Just hours after the "shot heard 'round the world" marked the start of the American Revolution, the news from Lexington set
alarm bells ringing in Framingham. Minutemen from the town rushed along the road to Concord to help cut off the retreat of British troops. In Salem, where dozens of women were accused of witchcraft, Framingham's founder, Thomas Danforth, helped to end the hysteria and afterward provided sanctuary in Framingham for the families of the wrongfully accused. Staring down the barrels of British guns in Boston, Framingham native Crispus Attucks was one of the first to die for American independence. Though rarely in the foreground of history, Framingham pops up again and again as a backdrop to our nation's great historic episodes. With tales of pirate gold, hypnotized evangelists, blundering spies and bravery in battle, this captivating collection of historical episodes sets Framingham squarely in the spotlight.
Kevin Swope is the research librarian for the Framingham Historical Society & Museum, with an MA in American History from Columbia University and a BA in History from the University of New Hampshire. He has also written articles which have appeared in the Washington Monthly and Spritsail (a biannual journal of the history of Falmouth and surrounding areas, published by the Woods Hole Historical Collection).
James Parr teaches at the McCarthy School in Framingham. He has a BA in Communication from Bridgewater State College. Both are active members of the Framingham Historical Society and Museum and have created and directed events for the organization. Parr researched stories and legends about Dedham and Framingham using published histories and newspapers to create the programs used in the Dedham and Framingham Haunted Trolley Tours.