Minutemen+and+Their+World

Winter 2011-12 Holiday Book Study Assignment __The Minutemen and Their World__ by Robert A. Gross On April 19, 1775, the American Revolution began at the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. The so-called "shot heard round the world" catapulted this sleepy New England town into the midst of revolutionary fervor, and Concord went on to become the intellectual capital of the new republic. The town-future home to Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne-soon came to symbolize devotion to liberty, intellectual freedom, and the stubborn integrity of rural life. In The Minutemen and Their World, Robert Gross has written a remarkably subtle and detailed reconstruction of the lives and community of this special place, and a compelling interpretation of the American Revolution as a social movement.

1) Why were the townspeople "reluctant revolutionaries?"

2) What were the people of Concord fighting for when the Redcoats attacked?

3) What were the impacts of war on the Concord community?

4) How, in the long run, did the American Revolution affect political ideas and behavior, social structure and relationships in Concord?

5) Whether you teach this period or not in your classroom, does the story told in this book change or affirm your understanding of this historical period? How so?


 * Your task is to choose at least two of the above questions to answer in a posting of at least two paragraphs (for each question) in length. Then, write a response (of at least one paragraph) to someone else's answer. To answer, click on the "Discussion" link above, then choose "New Post." Check back often to read the answers of others participating in this book study. When you are ready to respond to another's post, simply type your response in the box marked "Reply" below their answer, then click on Post.**

__Answers and responses are due by Friday, January 6th, 2012. __