next speak with author robert gross on his book "the minutemen and their world". >> here was that in battle armor stood and fired a shot heard around the world. it was in the morning of april 19, that's this exchange of fire took place. in just two to three minutes and yet the two to three minutes if you accept that it was two minutes that change the world. shot heard around the world. there's a problem with this end in "the minutemen and their world" i focus my story very much about getting this dramatic encounter. there was humanity. when the patriots marched with the troops they don't actually know what has happened in lexington. they heard that there were-- people were seen with flashes in the pan, but the scout comes back. he did not stick around long enough to find out if they were firing bullets are not so no one is really certain what's going on. people have often said what could inspire these farmers and shopkeepers and laborers to take on the british army, the greatest fighting force in the world. i don't think that is the right question. companies of men who were here were

they were required to turn out at a moments notice, hence the term minutemen. you have these minute companies preparing for something. general thomas gage was aware of the growing tensions here in the colony. he was also aware of armaments that were starting to be collected run the colony, as well. some armaments were stolen and secretive out of boston. brass cannon was of particular interest. the home of colonel james barrett is a place for some of this be stored. we will get to that in a few minutes. so because of tension rising, thomas gage wanting in april 2 see these armaments that had been collected, he wanted to do it in a secretive fashion. i'm falsely, when you gather 700 soldiers on boston common to come to concord to collect arms, was not the best kept secret. besides a system of alarm , words -- alarm riders the british army on the market out. as the british army marches down from boston in the early morning of april 19, they encountered 77 militiamen on lexington green. nobody knows who did it, but shots were fired that morning. we would have seven

the minutemen and militia who responded very often were dressed in their sunday best. i was kind of the way they turned out. because they knew it was an important event. the events of april 19 only took one day. the battle of the bridge only took a few minutes. it's one of those events in history where what comes before it is just unlike what comes after. this was really apparent to the people who actually participated. if they knew their world had changed. it's our hope that this first-person encounter with real objects that were there can share some of that feeling with our visitors. >> just across the street in the old north bridge is the robbins house. it tells the story of three generations of african-americans here and there fight for civil rights that started in the 18th century. >> every year millions of people visit northbridge and minutemen park. one of the surprising responses we get every time as many people were unaware slavery existed. many people believed slavery was an entirely different institution and the problem that stems from slavery existed only i

on the hill above us, minutemen in the militia who number anywhere between 300- 450 men come on the 150 kings troops here. they can look into the center of town and they see smoke rising from the center of town. that is from a fire in the courthouse has been sparked by the barn fire the kings men have built up a military supply that they found in the center of town. but when the courthouse is caught fire, an old woman, a widow, goes up to the british troops and say hey, the courthouse is on fire, stop it, do something. in fact, they take steps to prevent the courthouse and burning down but their steps produce the smoke that the company sees, and joseph was a leader of the rebellion in town turns to skin officer and he says, the tories and the kings men have bragged that they could march to our towns and by wasted in and we were too cowardly to do anything. he points at the courthouse at the scene of this book and he said would you let them burn the town down? there's no answer to that, but no, so it's that scene and that site that provokes the militia men and minute companies to march t

minutemen national historical park was established to celebrate the activities and events which took place on april 19 1775. behind me is northbridge. this is considered to be the beginning of the american revolution, because it was here that colonial militia and british regulars encountered one another, shots were fired, and lives were lost on both sides. more importantly, it was where the colonial militia was ordered to fire upon the king's troops creating in essence an act of treason. massachusetts was a royal colony. there have been tensions growing with the mother country cents -- since the 1770's. thomas gage was appointed to oversee. what started to happen was, as the decade were on, the were a series of events that would take place including the boston massacre and the boston tea party. the tea party was the destruction of private property. because of the destruction, the royal authority had to punish massachusetts bay colony. one of these punishments included a series of act's, called the "intolerable acts." so, you have the bringing in of a british governor, the closing of

the minutemen and militia who responded very often were dressed in their sunday best. i was kind of the way they turned out. because they knew it was an important event. the events of april 19 only took one day. the battle of the bridge only took a few minutes. it's one of those events in history where what comes before it is just unlike what comes after. this was really apparent to the people who actually participated. if they knew their world had changed. it's our hope that this first-person encounter with real objects that were there can share some of that feeling with our visitors. >> our cities tour staff travel to concord, massachusetts to learn about its registry. learn more at c-span.org /citiestour. you're watching american history tv all weekend every weekend on c-span3. announcer: on "lectures in history," iowa state university professor ruth mcdonald looks at the history of nutritional standards and government dietary guidelines. she describes the shift from preventing disease to promoting optimal health during the 20th century and the recommendation of a d

the minutemen and militia who responded very often were dressed in their sunday best. i was kind of the way they turned out. because they knew it was an important event. the events of april 19 only took one day. the battle of the bridge only took a few minutes. it's one of those events in history where what comes before it is just unlike what comes after. this was really apparent to the people who actually participated. if they knew their world had changed. it's our hope that this first-person encounter with real

then, there was the minutemen reform which had younger men that were better equipped and expected to turn up in an minute's notice, hence the name. so, you have these minute training and preparing for something. so, they were aware of armaments being collected around the colony as well. canyon of ass particular incident which made its way out here to concord, the home of colonel james barrett where most of this was stored. because of tension rising, thomas gage wanted in april to sees these arms and armaments that were being collected. a veryed to do it in secretive fashion, but when he gathered seven hundred some british soldiers to come on out to concord to collect these arms , it was not exactly the best kept secret. there was a system of alarm fromrs -- alarm riders boston to the colonies who spread the word of the british on the march now out. as the british army marches down from boston in the early morning of april 19, they encountered 77 militiamen on lexington green. no one knows who did it, but shots were fired that morning. we would eventually have seven or eight colonials

. >> right now time for minutemen to put in their work >> like going to the bank, you know, we are not credit card, you don't get something in the mail you can just start swiping, it is more like a checking account. with the checking account you can only take out what you put n let's have a great week. it starts right now. >> one, two, three, go. >> they are buying in at washington township, lemont, first time head coach. >> it is exciting season for them. >> go get them. >> thanks. >>> big shake up at the white house after the break sean spicer stepping down as white house press secretary. yes says he is leaving the post and who will be taking his place at the podium. >>> summer fest is in full swing, gearing up for one of the ocean city's most colorful events a night in venice, stay with us. >>> the news continues now at 5:30 and here's what you need to know: a 54 year-old woman was found stabbed in her perkiomen township home this morning her daughter was the one who called police. crime scene units have been at abby lane home all day and we have learned police have taken a person o

together andñ2hut sat next toçó each othr early on i remember him saying he felt like that we were minutemend quickly to a lot of spending and other things that really i think made the ground fertii for the type of politics that we have today. and that's i think we as republicans kind of gave away the limited governmentxd mantel when we spet like crazy in 2000, 2006 while4n both houses and the white house. and then that forced us to delve into the u burning or the case of terry shivo or things like that, now we've, i think, taken up a banner that sÑi not familiar tos is one of intenseÑi nationalism, nativism and sometimes xenophobia. >> dickerson: you're arguing for the standard that people maintain regardless why is it so hard to stick to that standard? >> i think with around the clock media coverage andñr socialñr ma now, it all kind of drives us apart.çó it i think certainly modern media culture, values those who yell the loudt. so, the tougher path is frankly to have the kind of demeanor that some people might call bullying, but you've gotÑi to me ahead and tackle the policy issues and t