See Boston, Part I: The Cradle of the Revolution
Boston is a city steeped in history, and Bostonians are proud of their heritage. This area was key in the fight to make America a free nation centuries ago, and the signs are everywhere. In particular, there is a part of Boston that highlights key points in the city’s role in the American Revolution called the Freedom Trail.
The Freedom Trail is literally that, a trail, which winds its way through the city and across the Charles River. Don’t picture a dirt path cutting straight through Boston, however: it is marked by a brick path mainly on the sidewalk, only a few bricks wide, that begins at Boston Common and goes all the way to the iconic USS Constitution. Travel Fieend will take you down this path from end to end.
Start of Freedom Trail
You’re in Boston Common, a city park in downtown Boston and the oldest public park in the United States. It was founded in 1634 and was primarily used as a place where locals could let their cattle graze. Unfortunately, these cows overgrazed and the practice was banned early in the 19th century.
Before the American Revolution, the British held camp there, and with that and other historically-significant events taking place over almost 400 years, Boston Common was officially recognized as a national landmark in the 1980s.
Eventually, you will cross Boston Common from the Tremont Street side to the Beacon Street side, and right in front of you will be the Massachusetts State House, which houses the General Court. No, it’s not a court; rather, it is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Come back down Park Street, away from the State House, and see the Park Street Church. Take a left up Tremont Street and go as far as School Street, where the King’s Chapel sits. Turn right onto School Street and walk past the Old City Hall on the left; at the corner on the right, you will see the Irish Famine Memorial, which, though it has no affiliation with the Freedom Trail, is still noteworthy. Then, turn left on Washington Street and head north towards Court Street and City Hall Plaza. By now, you’re deep in the heart of Boston.
At the corner of Court and Washington, to your right you will see the Old State House. Like Boston Common, it is an officially-recognized US landmark and is most notable for having served as the seat of Massachusetts government from 1713 until 1798, and then as Boston’s city hall from 1830-1841. The Declaration of Independence was read to Bostonians from this building in 1776, which was only part of the reason that it was a British target. Tours are available from 9am to 5pm local time most days of the year.
The Old State House was a place where independence-minded colonials met, and it had a front-row seat to other history. Directly in front of this building, the Boston Massacre of 1770 took place, six years before the Declaration was signed. At that point, relations between the British and Bostonian colonists were already deteriorating, and a mob of Americans coalesced around a group of British soldiers, who were there in part to enforce the Townshend Acts (taxes on colonists). The British opened fire and killed five Americans.
Now, go beyond the Boston Massacre site to take a left on Congress Street, heading north towards City Hall. The current City Hall is a large building surrounded by a plaza, known in the past as Scollay Square but is now Government Center. Directly across the street from City Hall is Faneuil Hall and the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. More on Faneuil Hall and surrounding important landmarks in Part III.
Next page: The rest of the Freedom Trail
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