#Freedom trail series#
#Freedom trail free#

Colonists assemble to protest with the mantra “no taxation without representation,” used by local Boston politician James Otis. June 1767: Britain passes the Townshend Revenue Act, which placed a tax on tea, paint, glass, lead, and paper to fund administrative duties of the colonies.March 1765: British Parliament passes the Stamp Act, taxing most legal documents, newspapers, and pamphlets.The measure was heavily protested, including by colonists outside Boston’s Faneuil Hall. April 1764: The British government passes the Sugar Act as a tax to pay for defense of the American colonies and force colonial exports through British customs.The way the taxes were enforced and debated pushed the region toward revolution, which finally sparked in fields outside Boston.

#Freedom trail series#

A series of taxes, viewed as unjust by colonists and warranted by the British, rubbed new Americans the wrong way. The following is an overview of what throttled the city and colonies forward in the quest for independence. Revolutionary TimelineĪs visitors walk along the Freedom Trail, they get the opportunity to learn about Boston’s role in the American Revolution. The National Park Service tours are excellent, economical ways to gain more insight into the trail, but paid tours through the Freedom Trail Foundation are great, entertaining ways to spend 90 minutes with an “actual” colonist (or at least a very convincing actor) to learn more about how each of the sites came to play a role in the nation’s history. While each of the stops on the trail is historically significant, travelers on a rush should try to at least visit Boston Common, the Massachusetts State House, Granary Burying Ground, the Old South Meeting House, the Old State House and site of the Boston Massacre, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, the Bunker Hill Monument, and the USS Constitution. The Old State House, Old South Meeting House, and Paul Revere House all require paid tickets, while King’s Chapel, the Old North Church, and USS Constitution have suggested amounts for optional donations.

#Freedom trail free#

While it is free to walk the Freedom Trail, some of the stops charge admission. Meander along the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail to take in all 16 sites. (near the Boston Common and State House stops) for a free map at the beginning of the trail. Be sure to visit the National Park Service’s visitors center at the Faneuil Hall stop to get free guides, or at the Visitor Information Center at 139 Tremont St. More than four million people each year traverse the trail’s 16 stops, including iconic spots like Boston Common, the USS Constitution, and Paul Revere House. In 1974, the National Park Service established the Boston National Historical Park, which includes seven sites connected by the Freedom Trail. The path went through several routes before reaching its current 2.5-mile form in 1972.

The idea reached city hall, and mayor John Hynes dedicated the Freedom Trail, which was originally a series of painted signs pointing out Boston’s most popular historic sights, in June of the same year. Bill Schofield, a writer for the paper that ultimately became the Boston Herald, collaborated with Bob Winn, a member of the Old North Church, and floated an idea for a “Puritan Path,” “Liberty Loop,” or “Freedom’s Way” in one of his “Have You Heard?” columns in March of 1951. Travel map of Beacon Hill and the West EndAs Boston began a building spree in the mid-20th century, local preservationists grew concerned that the city’s historic sites were being lost to soaring skyscrapers. Use this guide to the historic sites and timeline to plan a self-guided walking tour of the Freedom Trail.

Recommendations from the African Diasporaīoston is such a walkable city that you can stroll through its revolutionary beginnings.

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