When Ken Burns’ The American Revolution premiered on Nov. 16, 2025, millions of viewers across the country were introduced — or reintroduced — to the dramatic events that ignited America’s fight for independence. But for Acton residents, Episode 1, “In Order to Be Free (May 1754–May 1775),” offered something more personal: long-overdue recognition of the central role our town played on April 19, 1775.
The episode traces the escalating tensions between British troops and colonial militiamen as General Thomas Gage attempted to stamp out rebellion by seizing weapons hidden in Concord. But as the documentary makes clear, what began as an overnight maneuver quickly became the first day of the American Revolution, and Acton was at the heart of it.
Isaac Davis, captain of the Acton Minutemen, learned that the British regulars were marching in the early morning hours of April 19, 1775 when Dr. Samuel Prescott arrived to deliver the warning. Prescott had escaped a British patrol and reached Acton about 3:00 a.m., after riding through the countryside alerting towns along the way.
Davis, a 30-year-old gunsmith, gathered his Minutemen at his home early that morning. His wife Hannah remembered his solemn parting words: “Take good care of the children.” It would be the last time she saw him alive. Hannah Davis lived to be 95, and her portrait, from 1840, is on display at the Acton Memorial Library.
Burns’ documentary recounts how Davis and his 40-man company marched to join the swelling militia presence in Concord. When American commanders decided to confront British troops guarding the North Bridge, it was Davis who was chosen to lead the column. Moments later, he became one of the first Americans killed in the Revolution — shot through the chest as the British fired without order.
Private Abner Hosmer, a 21-year-old, was killed instantly by the same volley that struck Captain Davis at the North Bridge. Both men were brought home for burial. Private James Hayward, a 25-year-old schoolmaster, was mortally wounded later that day in a separate skirmish at Fiske Hill in Lexington during the British retreat to Boston and died eight hours later.
These three men are honored by a monument in Acton Center, under which their remains were reinterred in 1851. The statue “The Minuteman” at the North Bridge in Concord, sculpted by Daniel Chester French, was modeled after Captain Isaac Davis and photographs of his descendants.
Their sacrifice marked the turning point of the day. The militiamen returned fire, driving the British back toward Boston in a retreat that left the redcoats stunned and bloodied. By nightfall, men from Acton and dozens of other towns had surrounded Boston, beginning an 11-month siege that reshaped the course of history.
For history buffs in the Acton community, seeing this story finally recognized on national television was a powerful moment.
Michael and Becky Audette, co-captains of the Acton Minutemen, said, “The Acton Minutemen were proud to see Isaac and Hannah Davis and the Acton Minutemen featured so prominently in the first episode of Ken Burns’ The American Revolution. Isaac Davis’ story often gets overlooked when folks talk about the start of the American Revolution and the events that unfolded in Lexington and Concord, but he played a key role and paid the ultimate price. We are grateful that the story we represent is finally told on a larger scale.”
Pam Lynn, a former history teacher at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School and current member of the Acton 250 committee, said, “I was surprised at the time allotment and specific detail devoted to Issac Davis and the experience of Actonians on April 19. The closing segment spoke to the question with which noted historian Rick Atkinson has framed the series, ‘What are you willing to die for?’ It explained the pride and respect motivating past generations to honor the sacrifice of these men and their families to a cause larger than self.”
She added, “Hopefully the series’ focus on the complexity of the American Revolution will spur anew an interest in learning about and honoring Acton’s unique role in America’s origin story. For generations, Acton residents have preserved this history through reenactment, scholarship, and community tradition. Burns’ documentary now brings that legacy to audiences across the nation.”
And it reminds us that the fight for independence did not begin in distant halls of power, it began on the roads, bridges, and greens of towns like Acton.
For more information about Acton’s role in both the Revolutionary and Civil wars, visit the Not Afraid to Go exhibit on the second floor of the Acton Memorial Library.
Greg Jarboe is the Acton Exchange beat reporter for the Council on Aging, and reports on many other topics of community interest.
