We walked to the Boston Common, which has a visitor center, and is the official start of the Freedom Trail. The Freedom is a route that winds through the city, taking you to all famous historical sites. It is easy to follow - there is a big red stripe painted on the sidewalk. I think the total distance is less than 5 miles if you follow it all the way to Bunker Hill. The new State House, with it's shiny gold dome, overlooks the Boston Common. We did not have time to go inside. The flags are flying at half mast outside the state house because ex-President Reagan had died two weeks earlier.

Next to the Boston Common is the Granary Burying Grounds. There are a number of famous people buried here - Paul Revere, John Hancock, the parents of Benjamin Franklin, all 5 Americans who died in the Boston Massacre, and Samuel Adams. Paul Revere has a small monument next to his tombstone.

The picture does not show the text on the monument well, but the tall obelisk is Hancock's tomb (the one with the face in the wreath).

A short distance from the Burying Grounds is the old City Hall. Again, we did not have time to go inside. A statue of Benjamin Franklin stands in the courtyard. There is also a statue of a donkey in the courtyard, perhaps signifying that Massachutes usually votes Democrat?

The Old South meeting house was a site where patriots gathered to debate the issues of the day. This is where they gathered after the Boston Massacre, and debated the policies of King George III. It was here they gathered after the tax on tea was announced. After fiery speeches Sam Adams gave the signal and the Sons of Liberty ran to the harbor dumped the tea overboard in the Boston Tea Party.

Faneuil Hall was a giant market building constructed in 1742. Originally the other merchants protested its construction, but it became a major city landmark. It was built at the site of the city dock, but the harbor isn't so close anymore, due to land claimed from the sea. Sam Adams would hold town meetings here, debating the British taxes.

Paul Revere's house is the oldest structure in downtown boston, built in 1680, so it was a hundred years old when he lived there. It is now a museum, but we did not go inside.

A little further on down the Freedom Trail is Paul Revere Mall. It is a small courtyard with a large bronze statue of Paul Revere on a horse. The Old North Church is right behind the statue. It is the Old North Church, of course, where the sexton put up the lanterns in the steeple - One if by land, two if by sea. The Sons of Liberty had known that the British were planning to make a move against the colonial military supplies that were being gathered at Concord (25 miles from Boston). Spies revealed the day that the British would make their move. Paul Revere was waiting across the Charles River, but he needed to know if the British troops would be sailing across the Charles River (which was the quicker route) or marching out of the city along the penisula, and taking the roads to Concord. The British opted for to boat across the Charles River, this quicker route would give them a better chance of surprise - thus, the redcoats took the "by sea" route, and two lanterns were placed in the Old North Church steeple. Revere saw the lanterns and started off to give the alarm. (It turns out the British fouled up their transport boats, messed up the tide time, and ended up wading ashore in a marsh, and so lost all the time they would have gained with a well prepared operation.).

Wow, this page is turning out to be rather long, I guess I am showing too many photos. I will have to make a second half for Day 2. I promise only Freedom Trail will have so many photos, the other days were interesting, but not nearly as many Significant Sites. Click on "To the Next Day" to get to the second half of the Freedom Trail