From the Founders

SPRING AWAKENS

Looking back, we met spring 2020 with such high hopes. Winter was over, flowers were beginning to bloom, and the air felt full of promise. We had no way of knowing that just one week after our Spring 2020 issue went to press the world would change. Now, one year later, we greet spring once again. Not, perhaps, with the untroubled enthusiasm of prior years, but with confidence and hope that life will one day return to normal. For now, however, we continue our cautious vigilance.

That is not to say that nothing happening in Concord, though! Concordians have been through struggles in the past and emerged battered, but with a renewed commitment and enthusiasm to their community, their nation, and the world. So, as we look forward to spring awakening and bringing a new season of hope, we bring you the Spring 2021 issue of Discover Concord.

Patriots’ Day will be somewhat limited in scope but there are several special events planned. See our article on page 20 for both virtual and ‘in person’ events to commemorate the day.

Not all revolutionaries were British back in 1775. The French Marquis de Lafayette played a pivotal role in this nation’s history. Learn more about this young Frenchman who became a friend to George Washington, fought in the American Revolution, and influenced the writings of the Transcendentalists in “Lafayette: A Bridge Between Two Revolutions” (p. 16).

In 1775, Concord was home to about 1,500 inhabitants, including at least 24 enslaved men, women, and children. While people of color are not often referenced in the archives, they left their mark on the material world. Objects provide clues about how they lived and worked in Concord and help to tell a more inclusive story about those who risked everything on April 19. Learn more in “The Unheard Voices of April 19, 1775” (p. 22).

The Transcendentalist philosophers of Concord are known worldwide and their work is an integral part of Concord’s heritage. One of those Transcendentalists with whom you might not be quite so familiar is Ellery Channing, the man that biographer Robert Hudspeth called “the most lonely Transcendentalist.” Find out what earned Channing that moniker and the legacy he left behind in “Ellery Channing: The Most Lonely Transcendentalist” (p. 40).

Female anti-slavery societies were active throughout much of New England in the 1800s and one of the most important was the Concord Female Anti-Slavery Society. One of the things that distinguished this group of intelligent and committed women was the impact they had on the thinking of several Transcendentalist writers, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Get to know these remarkable women in “The Concord Female Anti- Slavery Society” (p. 52).

As we welcome spring, we remember, and honor, Concord’s history as we look toward its vibrant future. Stay safe, stay well, and we look forward to seeing you in person again soon.

Cynthia L. Baudendistel Co-Founder

Jennifer C. Schünemann Co-Founder

Monty, the newest team member at Discover Concord

©Cynthia Baudendistel