On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere arrived at the parsonage of Reverend Jonas Clarke to deliver a warning to its occupants, including Samuel Adams and John Hancock. The following morning brought the first shots of the American Revolution to a community Clarke inspired to face such a harsh reality. He called on his parish to oppose imperial legislation for years leading up to the war. And as Lexington's minister for half a century, he was central to political, civic and social life there until his death in 1805. Historian Richard P. Kollen reveals the often overlooked story of the man who helped shape the spirit of the American Revolution.
Richard Kollen has taught at Lexington High School, Middlesex Community College and Northeastern University. He has served as the historian for the Lexington Historical Society and has written several books on Lexington, among them Lexington: From Liberty's Birthplace to Progressive Suburb and Lexington: Treasures from Historical Archives.