Sabrina Bhattacharjya, 15, of Lexington, Massachusetts, became fascinated by her hometown’s connection to the American Revolution when she was 6 years old. Paul Revere’s ride went through Lexington, and the town was the site of one of the war’s first battles. Sabrina runs Lexington250.com, where she shares both funny memes and historical information to get others—especially young people—interested in what happened during the Revolution.
Q: Why do you like sharing Lexington’s history?
A: The American Revolution happened down the street from me. A lot of these stories have been almost forgotten to history, so it’s great to bring them back to life.
Q: Why do you want teens to know more about history?
A: We have to understand where we’ve come from to know where we’re going. Learning about history doesn’t need to be for an essay; it can be just for your own good.
Q: The town of Lexington has its own website about the 250th anniversary. Why do you think your work is still necessary?
A: My focus is on getting youth involved. I’m making memes and TikToks. It’s really important to me that we make history as accessible and as fun for as many people as possible, because history is for everyone.
Q: Have you managed to get young people interested?
A: People have been like, “I saw your TikTok, and you convinced me to come to the reenactment [of Paul Revere’s ride].” It’s all worth it, even if it just [inspires] another 6-year-old girl who wants to understand history better.
This interview was edited and condensed for length and clarity.