The "Shot Heard 'Round the World" - April 19, 1775

Near midnight on April 18, 1775, Paul Revere (1734–1818), a Boston silversmith, received word that British troops were on the march prior to the pivotal Battles of Lexington and Concord. Anxious to alert fellow Patriots, Revere rode out from his home with the now famous warning: “The British are coming!”

Paul Revere's Ride, oil on canvas, by N.C. Wyeth, 1922 (Brandywine Museum of Art)

Provoked into action, local militiamen, known as “minutemen,” gathered on Lexington’s village green and prepared to defy the British "redcoats" who were sent to seize their weapons. Intending to disperse the militiamen, the British troops deployed early in the morning of April 19, 1775. A shot rang out, quickly followed by more gunshots, killing seven minutemen and mortally wounding another. The fatal “shot heard around the world” fired that morning was the latest and deadliest act of defiance as colonists sought to pull away from British rule. The violence at Lexington lead to a year of bloody confrontation, ultimately resulting in the Declaration of Independence signed on July 4, 1776.

The Battle of Lexington, 19 April 1775, oil on canvas by William Barnes Wollen, 1910 (National Army Museum, London)

Colonial militiamen depicted wearing uniforms from ca. 1774–1775. Image by H.A. Ogden, lithograph by G.H. Buek & Co., NY, ca. 1891 (Library of Congress)

While Paul Revere and the Patriots of Massachusetts defied the British, another colonial silversmith, 49-year-old Captain Elias Pelletreau, was drilling his company of militiamen in Southampton, New York. Pelletreau was among a number of Southampton citizens outraged by the British government's treatment of American colonists, a group that included Stephen Sayre (1736–1818), Zephaniah Rogers (1742–1796), and a 17-year-old from Sag Harbor named Christopher Vail (1758–1845).

The Southampton History Museum will share their stories and more as we commemorate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Beginning this fall and throughout 2026, the museum will host a series of special programs, events, and exhibitions exploring the experiences and legacies of the American Revolution in Southampton through the stories of people who lived through it. Who were our community's figures in America's fight for independence? What risks did they take? How did their actions ripple through the pages of history? We're excited to share the fascinating stories of the people of Southampton during this turbulent time in American history.

Please check our website for updates and announcements. In the meantime, you can brush up on your local Revolutionary War history with our blog post on Southampton Under Siege, an exhibition presented by the Southampton History Museum in 2016.