Dawes, William

Lexington, MA — Completed in 1737 by John Hancock's grandfather, the house is now a museum
On the night of Paul Revere's April 1775 ride John Hancock and Samuel Adams were awakened there with news of the advancing British troops.

In the fall of 1775 Congress chose brown as the original color for the national uniform. In October 1778, however, France sent uniforms with a predominance of blue coats (although there were also brown), and so on 2 October 1779 Congress switched to blue as the official color.

Michael Stephenson
Patriot Battles: How the War of Independence Was Fought (2007)