The Lessons of Lexington, Concord, and the Shot Heard Around the World

On April 19, 2025, many in the United States will be observing the 250th anniversary of the shot heard around the world. The Battles of Lexington and Concord were when the conflict between the British colonists and British regulars–Americans and the British–went from cold to hot.

Alan Gottlieb, the chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms had some musings that he shared about the upcoming anniversary. Gottlieb observed that the battles were indicative of “when the government of the era sent troops to seize the arms of Americans, and our ancestors replied with a decisive ‘No.’”

Gottlieb continued:

“While the Declaration of Independence didn’t happen for another 15 months, the Revolutionary War actually began at Lexington Commons and the Concord North Bridge in the Spring of 1775, and it can honestly be said Americans have been fighting hard and shedding blood ever since to defend not just their natural right to be free from tyranny, but to protect and perpetuate what was and remains the uniquely American concept of freedom and liberty.

“The events of that April morning didn’t just show the British that our forefathers had drawn the proverbial line in the sand,” Gottlieb continued. “The two battles solidified the importance of our fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms, and we honor the wisdom of our Founders to make it the cornerstone of our Bill of Rights.

“The Second Amendment,” he observed, “isn’t enshrined in our Constitution just so people can hunt ducks and deer. The right protected by the Second Amendment guarantees that Americans can defend themselves, their families and their homes from oppressive tyranny, and from crime and brutality. The Amendment doesn’t give us anything. Instead, it protects the fundamental rights we are born with from government infringement.

“The Founders knew what they were doing,” Gottlieb said. “They gave us a Republic, and the means to keep and protect it. They provided guarantees for our freedoms of speech, religion, the press and our privacy. We cannot be compelled to testify against ourselves, nor can we be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment, or deprived of legal representation. The right to keep and bear arms is our insurance policy that all of these other rights will not be trampled, nor turned into government-regulated privileges.

“The Second Amendment is part of our heritage,” he added. “Today it is sad there are so many willing to erase it, while at the same time it is gratifying there are so many more willing to protect it. The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is going to make sure we keep it that way.”

Gottlieb’s words are powerful and quite relevant to challenges that we face today, in the now United States. As the day comes and goes, take a chance to ponder what Alan had to say.

There are all kinds of observations and celebrations going on across the country on April 19. Whether it’s reenactments in Alabama or Project Appleseed’s celebration event in Harvard, Mass., there’s a lot happening.

Our friends at Gun Owners Action League in Massachusetts are hosting their own big celebratory dinner that we’re going to hopefully hear all about. Bearing Arms’ Editor-in-chief Cam Edwards, a fellow board member of CCRKBA, is slated to attend the affair and speak. Also scheduled to attend is Adam Kraut, the executive director of the Second Amendment Foundation, the sister organization of CCRKBA–as well as a pile of other Second Amendment giants.

Author’s Note: We want to hear all about the GOAL event, Cam! We want lots of selfies, too!