A Freedom Trail in Boston

Boston is the largest city of the Common wealth of Massachusetts and belongs to one of the oldest cities of United State of America.  It was founded by Puritan colonialist from England in 1630.

Boston was a short way across Boston Harbor at Charlestown from immediate area which was settled by Euro-Americans that made it grow. Its deep habor and advantageous geographic position helped it to be the busiest port of Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Boston played a fundamental role in the American Revolution. Several events and battles such as Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, The Battle of the Lexington and Concord, the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Siege of Boston all occurred near or in the city. Boston is sometimes referred to be Cradle of Liberty. It has historic sites remains which have been of tourist attraction. It has preserved colonial and revolutionary past from the harboring of the U.S.S. Constitution to many famous sites along the freedom Trail (Seasholes, 2003).

It is this Freedom Trail caught my attention during our visit to Boston. Freedom Trail is a reddish path that runs through downtown of Boston and Massachusetts leading to sixteen important historic sites. It is a four kilometer walk that starts from the Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Moment in Charlestown. Originally, the Freedom Trail was conceived by local journalist William Schofield who promoted the idea of linking local landmarks with a pedestrian since 1951.

For any visitors like us to Boston, they must include a walk into history along the Freedom Trail. However, one can begin the walk in the middle or the end and wend way through the streets of Boston. This Trail took us sixteen historical sites in about three hours and we covered about a half century of the America’s most significant past.

To visit these historical sites, one may opt to have a self guide or assistance of tour guides who are available through the Boston Common Visitors Centers at 148 Tremont Street or the Bostix Booth located at Faneuil Hall. Also one can decide to take a ride by paying one of the trolley tours, which are unofficial guided tours and have disembark at selected stops but we decided to take a tour guide. The best point to start for Freedom Trail excursion is the Boston Common which is the America’s oldest public park where we definitely started.

This park rests on forty four acres of open land. Initially it was used as common pasture for grazing cattle that was owned by the townspeople of Boston. Later it became a ‘trayning’ field for militia which was used as British Army camp. Also it was use to hand pirates, witches or publicly pillory criminals besides serving for public oratory and discourse. Currently, the place is used for concert and provides calm respite from the bustle of city life.

From Boston Common the next historical site we visited was the State House. It was built on 1798 and is widely considered to be one of the most magnificent and well suited buildings in the county. It was constructed shortly after the revolution by Charles Bullfinch as a new center of the state governance.

Presently, the building serves as the seat of the government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. From state house our next stop was at Park Street Church. It was founded in 1809. Its 217 ft steeple was the first landmark travelers saw when approaching to the Boston. It has gained a lot of significance due for its involvement in political, social and humanitarian issues. For instance, in 1829 Wiliam Lloyd Garrison delivered a speech from the church pulpit condemning slavery and he was the first to do so in public.

Just after this the next Freedom Trail stop was Old Granary Burying Ground. Originally it was called South Burying Ground due to its location in the southern area of Boston settlement and latter was renamed Middle Bury Ground as Boston grew towards south. Its present name is derived from a grain storage building which stood at same site with Park Street Church.

Some of Boston’s famous revolutionaries were buried here including John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Robert Treat Paine all three who signed Declaration of Independence and also Paul Revere and victims of Boston Massacre.  Following the red line of the Freedom Trail it led us to King’s Chapel and Burying Ground. The Royal Governor built King’s Chapel on the this town burying ground  in 1688 , as no one would sell him land to build a non-Puritan church for king’s men  who were British law enforcers.