Boston Freedom Trail Tours have been a feature of life in New England since the 1950s, when moves were made to link the city's various historical sites with a two and a half mile pedestrian trail. There are 16 sites in total along the route, almost all of them relating in some way to the American Revolution. This article will provide a quick run-down of some of the sites which visitors can see along the route.
Most people begin their walk around the trail at Boston Common, or 'Commons' as it it sometimes, erroneously, called. This is actually the oldest public park in the whole of the USA, and was first opened in 1634. The Central Burying Ground is incorporated into the park, and houses the graves of the poet Charles Sprague, and his father, Samuel, who was a participant in some of the events of the American Revolution.
The next site on the route is the Massachusetts State House, the main seat of state government in this part of the US. This building is known for its distinctive domed roof, which was coppered by the company belonging to the famous Paul Revere. A statue of Civil War General Joseph Hooker can also be seen outside of the building.
While some visitors may then want to stop and see sites like the Granary Burying Ground or the Park Street Church, others will be more drawn to the Benjamin Franklin statue. Franklin was a polymathic intellectual, and one of the the most iconic figures of the nascent United States. Perhaps appropriately, his statue is also close to the site of America's first public school, the Boston Latin School.
The trail also passes by the site of the Boston Massacre, an event in which only five people died, but which was used for propaganda purposes by the American Revolutionaries. The British soldiers who fired on the rioting crowd were, evidence suggests, under intense pressure. Contemporary evidence also suggests that, by the standards of the day, their conduct was nothing unusual, but the event became written into American history anyway.
Another place along the trail which is intimately connected with the American War of Independence is the Faneuil Hall, a site where people have gathered socially and for market since the 1740s. Samuel Adams made many speeches here, when he was a fiery advocate of the cause of independence. The hall is sometimes referred to as the 'Cradle of Liberty', due to this long political association.
The tour usually concludes at the USS Constitution, now the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat. Launched in 1797, this heavy frigate served with distinction in the War of 1812 against the British. The crew of the ship provide free tours to visitors, something which offers superb insight into the history of the US Navy.
Boston Freedom Trail tours are a great way to get know more about the history of Massachusetts and the American Revolution. Any visitor can obtain superb insights from walking the route. Figures such as Franklin, Sprague and Adams are key figures in American history.
Most people begin their walk around the trail at Boston Common, or 'Commons' as it it sometimes, erroneously, called. This is actually the oldest public park in the whole of the USA, and was first opened in 1634. The Central Burying Ground is incorporated into the park, and houses the graves of the poet Charles Sprague, and his father, Samuel, who was a participant in some of the events of the American Revolution.
The next site on the route is the Massachusetts State House, the main seat of state government in this part of the US. This building is known for its distinctive domed roof, which was coppered by the company belonging to the famous Paul Revere. A statue of Civil War General Joseph Hooker can also be seen outside of the building.
While some visitors may then want to stop and see sites like the Granary Burying Ground or the Park Street Church, others will be more drawn to the Benjamin Franklin statue. Franklin was a polymathic intellectual, and one of the the most iconic figures of the nascent United States. Perhaps appropriately, his statue is also close to the site of America's first public school, the Boston Latin School.
The trail also passes by the site of the Boston Massacre, an event in which only five people died, but which was used for propaganda purposes by the American Revolutionaries. The British soldiers who fired on the rioting crowd were, evidence suggests, under intense pressure. Contemporary evidence also suggests that, by the standards of the day, their conduct was nothing unusual, but the event became written into American history anyway.
Another place along the trail which is intimately connected with the American War of Independence is the Faneuil Hall, a site where people have gathered socially and for market since the 1740s. Samuel Adams made many speeches here, when he was a fiery advocate of the cause of independence. The hall is sometimes referred to as the 'Cradle of Liberty', due to this long political association.
The tour usually concludes at the USS Constitution, now the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat. Launched in 1797, this heavy frigate served with distinction in the War of 1812 against the British. The crew of the ship provide free tours to visitors, something which offers superb insight into the history of the US Navy.
Boston Freedom Trail tours are a great way to get know more about the history of Massachusetts and the American Revolution. Any visitor can obtain superb insights from walking the route. Figures such as Franklin, Sprague and Adams are key figures in American history.
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