“What A Glorious Morning for America” Plaque

This historical plaque in Lexington, set within a stone retaining wall on a busy street, records the following piece of intriguing Americana:

ON THIS HILL
SAMUEL ADAMS
HEARING THE FIRE OF THE
BRITISH TROOPS APRIL 19, 1775
EXCLAIMED TO HANCOCK
“WHAT A GLORIOUS MORNING
FOR AMERICA!”
1886

Although this marker on Meriam Street designates the nearby hill as the location where these legendary words were uttered, Samuel Adams and John Hancock were a bit farther to the North. These founding fathers were preparing to enjoy a meal at a parsonage in modern-day Burlington when news came of the regulars’ impending arrival in Lexington.

The text of Adams’ quote is also the subject of dispute— some claim it was a misappropriation, paraphrased from an address delivered by American politician and orator Edward Everett on the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington, while others suspect Adams’ words were simply a reference to the sky.

The plaque was not among the markers proposed by Lexington’s Committee on Historical Monuments and Tablets in 1883-1885. Given its original location on undeveloped private property, the marker was most likely was installed by a well-meaning patriotic citizen.