In conjunction with a Marine cake cutting ceremony, there will be a showcasing of Plymouth’s connection to the Continental and Privateer Marines of the Revolutionary War by reenactors. From the first Continental Marine Recruiter in Plymouth 1776, Lieutenant Seth Chapin. To Plymouth’s own Continental Marine Lieutenant James Warren Jr, who served aboard the USS Alliance until wounded in May 1781. He is also the son of James Warren and Mercy Otis Warren. Then the Privateer Marines who perished aboard the General Arnold in a storm in Plymouth Bay on Christmas 1778. This event is a collaboration between the Marine Corps League Detachment 1306 in Plymouth and Volunteers of America Massachusetts in Plymouth. Guest of Honor for this Marine Corps Birthday Ball will be Lieutenant Colonel Robert H. Barrow USMC (Ret.).

Discover some of the women of 1776 including Baroness von Riedesel, the wife of a Hessian General and a chronicler of life in military camps; Prudence Wright, a minute woman and spy catcher; Nancy Hart, a southern frontierswoman who confronted the enemy and emerged victorious. Explore the stories of these women and others, both patriot and loyalist, American and foreign, who experienced the American Revolution firsthand and, in some cases, influenced its course.

The Massachusetts Independence Day event is intended to be a grand-scale event celebrating the departure of the British Army after a ten-month siege and commemorating the service and sacrifice of thousands of men and women who supported the siege of Boston. This event will feature: A Parade & Review, Presentation Program, Flyover, 21 Gun Salute and Reception.

Martha’s Vineyard, known for its whaling heritage and maritime culture, played a unique and often overlooked role in the Revolutionary War. As a fiercely independent community it was both a refuge and a target, caught between British occupation on the mainland and the growing struggle for American independence. Join us for a walking tour of historic downtown Edgartown and discover the lasting impact of this pivotal time through the lens of the Trust’s historic properties.