Revolution250 Reenacts the Redcoat Boston Occupancy

On Columbus Day weekend, Great Britain arrived at the shores of Boston once again. Starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, approximately 150 redcoats swarmed Long Wharf, arriving by boat. The Boston Harbor teemed with rowboats. A small two-masted schooner brought in the last batch of soldiers, providing a spectacle for the mass of onlookers watching the scene unfold. By 10:45, the British army was prepared to march on the city. Generals screamed orders and messages of patriotism, with one commanding officer even slipping in a “Make America Great Britain Again.” The march commenced, leading the army all the way to the Boston Common, where they set up camp for the night.

The event was the kickoff of the citywide Revolution 250 celebration. Revolution 250 is a program run by the Massachusetts Historical Society. The showcase involves the collaboration of over 45 New England organizations. This weekend’s festivities, in particular, titled “Boston Occupied: The Redcoats Are Coming…Again!” detailed the 250th anniversary of British forces occupying the city. Reenactments spanned from Sunday morning through Monday afternoon, including speeches, firing demonstrations, and reproductions of civil disputes.

Tourists and Boston natives alike were encouraged to come to witness the events throughout the holiday weekend. Shaun Kelleher, the Head Historian for the City of Saratoga provided his perspective on the importance of the Boston Occupancy. “This is really the start of the American Revolution…and this was the beginning of a change of attitude.” Kelleher has participated in reenactments for over 40 years and has found in his work how successful reenactments have been when used as an educational tool. “The key is when people start to see their history come to life, then they start to get engaged.”

The occupancy is the first in a series of events that Revolution 250 is putting on from 2018 through the nation’s official 250th anniversary of independence in 2026. From a historical standpoint, the occupancy served a vital role in the initiation of the American Revolution. Troy Montville, a U.S. Marine, and frequent reenactor weighed in on the event’s importance. “It wasn’t until after the massacres that people were like, maybe this is a bad idea for [the British] to stay.” Though the next full reenactment does not yet have a date, Revolution 250 is hosting a number of seminars throughout October and November, including a talk on the often forgotten American founding father Dr. Joseph Warren.

This piece was produced as a part of Emerson College’s Beat Reporting course in Fall 2018.