People with a respect for history saved the Freedom Trail in 1958 from destruction, as the sixteen historical sites would have been demolished, but the Boston citizenry prevailed and the preserved these important parts of American history. The walking trail is composed of red brick and it is 2.5 miles long and well marked making it easy to follow, but guided tours are available.
The Boston Tea Party was an act of defiance that led to patriots in other ports staging their own resistance. When the British East India Company held large amounts of tea in 1773 that they couldn’t sell and teetered on the brink of bankruptcy, their government gave them privileges that enabled them to undersell American merchants and this rekindled American fury about taxation with no representation. Women were leaders in the movement to boycott tea. It is an exciting part of American history.
The meetings that led to the Boston Tea Party were held at the Old South Meeting House; it was built in 1729 as a Puritan house of worship. Led by Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty the patriots left the meetinghouse and went to the waterfront where they threw 342 chests containing tea into the Boston harbor.
In Boston’s harbor floats Old Iron Sides actually named the U.S.S. Constitution, aptly nicknamed because the British Frigate H.M.S. Guerriere shot a cannonball at her and it bounced off of its side, which has three layers of white oak. This battle occurred in the War of 1812.
The Boston Common now a place where concerts and Shakespearian performances are held was once a grazing ground open to everyone to bring their sheep and cattle. The militia used it for a field of training, a camp when the British held Boston, pirates were hung there, and it was used for public oratory.
The State House is the elder building of Beacon Hill; its construction was finished in January of 1798. The wooden golden dome was later encased in gold by Paul Revere, which prevented leaks. The land the house sits on had previously been John Hancock’s pasture for his cows. Cod fishing was an important part of the economy in Massachusetts and the House Chamber is adorned with a wooden fish made in 1784 that is of life-sized proportions, which still hangs as a reminder.
The Park Street Church is a historical spot that has seen prison reform begun, women’s suffrage supported and speeches against slavery. The song “America” by Samuel Francis Smith was sung for the first time in this church on July 4, 1831.
The Granary Burying Ground is the burial site of such famous Americans as John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Samuel Adams, plus the five Boston Massacre victims. It has 2300 markers, but more like 5000 people are buried there. Expensive as headstones were, families laid several members to rest in the same spot.
Paul Reveres house had formerly been a rooming house for immigrants: Jewish, Irish, and Italian. He bought it in 1770 when he was thirty-five. It had been built in 1680. That is where he and his family lived when he rode his through an April night of 1775 crying out his famous message. His house is now a museum.
History buffs will enjoy walking the Freedom Trail—this introduction to seven of the stops on the trail is a taste of what the trail offers. Also, try Durgin Park to eat real New England food, The Irish Rose to hear Irish music, and for the feel of the old world go to the Italian North End.
Note: the Boston Tea Party picture is in the public domain.
Having lived in Blue Ridge, Georgia for a time and arriving there in late summer, I experienced the fantastic beauty of the leaves changing in the fall. It is a beautiful sight and the lovely mountains add to the experience. The fall color begins in early or the middle of October and stops at the end of October or beginning of November. Go by Lake Blue Ridge, which is part of the Chattahoochee National Forest, as it is a nice sight to see. The lake is 3,290 acres and very clear. There are more than 90 national forest campsites in the surrounding area.
Other small towns in the area also have beautiful fall leaves. Some of these towns are Elijay, Blairsville, and Haiwassee. North Georgia parks like Red Top Mountain, Watson Mill Bridge, and Sweetwater Creek, and others are good leaf watching sites. Amicalola Falls is another good site for viewing the fall color. The falls are situated in Dawson County southwest of Dahlonega. The name in Cherokee means tumbling waters. It is the tallest waterfall in the state and its height four times more than Niagara Falls, though Niagara is many times wider. In this tri-state area, you may also be interested in seeing the colors change in North Carolina and Tennessee.
