On Sept. 1, 1774, a critical event transpired just minutes from the Tufts Medford-Somerville Campus — an event that some argue altered the course of United States history. British soldiers’ seizure of gunpowder from the powder house in Somerville sparked a false alarm that the Revolutionary War had started. Ultimately, this false alarm was a crucial turning point and contributed toward the formation of the Minuteman soldiers and the Battle of Lexington and Concord.
Daniel Breen, associate professor of the practice of legal studies at Brandeis University, explained the causes and consequential aftermath of the Powder Alarm. General Thomas Gage, commander of British forces in North America who became Massachusetts governor, was losing his grip with only a couple thousand troops in the Boston area. Colonists were becoming increasingly rebellious despite a series of new laws passed to prevent colonists from organizing. To maintain control, General Gage planned to remove access to gunpowder from local towns.
Breen highlighted the details of the plan.
“[In] the early hours of Sept. 1, 1774, 250-odd British troops got in boats, went into the Mystic River silently in the early hours of the morning and then marched towards the powder house,” he said.
Despite General Gage’s attempts to maintain control, the British seizure of gunpowder did just the opposite — it led to massive unrest.
“The problem was, the next day when people began to find out about this, rumors circulated everywhere around Boston. A lot of people thought the Revolution had begun, … rumor flew without any basis in fact,” Breen explained.
Despite the Powder Alarm’s historical significance, it is often forgotten and overshadowed by larger military battles that took place nearby. Recent local events have attempted to bring forth this important piece of local history, partly inspired by the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War. Grace Bryan, historic events manager at the Somerville Museum, helped organize a community event on Sept. 1 of this year which celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Powder Alarm.
Around 300 people attended a reenactment in Powderhouse Park, which brought together both those who happened upon the event and history fanatics who had traveled from other parts of the state to attend.
“We had people come in and dress up as British soldiers, march in [and] do a reenactment. … We also had kids activities. We had some folks come in and do demos of authentic 18th century candle making, 18th century weaving [and] 18th century music, … really making that connection between our present day life and what life might have been like,” Bryan said.
Bryan expanded on the museum’s goals for sharing this local history with the public.
“It is kind of [the museum’s] responsibility to share this history. This is something really significant that happened in this area,” she said. “I think another major goal is just getting Somerville on the map.”
Breen, who collaborated with Bryan to ensure the event was historically accurate, shared his thoughts about the importance of local history and recognizing those who came before us.
“I like to think it doesn’t have to be any more complicated than it may provoke a certain lifting of the heart,” Breen said. “It can make us want to do better, and it can even, at the very least, give us a sense of attachment, a sense that we’re not just isolated beings in a randomly selected geographic area.”
Teagan Mustone, a sophomore at Tufts and a lifelong Medford resident, emphasized how learning about local history has impacted how she thinks about the world and approaches her studies. Growing up, Mustone volunteered at the Royall House and Slave Quarters, which was once home to the largest slaveholding family in Massachusetts and now operates as a museum. This experience has helped her think critically about the world.
“Whose history are we preserving? Whose history do we value? I think that specific mission [of the museum] has changed a lot about how I think about things outside of Medford,” Mustone said.
Mustone also explained how embracing local history has the power to shape Tufts students’ experiences.
“[Local history] shows you that your positionality as a Tufts student is not just the four years you’re here, but it also goes back hundreds of years from when Tufts was founded on land that was once a plantation. As a Tufts student, you kind of carry that with you, even if you don’t know it,” she said.
At the Somerville Museum, Bryan also pointed out how she is looking to expand future programming to include often forgotten voices. With new funding from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, a future exhibit celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution will highlight the voices of the Indigenous and Black populations.
In the meantime, there are various ways that Tufts students and community members have become involved with the efforts of local organizations like the Somerville Museum. The museum sponsored a table at a Tufts Community Day in September. Bryan also explained that Tufts’ JumboCode, a student organization that makes apps for nonprofits, is supporting the Somerville Museum with a technology project.
“We’re a small community museum, and any sort of partnerships with student organizations, whether that's just individual volunteers or something like JumboCode, we are all ears. We’re actively looking for new opportunities to get involved with Tufts,” Bryan said.
There are opportunities for students to casually learn about local history as well. Breen and others are working on a tour of significant places in Medford and Somerville that is set to include Powder House Park as well as sites near Porter Square and Union Square, among other attractions. Other surprising connections that exist between Tufts and Revolutionary history will also be included on the map of Somerville.
“Adjacent to the Porter Square Shopping Center was a skirmish during the British retreat from Concord. In fact, It was one of the heaviest engagements of the entire retreat, and it was at the house of one of the members of the Tufts family — Timothy Tufts,” Breen explained.
The museum is also looking to bring trolley tours, similar to those seen around Boston, to Somerville.
Even though most Tufts students are only on and around campus for four years, ample opportunities exist for connecting with local history — whether that be through visiting the Somerville Museum or Royall House and Slave Quarters or simply going for a walk through Powderhouse Park.
Breen summed up engaging with the history around us as such: “There’s a long story behind this,” he said. “And we’re part of it.”
