded by British soldiers. On the
anniversary of that terrible event each year, she placed illustrations of the
events in the illuminated windows of her home, along with stirring and patriotic
verses, for the enjoyment of her fellow Bostonians—anywhere from 10,000
to 12,000 people might pass by to admire them. Her fame came to an end in March
of 1776, however, for there was no one but Tories left in Boston in March of
that year—her only boarders English soldiers, and to add insult to injury,
her daughter ended up running off to marry one of them!
Reverend Jonas Clarke was born in Newton in 1730. In 1775 he succeeded John Hancock's
grandfather as minister for the town of Lexington. He was an ardent patriot.
Susannah Farnham Clarke was born on May 20th, 1745 in Boston. She was the daughter
of Richard Clarke, a wealthy loyalist tea merchant in Boston. Much of Mr. Clarke's
tea was destroyed during the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Susannah married painter
John Singleton Copley on Nov 16th, 1769. They bought a house on Beacon Hill.
Although she tried to stay neutral during the mounting resentment toward the British,
in 1773 things turned violent toward her side of the family. Seeing that they could
no longer live safely in Boston, Susannah and her children left Boston for London to
meet with John. Much of their property was given up to the rebels and they would never
see American soil again. Susannah died in 1836.
Richard Dale was born in Virginia, and went to sea at the age of twelve and had
captained ships before he turned 20. During the revolution he joined the Virginia
navy. He briefly joined the loyalist forces but was captured by the Continental
Brig Lexington. That vessel's captain convinced Dale to return to the American
cause.
Mehitable was born in Boston in 1751
to the well-respected May family. On May 3, 1768, at the age of 17, she married
a man who narrowly missed being a "notable historical figure"—William Dawes,
one of the riders chosen to send a message of warning on the night of April 18, 1775.
The famous ride to Lexington and Concord is usually attributed to Paul Revere,
on account of the popular poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. William's role,
though often overlooked, was just as daring as Revere's. Despite the risk, Mehitable
proudly supported her husband. William's love for Mehitable was so ardent that he
is said to have pushed a British soldier to defend her honor against the "Lobsterback's"
rude remarks. The two were finally separated on October 28, 1793, when Mehitable
died at the age of 42. Though he remarried, William named the firstborn daughter
of his new wife Mehitable. Once he passed away in 1799, William was buried alongside
his darling Mehitable, in the May family plot.
William Dawes, or "Billy Dawes" as he was sometimes called, is also often
referred to as 'the Other Midnight Rider' due to his participation in the same events
of April 18, 1775 that made Paul Revere a house hold name.
Nathaniel Ellis was born in Harwich, MA in 1734 to Joshua Ellis and Thanksful (Nickerson)
Ellis. His Great-Great-Grandfather, Lt. John Ellis, immigrated to Salem as a part of the
"Great Migration" of English Separatists (or Puritans) who settled New England.
Capt. Michael Finch served on the First Regiment of Foot Guards that came to the American
colonies to assist the regular army in its struggle with the colonial rebels seeking
independence. The Guards were the sovereign's personal bodyguard and because the
revolution was supported by a greater portion of the population, their services were
required. Orders were issued from Guards Headquarters in London to form a detachment
for service in the American theater taken from the three regiments of Foot Guards;
the First Foot Guards, Coldstream or second Guards; and the Third or Scots Guards.
Margaret Kemble Gage was born in East Brunswick, New Jersey in 1734, where Gage Road is
now named for me. I came from a very well-known family; my father, Peter Kemble, was a
wealthy businessman and politician, and my grandfather, Stephanus Van Cortlandt was the
Mayor of New York. I married my father's schoolmate, Thomas Gage who became the commander-in-chief
of the Redcoat army during the Revolutionary War. I married Thomas on March 8th, 1758, and we
had two children; a son named Henry, who would become the 3rd Viscount Gage and was born
in 1761, and my daughter Charlotte Margaret.
Jean Gordon was a widowed ex-slave who bought her freedom while working as a tavern
wench at the Salutation Tavern. The Salutation Tavern is run by another widow (they
find themselves to be sisters in spirit, quiet as it's kept). Gordon learned how to
read and write by asking children to share their lessons of the day with her. With that
knowledge she writes little notes to Paul Revere, a North End neighbor, to let him know
of haphazard mutterings and movements of British habitués of the tavern.
Dorothy Quincy, born in 1747, was the youngest of 10 children. By all accounts she was
well-educated, well-spoken, and good company - capable of keeping up with the men's
political disputes. Dorothy, having been invited to join the Hancocks at a family
property in Lexington, become a witness to the events of the Battle at Lexington in 1775.
George Robert Twelves Hewes was born in 1742, the 6th of 9 children. His father
(also named George Hewes) was a candle maker, and young George followed in his father's
footsteps. George inherited from his family both unusually short stature (he was 5'1" tall)
as well as a long lifespan (98 years!).
Born in 1743 to Primus and Margaret Lew in Groton,
Barzillai, an African American, was described as "big
and strong with an extraordinary talent as a musician."
He was a member of the English forces in the 1760 war
against the French and Indians serving with Capt. Thomas
Farrington's Company. About 1767, he purchased Dinah
Bowman's freedom for $400 and married her. Early in
the American Revolution, his skills and talents were
called upon again and he served with Captain John Ford
at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775 as a fifer.
Lydia Mulliken lived in Lexington, Massachusetts across
the street from Munroe's Tavern. On the night of April
18, 1775, she was inadvertently swept up into the events
that were hurdling the colonies toward war with England.
Not long before, the much-sought-after Lydia had accepted
the marriage proposal of Dr. Samuel Prescott-a "high
Son of Liberty." 
Judith Sargent Murray was born in 1751 and grew up in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
She was only 19 on the day the Boston Massacre in 1770. When British warships
approached the coast of Gloucester in 1775, Judith and her family escaped to Ipswich
for the winter. The wild spirit of the revolutionaries is perhaps what shaped Judith
into the freethinking feminist she was. "The idea of the incapability of women is
. . . totally inadmissible" is a direct quote from her self-published book The Gleaner,
which she dedicated to George Washington and John Adams. Judith was the first woman
in America to self-publish a book, and also the first playwright to have a play
produced on the American stage in 1795 at the Boston Theatre on Federal Street.
Thomas Paine, a fellow writer made famous by his book Common Sense, was an aspiring
playwright as well. It could have been jealousy that drove him to accuse her of lying.
Paine claimed that her well-known second husband John Murray must have been the
playwright, but John defended Judith to the end. She was the author of many books,
poems, plays and essays and was also among the first Universalists. Judith also
helped start a female academy in Dorchester. Judith Sargent Murray died on
June 9, 1820, in Natchez, Mississippi. 
Robert Newman (born in 1752) had trained as an artisan, but work at the time was scarce.
To support himself and his widowed mother, he took a job as sexton of a nearby church. His
fallback career would make him a part of American folklore—his workplace is remembered
as “The Old North Church,” and he is remembered as the man who hung the lantern signal for
Paul Revere.
A Boston citizen and merchant, Richard Palmes found himself drawn to “a Rumpus in
King Street” on the night of March 5th, 1770. He found red-coated soldiers being confronted by
a mob of townspeople. While speaking with the commanding officer, Captain Thomas Preston,
Palmes was witness to the increasingly violent abuse inflicted by the crowd upon the redcoats.
After shots were fired (later dubbed the “Boston Massacre” by radical propaganda), Palmes
struck Captain Preston with a large stick and fled to save his life.
Dr. Samuel Prescott was born in Concord, MA on August 19th, 1751. He and his brother, along
with their father and his father before him, were all doctors. His private practice in
Concord was opened shortly before the Revolution. Sometime during his apprenticeship, he
joined the Sons of Liberty, and delivered messages for the Committee of Correspondence for
Concord, often riding to and from John Hancock's and Samuel Adams' houses.
Josiah Quincy II (1744-1775) lived a short, but impactful life in colonial Boston. He was a Harvard graduate who
shared a law practice with John Adams. As a writer, he was a regular contributor to the highly political Boston
Gazette newspaper.
Rachel Revere was the second wife of Paul Revere. They were married in 1773; she was
27 and he was 37. By the time of his famous ride, they had a newborn daughter together.
She went on to bear eight children. Rachel Revere was known for her sunny disposition
and devotion to her children, including the eight children Paul had by his first wife,
Sara Orn. Rachel lived until 1810 and is buried with Paul at the Granary Burial Ground.
It was widely known that Rachel and Paul were close and had a happy marriage.
Susanna Rowson is America's first bestselling novelist and one of America's first
celebrities. Born in England in 1762, Susanna spent her formative years in Boston,
and was 13 when the Revolutionary War began. Her father was a loyalist, and though
he and the family tried to remain neutral during the events of the Boston Massacre
and the Boston Tea Party, after the war began he was unable to hide his loyalty to
the King. He requested permission to leave the country, but it was too late.
Susanna’s father was made a prisoner of war, and he and the entire family were
placed under house arrest. The family lost all of its posessions and property,
and when they were finally able to return to England two and a half years later,
they were left with nothing. Susanna had to go to work to support her family,
first as a governess, and then as an actress and author.
Dr. Benjamin Rush (1746-1814) was a physician and one of the first psychiatrists in America. Though
younger than many of the other Founding Fathers- he was only 30 when he signed the Declaration of
Independence- he was not afraid to give his opinion. He thought of the title of his friend Thomas Paine's
famous pamphlet "Common Sense", and was an early opponent of slavery and capital punishment. He
also was good friends with John Adams and encouraged him to resume correspondence with Thomas
Jefferson after the two of them had retired from the Presidency. Beyond being a colleague of more
famous founders of the United States, he contributed to several areas of 18th and early 19th century
America. He wrote the first textbooks on chemistry and psychiatry in the United States, and was the
Treasurer of the U.S. Mint for 16 years.
Born in Plympton, MA, Deborah Samson was already hard at work by the age of 5. After her
father, Jonathan Samson, Jr., abandoned her family, she worked as a seamstress’ apprentice to
support her mother, Deborah Bradford, and six siblings. Ten years passed as Deborah worked
on a Middleborough farm and by the time she was eighteen, Deborah was a school teacher.
However, she spent most of her adolescence as a farm hand, growing as strong as the boys who
labored with her. When she was approximately twenty-one, Deborah marched into a Bellingham
tavern and enlisted in the 4th Massachusetts Regiment of the Continental Army under the
alias “Robert Shirtliffe.”
Isaiah Thomas was born in 1749 in Boston, Massachusetts, where he published The
Massachusetts Spy from 1771 until April 16, 1775, three days before the Battle of Lexington
and Concord. Foreseeing the impeding turbulence, he moved his entire operation to
Worcester, Massachusetts, where he also gave the city's first public reading of the Declaration
of Independence. Thomas remained in Worcester after the war, opening printing offices,
bookstores, paper mills and a bindery where he published books, newspapers, sheet music and
pamphlets. Thomas published over 400 books including the first dictionary printed in America.
Keenly aware of the power and importance of history, Thomas published, History of Printing in
America and would go on to start the American Antiquarian Society, to whom he left his entire
library after his death in Worcester in 1831. Explaining the need for an institution such as the
American Antiquarian Society Thomas wrote, "We cannot obtain a knowledge of those who are
to come after us, nor are we certain what will be the events of future times; as it is in our power,
so it should be our duty, to bestow on posterity that which they cannot give to us, but which they
may enlarge and improve and transmit to those who shall succeed them."
Mercy Otis Warren was born September 14th, 1728, in West Barnstable, the third child and
first daughter of Mary and James Otis Sr. Mercy set herself apart by being a voracious
reader, always hungry for new knowledge and books.
Richard Waite was born in England in the 1590s and was a Boston tailor and a
member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. He received 300 acres
of land for his service as a sergeant in the Pequot War, 1636-1637. He was a
follower of Anne Hutchinson and after stealing some buckskin leather to make
some gloves he was cast out of the First Church in 1639. The next child born
into his family was named "Return" indicating Richard repented and
compensated for his action and was restored into fellowship. In total he was
excommunicated three times, once for the theft and twice for drunkenness; all
three times he was eventually readmitted into the church. Waite became sheriff
of the colony and served as liaison between the Algonquin tribes and the Puritan
government, acquiring some proficiency in the native dialect. He passed away
in 1680.
Phillis Wheatley was the first African American, and the third woman in the
United States to publish a book of poems. Born in 1753 she was kidnapped in
West Africa and transported aboard the slave ship Phillis to Boston in 1761,
where she was purchased by John Wheatley as a servant for his wife.
Young Phillis quickly learned to speak English and to read the Bible with
amazing fluency. Because of her poor health, obvious intelligence, and S
usannah Wheatley's fondness for her, Phillis was never trained as a domestic;
instead she was encouraged by the Wheatleys to study theology and the English,
Latin and Greek classics. She published her first poem in 1767, and six
years later, she published a book, Poems on Various Subjects. That same year,
John Wheatley emancipated her.
George Wright was born November 18th, 1745, in Boston. He followed in his
father's footsteps of becoming a cabinetmaker yet was rumored to have secretly
been involved in theatre. Wright lived his adult life on 5th street
in Boston. George was present at the Boston Massacre on March 5th, 1770.
He also attended the trials as a spectator. A frustrated artist,
Wright lived alone and never married. He died Oct 10th, 1790. 
Prudence Cummings Wright was born on November 26th, 1740, in Groton, Massachusetts.
When she turned 21, she married David Wright and moved to the parish of Pepperell.
By the time the Revolution began she was 35 and she had given birth to seven children.
Prudence was a fierce supporter of the revolutionary cause despite being the sister
of two loyalists (Samuel and Thomas Cummings). On April 19th, 1775, word came to
Pepperell that the regulars were on the march. All of the minutemen from Pepperell
and surrounding areas rushed off to fight.