The Story of Isaac Davis
Isaac Davis' house is a 5 minute walk away from mine, only a street over. I always knew that Acton had deep and close connections to the American Revolution, but realizing one of the men with the courage to stand against a better equipped and trained adversary lived right down the street from me made everything much more tangible and alive. I was young when I first learned about Isaac Davis and walked down to his house with my parents when I first learned about him, one of the events that helped me discover my love for history. Isaac Davis' is not well-known to those outside of the United States. Even to those in the United States, those who know and care are usually from the area or are interested in American history. To the rest, his story is just another question on a US History test.
This story inspires in the same way David and Goliath inspires. Outnumbered and outgunned, Davis stood against a powerful opponent and fought for what he believed in. I'm not sure if his story has been used to mobilize action, since his story is just the first page of the first chapter of the American Revolution. I'm sure the actions of the colonials as a whole mobilized action and Davis' story is just another example of why the colonials and their spirit would be able to mobilize change. Davis' story possesses themes of honor, dignity, and standing for what one believes in. David is a local hero and adds to the spirit of the town and neighboring areas. It plays into the pride living in Massachusetts. Acton is kind of a forgettable town (in my opinion), often overshadowed by Lexington and Concord, more important towns during the revolution, so Davis helped me and other feel more apart of and relevent towards the country's formation.
Conviction, duty, leadership