Boston!

First snow of the winter season!  Team Breitmann experiences our first Nor'easter while camped at Hanscom Air Force Base near Bedford, Mass. 

I take the girls to nearby Lexington, Mass., the town famous for sparking the American Revolution into an armed conflict.  Here the girls sit upon a monument inscribed with the words of the local militia Captain Parker; "Stand your ground!  Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it be here"! 

The gals on Lexington Green, where the local militia stood their ground and took the first casualties of the American Revolution on April 19th, 1775. 

We take a tour of Buckman's Tavern, where the town militia waited for words about the British march towards Concord.  The British had to come through Lexington on their way to Concord, where they were under orders to confiscate weapons the American Rebels had them stored. Paul Revere came to this tavern to warn them of the impeding British troop's arrival. You can read more about the tavern here: Buckman's Tavern

Contrary to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem about the midnight ride of Paul Revere, Revere was captured by a British patrol as he left Lexington on his way to warn Concord.  Also, contrary to popular myth, Revere was not alone in his ride that evening.  There were estimated to be 60 some riders criss-crossing the countryside, alerting town militia as they rode.  Hailey shows the spot marked on the old Concord Road, as it was then.  He had at around two o
clock in the morning on April 19, 1775, got thus far on his way from Lexington to Concord, alarming the inhabitants as he went, when he and his companions, William Dawes of Boston and Dr. Samuel Prescott, of Concord, were suddenly halted by a British patrol, who had stationed themselves at this bend of the road. Dawes, turning back, made good on his escape.  Prescott, clearing the stone wall on his horse, and following a path known to him through low ground, regained this highway at a point further on, and gave the alarm at Concord.  Revere tried to reach the neighboring woods, but was intercepted by a party of officers accompanying  the patrol.  They detained and kept him in arrest.  He was carried by the patrol back to Lexington, then released and that morning joined John Hancock and Sam Adams.

Hailey on the North Concord bridge, where an overwhelming force of militia confronted the British.

Hailey stands by a monument commemorating the battle at Concord with the inscription; "By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April's breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired the shot heard round the world."

Hailey demonstrates the militia rifleman's tactic of firing from cover and harassing the retreating British all the way back to Boston. Not only were the British outnumbered on this day, they had no idea where or when to expect the next volley of fire.

We take the Alewife station "T" into Boston! 

We take in as much of the history of the Boston "Freedom Trail" as we can!  You can read more about the trail here: Freedom Trail

Of course, we have to visit this place...the home of "Old Iron sides", The USS Constitution. 

Hailey at the dock where the USS Constitution is moored.   She is the oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat.  She was named by President George Washington in honor of our United States Constitution.  You can read more about her storied history here: USS Constitution

Hailey poses by a plaque commemorating the point where the British landed forces in support of the Battle of Bunker Hill.  This point is just around the corner where the USS Constitution is moored. 

Along the trail, we came across this poignant plaque that has timeless implications.  It is part of Boston's memorial to the Holocaust of WWII.  The inscription is attributed to a German Lutheran Pastor named Martin Niemoeller. Early on  in the Nazi regime, he had delivered anti-Semitic sermons.  Later, he opposed Hitler and was sent to a concentration camp.  

The famous Old North Church. It is the oldest standing church in Boston. The signal lanterns of Paul Revere were displayed in the church steeple April 15, 1775 in order to warn the countryside of the march of British troops to Lexington and Concord. At the time, this church was by far the tallest point in Boston and the lanterns could be seen from over a mile away on a dark clear night.  

We took the "behind the scenes" tour of the Old North Church.  Here Hailey grimaces as we descend from where the church bells are rung...to this day on Sunday mornings. 

Here the girls learn about how the bells are rung.  As a boy, Paul Revere was hired to ring the bells from this very spot.  Some twenty years later, he remembered the commanding view from this church steeple and used that knowledge and lanterns, as a tool to warn the countryside. 

The girls in the sanctuary of the Old North Church.  Notice how the pews are designed as individual stalls.  This is to keep the parishioners warm on a cold winter day by keeping the warm air from foot warmers they brought  in from dissipating.  The Church had no central heat or fireplace.

On our tour, we went down under the church, into the crypt where over 1,000 folks have been interred.  This plaque denotes the resting place of the first commander of the USS Constitution. 

The gals in front of Faneuil Hall, the first public market and meeting house of Boston, where many "revolutionary" ideas were espoused.  You can read more about Faneuil Hall here Faneuil Hall

The girls inside the upstairs of Faneuil Hall.  Many figures of American history have spoken from the stage behind them including, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Fredrick Douglas, and Daniel Webster, just to name a few.

The Old State House, which served as the seat of the British Colonial government.  Also, of note, this is also the site of the infamous Boston Massacre.  You can read more about the Old State House here: The Old State House  You can also read about the Boston Massacre here: The Boston Massacre

On Veteran's day, downtown at the Quincy open air market place, the gals enjoy a little time out to watch some street performers. Oh, did I mention, as a veteran, I enjoyed a free lunch at a local Irish pub!  Nice!

What visit to Boston would be complete without a visit to the house Paul Revere lived in?!  This is his actual house he and and his family lived in. Pretty cool, huh?  It is the oldest house in downtown Boston.  You can read up on it here: Revere House

Hailey, like a good Patriot, confronts a British patrol outside Paul Revere's house!  These guys are part of a group that does reenactments at sites associated with the American Revolution. They play the part of the 16th Queen's Light Dragoons.  You can read about them here: 16th Light Dragoons 

And of course, we have to have a "tea party" in Boston Harbor!  We visited Boston's newest attraction on the Freedom Trail' The Boston Tea Party museum!  If you haven't been to this one...it's a must!  It is a multi-media, hands-on, immersion of history!  You can find out more here:Boston Tea Party Ship 

The girls board one of the two tea merchant ships like the ones that the "rebels"would have boarded during the infamous "tea party" raid. 

The American rebel, Hailey, fearless and without disguise, hoists a box of United East India Tea Company tea and.....

Tosses it into the sea in defiance of the provincial governors orders to unload the tea and pay the tax!  Huzzah! Huzzah!

Soak it up , my little history buff!

Amen!

Well, we learned a lot and only just scratched the surface of historic Boston and now it's on to another historic American city...New York!  Hang on, Big Apple!  Here come the red-heads of Team Breitmann!