“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” It’s one of the most famous sayings originating from the American Revolutionary War. This famous order was delivered by Colonel William Prescott on June 17, 1775, to his colonial troops stationed just below the high ground of Bunker Hill on Breed’s Hill, which was located lower and closer to the water of Charleston Harbor so the attacking British troops could be engaged earlier.

Her name conjures up famous wartime memories of the American Revolution. Known as “Old Ironsides,” the USS Constitution, was named after the Constitution of the United States by General George Washington. When in Boston, she’s a must-see for her historical significance.

This is the interior of the Old North Church in Boston, Massachusetts. As we know from United States history, it was this structure that is intrinsic to the legend of Paul Revere on April 18, 1775, in which the signal lanterns were displayed, notifying fellow American freedom fighters of the British march to Lexington and Concord.

Listen my children and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; Hardly a man is now alive Who remembers that famous day and year. He said to his friend, “If the British march By land or sea from the town to-night, Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light,— One if by land, and two if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm.

Paul Revere played a critical role in America’s Revolutionary War. This statue of him is one of the many treasures along the Freedom Trail in Boston, honoring him and the many patriots whose courage and vision birthed a free nation. You can read a biography about Paul Revere, his house, Midnight Ride, Silver Shop, Foundry, as well as the Freedom Trail in Boston.

America’s history is rich in martial warfare. The American Revolution freed us from England and allowed America to become a nation whose freedom has been revered and prized the world over. Freedom gained at the expense of great courage, vision and, unfortunately, bloodshed. Pictured here in the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, is a statue of General George Washington, the first President of the United States of America, who led the Colonial Army against the British.