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What Sites Can Visitors See On Boston Freedom Trail Tours

Monday, January 13, 2014

By Marissa Velazquez


Many visitors to Massachusetts are tempted by the historical sites which can be seen on Boston Freedom Trail tours. The Freedom Trail has been a part of life in Boston since the 1950s, and is a now a paved, pedestrianised walking route, which stretches for around 2.5 miles, and has 16 sites along its length. Most of the sites are related to the period of the American War of Independence.

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.

Following on from the State House, visitors can make their way past sites such as the Park Street Church and the Granary Burying Ground to the statue of Benjamin Franklin. Franklin is one of America's most famous intellectuals, a polymath who combined a career in science with a career as a politician and diplomat during the early days of the American Republic. Close to the statue is 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.

Many visitors to the route are also drawn to Faneuil Hall, which has been a meeting place and market since the mid-18th century. Often referred to as the 'Cradle of Liberty', it was here that many American political figures, like Samuel Adams, for example, made speeches calling for an end to the link with Great Britain. It is now a site of historical curiosity, significant to the development of the USA as a nation.

The great ship, the USS Consitution, is usually the end point of the route for the majority of visitors. This fine ship is a heavy frigate, which saw commendable action against the Royal Navy in the War of 1812, fought against the British. She was first launched in 1797, and is fully crewed by the US Navy, with the crew conducting tours of the vessel.

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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