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 A key event in the American Revolution was the British abandonment of Boston in March 1776.  Months before the Declaration of Independence. They left because George Washington placed dozens of cannons on a hill overlooking the City.  When the Brits woke up to see the cannons they realized trouble was ahead and they loaded up their ships and went to Canada. Washington's cannons came from Fort Ticonderoga, 100s of miles away.  ================================================================== ========================================================     Over the years historians have attempted to find the actual road travelled.  We know the general route - the towns traveresed - but not the exact roads travelled. In 1927 a series of stone markers were placed at key points in NY and Mass.        Links https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Knox_Trail   

We were working on the 1854 map of Loudoun County , Virginia and noticed something very unusual: One of the five images included on the map was of a memorial monument to a woman. Who was Miss Mercer and why was this monument on the map? 1850s County wall maps showed all roads and homeowner names, and often had pictures decorating the margins. There are 5 pictures on this map, three of which are "public" properties - a Leesburg street view , a courthouse and old  house of former President Monroe . The other two relate to Margaret Mercer.   Margaret Mercer was an active  abolitionist and advocate for women's education. Her father was John Francis Mercer, governor of Maryland. He gave her a rigorous education equal to her brothers', and a solid Christian upbringing. After his death in 1821 Miss Mercer came to believe that the keeping of people as slaves did not square with her profound Christian faith. She freed the slaves she had inherited from her father.  ...