Honoring the Minute Man National Historical Park on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, which I have introduced with the gentlewoman from Massachusetts, Ms. Tsongas, to honor the Minute Man National Historical Park on its 50th anniversary. Since its inception on September 21, 1959, the park has played a vital role in protecting and preserving the sites in the towns of Lexington, Lincoln, and Concord where the American Revolution began. For 50 years, the park has educated millions of Americans about the extraordinary events that led to the birth of our Nation.

On April 19, 1775, American colonists in ``every Middlesex village and farm'' rose up to throw off the yoke of the English king and claim their inherent right to govern themselves. The Minute Man National Park preserves not just the sites, buildings, and landscapes where these momentous events took place but also the ideals of liberty, democracy, and self-determination that they embodied. The beliefs held in the actions of those spring days in April 1775 remain the cornerstone of our Nation and an inspiration to people everywhere.

The Minute Man National Historical Park is comprised of 1,038 acres, which include 8 miles of trails and 136 historic structures. The park preserves multiple sites along the ``Battle Road,'' the 22-mile route from Boston to Concord where British soldiers and American militia first clashed on April 19, 1775.

The park includes the famed North Bridge, in Concord, where American militia were first ordered to return the fire of the British regulars. Down the road, in Lexington, is the Lexington green, where the first shot was fired that morning and where eight American patriots lost their lives in the opening battle of the Revolutionary War.

The park commemorates Paul Revere's ``midnight ride'' of April 18, 1775, to raise the alarm that the British were marching to destroy military stockpiles and includes the site where Paul Revere was captured by a British patrol. Paul Revere's message was carried on to Concord by his colleagues, William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott, and that message resonates to this day--taught to school children everywhere--``A cry of defiance, and not of fear, a voice in the darkness, a knock at the door, and a word that shall echo for evermore!'' in the verse of the famous poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The park contains the Barrett farm in Concord, which was the home of Colonel James Barrett, and contained the militia weapons and munitions that British soldiers were marching on Concord to destroy. The park also includes the Wayside, which was once home to Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott, and celebrates the writings of the first great American authors, whose voices were those of a free people.

More than 1 million people visit the park every year to learn about these events that have become iconic symbols to every American. Thomas Boylston Adams, a descendent of President John Quincy Adams and the former president of the Massachusetts Historical Society, described the Battle Road as ``a long road, leading even to the present.'' The Battle Road was the first road marched by a people in search of liberty and the road that continues to prove to all people everywhere to this day that freedom is possible.

The Minute Man National Historical Park continues to serve as a vital resource for future generations of Americans and a reminder

of the role that Massachusetts played in the creation of the most free and democratic nation in the world. I commend the fantastic work of the park in upholding these values that remain at the core of our American character and I urge my colleagues to adopt the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 599) honoring the Minute Man National Historical Park on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 599 was introduced by our colleague from Massachusetts, Representative Ed Markey, and would recognize the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, Massachusetts.

Minute Man National Historical Park was established 50 years ago yesterday. It preserves for Americans and the world the places and the landscapes along the route from Boston to Concord, known as the Battle Road, where the first battles of our War of Independence were fought. The park also memorializes the renowned American soldiers, the Minutemen, trained volunteers who were always ready to march at a minute's notice.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 599 commemorates the enduring legacy of this Nation's fight for freedom, liberty and democracy and pays tribute to a park that celebrates the birthplace of American independence.

I commend Representative Markey and his cosponsor, Representative Niki Tsongas, for their timely and diligent work on this resolution. I ask my colleagues to support passage of this measure.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for time and would inquire of the minority whether they have any additional speakers.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

On April 19, 234 years ago, the British commander in Boston sent a detachment of troops to nearby Lexington and Concord to impose what I am sure he thought was a perfectly reasonable gun control measure. After all, there wasn't any reason to allow people to possess guns in the park-like green commons of those pleasant little towns.

Unfortunately for General Howe, the patriots disagreed. Fortunately for us, the men who stood their ground at Lexington, at Concord, and later at Trenton, at Saratoga and at Yorktown are the men who wrote our Constitution.

And when they met in Philadelphia a decade later to form a more perfect Union, they still believed that we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights. They therefore set out to devise a government with only limited, enumerated powers so that they and their descendants would, they hoped, be citizens of a free Republic, not submissive subjects of an ever-expanding government.

Our Constitution was written and ratified by the very Minutemen and patriots who fought for freedom in New England, the Middle Atlantic States and the South. That is why we have the Bill of Rights. They knew that private property rights, free exercise of religion, the individual right to keep and bear arms, and State's rights will always have opponents. That's why they are in the Constitution.

So it is appropriate that we take time to honor the Minutemen who left us a legacy of freedom on this, the 50th anniversary of the Minute Man National Historical Park.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, with no additional speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be speaking on behalf of H. Res. 599, a resolution honoring the Minute Man National Historical Park on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.

The park, located in Concord, Lexington, and Lincoln, Massachusetts, was established by Congress on September 21, 1959, and has enriched the lives of milions of visitors by preserving and sharing New England's seminal cultural and historical significance.

Home to Hartwell's Tavern and the recent addition of Colonel James Barrett's farm, the park is where the ``shot heard 'round the world'' was fired, commencing the first battle of the American Revolution in 1775. It is the inspiration for the creative work of Ralph Waldo Emerson and a priceless educational tool for students of all ages.

The success of the park is a true testament to the collaborative efforts of the local and Federal Government and countless volunteers that dedicate themselves to ensuring that the park remains a true national treasure. This past Sunday, I attended the 50th anniversary gala to celebrate the success of the park and the hard work of all involved. I want to especially recognize Superintendent Nancy Nelson whose dedication to this national treasure has helped preserve its integrity and make certain that its historical significance will inspire many future generations.

I would like to thank Mr. Markey for working with me on this important resolution and Chairman Rahall for bringing it to the floor.

I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 599 to celebrate the past 50 years of one of our country's true historical riches and to recognize the park as valuable resource for future generations to enjoy.