"Vince Aut Morire", the Latin motto on the banner reads, "Conquer or Die".

The Bedford 1775 flag was used by the Colonial Militia of Bedford, Massachusetts for almost a century prior to the American Revolution. It was under this banner that the first shots of the American Revolutionary War for Independence from British rule were fired at Lexington.

Militia of all the British Colonies were initially under control by Governors appointed by the King of England. The Militia were citizen volunteers who carried their own arms. After a call to arms and engagement was completed, the citizen volunteers returned to their homes to wait the next call to arms.

Taxes and regulations oppressed trade in the Colonies for over a hundred years. By 1775, the Colonials were ripe for overthrow of rule by a remote Government in England. Colonial citizens gathered and stored arms and ammunition in storehouses all over the colonies.

British troops were sent to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock, leaders in the many protests against this kind of oppressive British rule. Adams and Hancock had been warned and fled. On their way to make the arrests in Lexington, British troops were met by the militia of Bedford. Ordered to withdraw, the Bedford militia refused. This resulted in the first conflict of the Revolutionary War. Eight militiamen were killed and ten wounded.

After the engagement in Lexington on April 19, 1775, the British troops marched to destroy military supplies at Concord. They were met by the Militia at Concord where the first real battle took place - and the "shot heard 'round the world" was fired.