Boston Massachusetts is one of the oldest cities in the Unites States and has a historic past that is nearly unmatched in its importance to forming the original Union. The city has been the site for many iconic moments in US history from the Revolution forward, and today Boston brims with exciting opportunities to learn about and explore America’s past.
The city today is a modern metropolis comparable with any great city in the US including New York and Chicago. There are modern skyscrapers and a bustling downtown that highlights the latest and best in amenities and happening. You can visit every cool and important place in Boston today by taking a guided tour of the city that will include guides who can give you in-depth explanations about the historic sites and their importance to the building of America.
If you are looking for the right reason to come to Boston, visiting the city for its historical traditions and monuments is the perfect idea. And if you’re planning a group tour, a Boston minibus or charter bus rental is a great way to get your entourage around the city in comfort and ease. Here is a list of some of the most famous historic sites that you should visit on your trip to Boston.
House of Paul Revere – The British are Coming!
At the age of 41 Paul Revere was a prosperous silversmith and engraver living in the North End of the city of Boston in the colony of Massachusetts. He was also a patriot fighting for the colonies in the American Revolution against England. He was part of the American intelligence and was a link in an alarm system that kept watch on the British military and alerted the colonial militia when there were British troop movements. He became famous when in April 1775 he set out from his home and made a famous ride on his horse to alert the troops. His cry, “To arms! To arms! The British are coming!”, has become the most famous words of the Revolutionary War.
The road he took his famous ride along has become known as the Freedom Trail and his home which was built in 1680 has become a famous monument to mark the start of his famous ride. Today the Revere House is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, and is the city’s oldest standing building. Visitors walk down a cobblestone street to enter the small home and upon viewing the furniture and decorations, are immediately transported back to colonial times.
Boston Tea Party Historical Artifacts
No event has been more discussed as emblematic of the frustration that the colonists felt toward the English than the event that happened Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773. There were protest around the colonies regarding the colonists not being able to collect taxes on goods coming from England. As a result, the English could undersell American made goods, thereby underpricing local merchants. The Dutch east India Company was allowed to do this with their tea from India and the English turned a blind eye to the complaints of the colonists. On the December date, Boston based patriots called the Sons of Liberty destroyed an entire shipment of tea, by dumping it in Boston Harbor. The English were so angry at this insubordination and the news of planned similar acts that they declared started the Revolutionary War. The Boston Tea Party has since become known as the act that started the war.
The City of Boston has kept hold of much of the memorabilia from the event in the Boston Tea Party Museum located on the Congress Street Bridge. The focal point of the museum are the Eleanor and the Beaver, two replicas of ships from that era. The museum also holds a tea chest that is one from the original event. There is an interactive entertainment presentation at the museum that features period actors acting out the events of the era. Visitors get to participate and even throw tea into the harbor with the rest of the patriots. You will also see the events on film and even sample tea at the museum.
USS Constitution – The Longest Commissioned Battleship in History
The most successful ship in the history of the United States is “Old Ironsides”, or officially known as the USS Constitution. The ship was built in Boston in 1797 and found service in the War of 1812. It went on to sink five British ships during the war and has come out on top in more than 40 sea battles. Today it is the world’s oldest commissioned warship. After its more than 200 years afloat, it is now a floating museum that sits in Boston Harbor and is open for guided tours to visitors from all over the world.
There are other iconic places to visit including Harvard University which is the oldest university in the US and Boston’s Freedom trail. This 2.5 mile walk can be done via guided tour and takes you past the Paul Revere House, the statue of Benjamin Franklin and the site of the Boston Massacre. Come to Boston and see places that help to build and make America great.
