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Reposted by Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend

Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Celebrating Our Declaration of Independence: A Public Reading and the Planting of the Tree of Liberty on Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 1:00 pm on the Longmeadow, MA Town Green. #Rev250 #MA250

Flyer with picture of a bas relief elm tree,
for Celebrating Our Declaration of Independence:A Public Reading & the Planting of the Tree of Liberty
Sunday October 4, 2026 1:00 PM Longmeadow Town Green

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The event will coincide with the Tour of Homes, Sunday, October 4, 2026, 1:00 PM on the Town Green. #Rev250 #Ma250

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The date is also symbolic, as Massachusetts town meetings were the places where declarations of independence were first made, as early as October 4, 1774.”

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Town Moderator Rebecca Townsend said, “I look forward to hearing those who are the future of our nation reaffirm the principles in the Declaration of Independence.

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The Longmeadow Historical Society added, "The Longmeadow Historical Society has witnessed the sesquicentennial and the bicentennial celebrations of our nation's founding, and we look forward to celebrating the semiquincentennial!”

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The term Liberty Tree was often used to describe a large tree that was used as a landmark for communities to gather and discuss important news of the times.”

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The original Liberty Tree—a massive elm tree located near the Boston Common—served as a rallying point for the Sons of Liberty to protest British colonial policies.

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

All public and private schools in Longmeadow have been invited. Lou Kornet, of the Longmeadow Tree Committee noted that “The Longmeadow Town Tree Committee will join a nationwide initiative by planting a “Liberty Tree”, an American Elm, in honor of the 250th anniversary celebration of our country.

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

We celebrate that reading with a shared reading by Longmeadow youth. Longmeadow’s Tree Committee is working with Town Moderator Rebecca Townsend and the Longmeadow Historical Society to organize the event.

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Longmeadow’s Town Meeting supports this event, and all are welcome to renew our commitment to democracy and freedom. After the July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence, Massachusetts towns all held public readings of the Declaration.

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Celebrating Our Declaration of Independence: A Public Reading and the Planting of the Tree of Liberty on Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 1:00 pm on the Longmeadow, MA Town Green. #Rev250 #MA250

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Reposted by Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend

Rebecca M. Townsend @rmtownsend.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Local Participatory Democracy: India’s Mendha-Lekha and New England’s Town Meetings UMass Amherst Friday, October 16, 3:30pm to 5:00pm EDT #TownMeeting #LocalDemocracy #MAPOLI @umassamherst.bsky.social Thompson Hall Rm420 & on Zoom. events.umass.edu/event/local-...

events.umass.edu

Local Participatory Democracy: India’s Mendha-Lekha and New England’s Town Meetings

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Reposted by Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend

Rebecca M. Townsend @rmtownsend.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Tuesday, Sept. 15 7:30 PM "How a little hill town in central Massachusetts participated in the buildup of courage in the colonies to sever ties with the Crown" talk by Harry Pape, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social #TownMeeting #Rev250 #MA250 cornell.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Photos courtesy of the Longmeadow Historical Society collections (📷 Betsy McKee). 14/

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

We are responsible for the community we form together. Longmeadow honors the spirit of democracy that overcame tyranny and draws inspiration from the examples of our predecessors in the work we do to engage our neighbors and friends in democratic self-governance. 13

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Ackely participated in the Battle of Trenton, Ticonderoga, and Cherry Valley, serving for four years, forgoing the compensation he was to receive upon his freedom. 12

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

On April 21, upon hearing the news from Lexington and Concord, Stephen Williams journaled, "we met, in the meeting-house." The call for freedom was a strong pull; John Ackley enlisted as a drummer in the Continental Army, which broke the terms of his indenture to Rev. Williams. 11

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Among the 49 “Patriot Soldiers” honored is Lieut. Aaron Steel, who died on Nov. 24, 1777. 10

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

To arrive at such an independent state, however, required both democracy and sacrifice. Longmeadow’s Town Green War Memorial commemorates those who fought and died for independence in the Revolutionary War. 9

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

We also recognize that Longmeadow became the “eldest daughter” of the new Commonwealth of Massachusetts as the first Town granted a charter after the Revolution, holding our first Town Meeting in November of 1783. 8

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

The voices then raised, actions taken, financial support committed, and lives and liberties pledged at many Town Meetings in the Commonwealth remain our worthy heritage. 7

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

It was through the conduct of Town Meetings that the Colonial American public embraced the inalienable right of self-determination -- independent of the British Empire’s control -- which, in turn, sparked a revolt and fueled a Revolution. 6

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

They were the local democracies that, by their nature, taught Americans the virtues and responsibilities of self-government. 5

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

As moderators throughout our Commonwealth are affirming, in our current practice of local participatory democracy, we maintain and renew a tradition of self-governance practiced for 400 years. By gathering together today, we honor and embrace the Town Meetings of 250 years ago. 4

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

In 1774, we had meetings called "in his Majesties Name." In 1777, we had meetings called "in the Name of the People and Government of the Massachusetts Bay." 3

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Warrants from 1774 and 1777 show that the way we call our work to order sends a message about what we are doing, something we celebrate this year and next. 2

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Moderator’s Statement Read at the Annual Town Meeting on May 13, 2025 We have been called to meet here by the Warrant, which begins with "GREETINGS: In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts." 1/ #Rev250 #Massachusetts250 #IndependenceDay #America250

Photos of two old documents, warrants from Town Meetings held in 1774 and 1776, called in His Majesty's Name and later in the Name of the People of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

"Notwithstanding [the] awful circumstances we are in as a people and have the sound of all the alarm of war and have a great number of people collected to oppose our oppressors.” It is the Spirit of ‘76 which lives on today. 13

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

On August 11, 1776 the Declaration of the Continental Congress--the Declaration of Independence--was read publicly in Longmeadow. Stephen Williams noted in his diary that 12

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

The British Ministry breathes out cruelty against the colonies still. Things look darker and darker.” 11

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

But the developing war was on the minds of the inhabitants, as on April 9, 1776, Dr. Stephen Williams wrote “I hear of tumults and disorderly practices, stupidity, hardness of heart, atheism, and unbelief prevail. 10

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

At a meeting November 20th, participants voted “that we will [proffer] a petition to the Great and General Court Praying that we may be set off a Separate Town or District from the Town of Springfield.” We would later become the first Town to be incorporated in the new nation. 9

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

It caused the Spark of a Revolution in 1775 to become the full conflagration of the American Revolution in 1776. In 1775 Longmeadow, still a precinct of Springfield, thought of independence for the precinct. 8

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

The process of Town Meeting deliberations and votes translated local grievances into a unified philosophy of natural rights. These natural rights informed the aspirations enumerated in the Declaration of Independence we now revere. 7

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

John Adams and John Hancock, himself a Town Moderator, took the directives as the legal and moral "consent of the governed" required to sign the Declaration. Town Meetings were the ghost writers of the Declaration. 6

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

These statements included the principles and phrases adopted in Philadelphia, such as pledging their "lives and fortunes" to the desire for, and demand of, Independence. 5

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

The meetings acted as they do today as a place where neighbors deliberated until a common will was reached. Nearly 60 Massachusetts towns in 1776 alone, debated the notion of Independence. Some issued Declarations on their own. 4

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

When the British passed the Massachusetts Government Act in 1774 to ban town meetings, it was taken as a direct assault on liberty. In response, many towns barred their doors against British soldiers to continue meeting, often enumerating the grievances listed in the Declaration. 3

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Massachusetts town meetings were a foundational influence on the Declaration of Independence, serving as the primary schools of liberty and a practical mechanism for building the political consensus required to separate from the tyrannical Crown. 2

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Last year and this year, Massachusetts town meeting moderators have been celebrating the role of town meeting as the spark of the Revolution. 🎇 #MA250 #Revolution250 #America250 my May 12, 2026 #TownMeeting statement is below 1

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Town Meeting was last night. Civic interest meant people asked questions and listened carefully. It was impressive.

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Outside the Gym, we will have tabling: Two high school teams will hold bake sales to support the teams. The Food Pantry will be collecting donations. share.google/439X95OVWQHI...

share.google

Longmeadow Food Pantry | Longmeadow, MA

The Longmeadow pantry is a client-choice program where residents in need may shop on a drop-in basis.

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Longmeoadow Special #TownMeeting Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 7:00 pm in the High School Warrant here: www.longmeadowma.gov/283/Town-Mee...

longmeadowma.gov

Town Meeting | Longmeadow, MA

Read Town Meeting minutes and warrants.

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Also appreciated is the citation to the Massachusetts Moderators Association, noting the Spark of a Revolution initiative to celebrate Town Meetings' roles in the American Revolution.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Massachusetts Moderators Association
ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS,
I AM PLEASED TO CONFER UPON YOU THIS GOVERNOR'S CITATION IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR ORGANIZATION'S LONG HISTORY OF PROMOTING PEACEFUL AND DELIBERATIVE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. AS YOU PROGRESS THE "SPARK OF A REVOLUTION" INITIATIVE IN COMMEMORATION OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND THE FIRST TOWN MEETING IN DORCHESTER ON OCTOBER 8, 1633, WE COMMEND THE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS YOUR
ORGANIZATION HAS MADE IN LEADING THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS AND INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THE TOWNS OF MASSACHUSETTS, AND THE PATIENT AND TACTFUL WAY IN WHICH YOUR MEMBERS NAVIGATE THESE VITAL COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS. WE WISH YOU CONTINUED SUCCESS IN HOSTING VIBRANT DISCUSSIONS AND ENSURING EVERYONE'S VOICES ARE HEARD.
THIS EIGHTH DAY OF OCTOBER IN THE YEAR 2025
MAURA T. HEALEY
Governor

KIMBERLEY DRISCOLL
Lieutenant Governor

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Happy Town Meeting Day! With appreciation to @massgovernor.bsky.social For the proclamation!

A Proclamation

Whereas French diplomat, historian, and philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville stated, “Town meetings are to liberty what primary schools are to science; they bring it within the people’s reach” emphasizing the significant role of town meetings within society; and

Whereas, Town meetings have served residents both for routine matters and in times of crisis by coming to public judgement on matters of self-governance; and

Whereas, The notion of participatory democracy was a foundational rationale for the American Revolution; and

Whereas Revolutionaries learned to engage in deliberation with each other to further their communities’ causes and pledged their lives and liberties to the principles of self-governance in their efforts for freedom; and

Whereas, The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were crafted by town meeting members who sought to bring the precepts of participatory self-determination and democracy to the scripture of our founding documents; and

Whereas, The town meeting legislature and the principles it embodies are as vital and relevant today as they were amidst the founding of our nation,

Now, Therefore, I, Maura T. Healey, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim October 8th, 2025, to be,

TOWN MEETING DAY

And urge all the residents of the Commonwealth to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston, this first day of October, in the year two thousand and twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the two hundred and forty-ninth.
By Her Excellency
Maura T. Healey
Governor of the Commonwealth
Kimberley Driscoll
Lt. Governor of the Commonwealth
William Francis Galvin
Secretary of the Commonwealth

God Save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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Moderator Rebecca M. Townsend @townmoderator.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

September 9 Special Town Meeting news from @reminderpublishing.bsky.social thereminder.com/local-news/p...

thereminder.com

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