September 2 – Boston

We decided today that we would take the historical tour of downtown Boston, knew as the Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail is a four kilometer long path through Boston that passes by sixteen locations mainly dealing with the American revolution. It winds from the Boston Common in downtown Boston, across the Charles River to the Old North Church in the North End and the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown.

Getting to the Boston Common from our hotel was simple. The subway system is fast and simple to navigate. It may be one of the oldest systems in North America, but it functions smoothly or at least it did today. I had a couple of Bostonians tell me that today was an exception.

Our tour guide was a gem. The guides dress up in period customs and take on the personality of a player in the revolution. Our guide was hilarious and very informative. He reminded me of Mel Brooks in his delivery and even his facial expressions. His running joke was that history had it wrong and that he had a leading role in the revolution. Somehow, I ended up being his straight man for jokes about Canada. We got more information about the start of the American revolution from his two-hour tour than a year’s worth of history classes.

The Boston Common is a huge park in downtown Boston. It is very green and well maintained. It started off as a pasture used by the colonials for their cattle. Later it became a site for speeches and debates. Unfortunately, it was also a place for public executions and other forms of punishment.

Punishment was severe for any person who dared question the Puritan teachings. A Quacker lady named Dire was arrested and sentenced to death for preaching Quacker religious beliefs in the Commons. The first two convictions were commuted with a promise not to preach again. She was executed after her third conviction. This is the origin of the expression Dire circumstances.

Across the street from the Boston Common is the Massachusetts State House. It is a magnificent building with a stately golden dome. This is the state capitol and seat of government for the state of Massachusetts. It was completed in 1798 at a cost of $133,333, more than five times the budget, it has repeatedly been enlarged since. It is one of the oldest American state capitols in current use.

The building is situated on seven acres of land on top of Beacon Hill. It was built on land once owned by John Hancock, who was Massachusetts's first elected governor and the first signature on the Declaration of Independence. The Masonic cornerstone ceremony took place on July 4, 1795, with Paul Revere, then Grand Master presiding.

John Hancock planted a row of elm trees on the Beacon Street side of Boston Common opposite his house in 1780. Two of these trees, now known as the Shaw Memorial Elms, are still found in the northeast corner of the Common. The trees are part of a monument to the Massachusetts 54th Regiment, the first African-American regiment in the Union Army. This is the unit on which the movie Glory is based on.

Our next stop was the Park Street Church. Built over 200 years ago, it was the sight of the first Sunday school in the USA, and a famous speech by William Garrison against slavery.

Adjacent to the Park Street Church is the Granary Burying Ground. It is the city of Boston’s third-oldest cemetery, founded in 1660. It is the burial location of Revolutionary War-era patriots, including Paul Revere, the five victims of the Boston Massacre, and three signers of the Declaration of Independence: Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine. Our guide used it as an opportunity to tell us about these people and why they are important. During his segment on Paul Revere, he was corrected by a young tween girl about the famous quote about the “British Are Coming.”  After that he included her in his routines whenever possible. It was a cute interaction between the two.

We walked up Tremont Street to the King’s Chapel. Built in 1749, it was closed during the Revolutionary War and reopened after the Empire Loyalist moved to Canada after the war. Being the organist at this church is consider a prestige honour.

Next to chapel is the old city hall. It is now a Chris Ruth’s Steak House. In the courtyard is a statue honouring Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was born in Boston and our guide said Philadelphia is stealing credit for his accomplishments.

On the sidewalk outside of the courtyard is monument to the first public school in the USA. Many of the prominent citizens of colony Boston went there.

We then went to the Old Corner Bookstore. The Old Corner Bookstore is the oldest historic commercial building found in the historic core of Boston. It was built in 1718 as a residence and apothecary shop, and became a bookstore in 1828.

Next, we walked to the Old South Meeting House. This is a historic church built in 1729 and is located in the Downtown Crossing area of Boston. It gained fame as the organizing point for revolutionary debates. On December 16, 1773, five thousand people met in the Meeting House to debate British taxation, and after the meeting, a group raided three tea ships anchored nearby in what became known as the Boston Tea Party.

In October 1775, the British occupied the Meeting House due to its association with the Revolutionary cause. They gutted the building, filled it with dirt, and then used the interior to practice horse riding. They destroyed much of the interior and stole anything of value.

Next on the walk was the Old State House. It was here that the first casualties of the War of Independence occurred. In what is known as the Boston Massacre, five Americans were shot by the British during a riot.

Our last stop was Faneuil Hall. Faneuil Hall is also known for its role in Revolutionary-era protests and debates about American liberty.

For lunch we walked down a row of old buildings to an Irish pub called Hennessy’s. The building was constructed as one of a row of buildings around 1826. All four buildings were identical and stood 3-1/2 stories in what is known as the Federal style with retail space at the ground floor and office or residences above. The exterior walls were thick stone covered in brown brick.

We finished the day by returning to Boston Common and going to Cheers for a drink. This is the pub where the NBC comedy took place. Of course, it was shot in a TV studio and the real Cheers bar looks nothing like the show.

When we went back to our hotel, Wayne’s watch told us that we had taken more than 10,000 steps.  It was a memorable day.