250 Years Ago: The Shot Heard 'Round the World

The American Revolution began with the battles of Lexington and Concord—a dramatic clash between British regulars and colonial militia that marked the start of open armed conflict between the colonies and the British Crown.

 

As dawn broke, around 700 British troops marched toward Concord to seize hidden weapons and arrest revolutionaries. But word had spread—thanks to riders like Paul Revere and William Dawes—and local militias, or “Minutemen,” had gathered.

 

At Lexington Green, a small group of colonists faced off against the British. A shot was fired—no one knows by whom—and the world changed forever. By the end of the day, American forces had pushed the British back to Boston, emboldened by their ability to stand up to a professional army.

 

This pivotal day is often remembered as "the shot heard 'round the world," a spark that ignited the struggle for American independence.

 

 

As we reflect on the Revolutionary era, our 1775–1825 Core Collection honors the textiles and colors of the time—from homespun plaids to bold Turkey red prints. These fabrics tell the quieter stories of daily life during an extraordinary chapter in American history.

1775 - 1825 Core Collection

Fabrics of this era contained a wide range of finished looks, varying from simple designs to the more sophisticated imported chintzes and dress goods.

The American cotton industry was producing mainly woven plaids and stripes and some simple prints during this time period. Imports from Europe and Asia included large monochromatic toiles and complex polychrome chintzes.

Natural dyes, indigo, weld (yellow), and madder, had been available since the Middle Ages. Dr. Edward Bancroft, an American, patented quercitron (a yellow) in 1795.

In 1810, a French chemist in Alsace developed a technique for incoroprating blue and green on the popular yellow/black/white Turkey red designs. By the 1820s, mineral dyes, Prussian blue, chrome yellow and iron buff, were used for plain cottons and prints.

Featured fabrics in this collection include Woodblock style, Toile, Turkey Red, Ramoneur, Chambray, Quercitron. Solids: French General Rouge and Bella Saffron