“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 actually a bit farther to the North. These founding fathers were preparing to enjoy a meal at a parsonage in present-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.