Freedom Trail, Boston, MA 7/6/2014, Post # 3

Our next stop is just around the corner where we will find the Boston Irish Famine Memorial and The Old South Meeting House which we will visit on our next posting and here wew are.

Boston Irish Famine Memorial (Starving Family. Note The Empty Basket )

Boston Irish Famine Memorial ( Thriving Family )

These two photographs show the two extremes of the Irish Famine which was caused by the       " blight " which wiped out the potato crop for several years. I looked but did not find an explanation of what these the two staues represent. I heard people discussing this and I heard two different stories both of which could be true. One theory goes that the starving family is a farmer who is starving because of lack of potatoes. That is obvious. The other family that is healthy and well dress is either a family that is thriving by coming to America or a family of wealthy land owners in Ireland who thrive at the expense of the farmers. This second theory seems the most likely to me. There was ample grain in Ireland to feed everyone but it was exported for the benefit of the land owners. The poor farmers  then lost their land or lease to the land they lived on and had no food. Much of the land these farmers used was basically worthless for other types of farming except for growing potatoes. To grow potatoes the field did not have to be plowed. All that was needed was a spade to dig a small hole and plant the potato. A one and one half acre field could produce enough potatoes to feed a family of six for a year and also feed some cows, pigs and chickens. The poor and especially the poor farmers of the country depended on the potato as their main source of food. For example the average man ate 60 potatoes a day, the average woman ate 40 per day and a child ate 25 a day. Can you imagine a diet such as that?

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Boston Irish Famine Memorial ( Plaque Describing Brief Details Of Irish Famine )

Boston Irish Famine Memorial ( Plaque Describing Brief Details Of Irish Famine )

Boston Irish Famine Memorial ( Plaque Describing Brief Details Of Irish Famine )

Boston Irish Famine Memorial ( Plaque Describing Brief Details Of Irish Famine )

Irish Immigrants Not Overly Welcome In Boston As They Fled Ireland During The Famine.

Unseawothy Ships Were Called Coffin Ships. So Many Died On Board As They Crossed The Atlantic Ocean Was Called A Bowl Of Tears.

The American Dream

Now me move on to the Old South Meeting House. The original Meeting house was built around 1669 - 1670 and was  basically a very plain building when compared to the other churches in Boston. This was a Congregational ( Puritan ) church and was the third church constructed in Boston. It was plain because the Puritan faith shunned the fancy frills in their structures as well as in their worship practices. The current Old South that we are looking at was constructed between 1729 and 1730. This church played a important role in activities leading up to the Revolution War. Ironically this was not by design but really a matter of space. As friction heated up between America and the British typically public meeting were held in church buildings. When crowds grew to large at the other churches they started coming to Old South because it was the largest space wise so many of the important meeting and decisions concerning the revolution were decided here. Perhaps the ugliest meeting was held here after what was called the Boston Massacre. The Town's people were upset about the British troops who were there and wanted them removed. Thousands of citizens marched to Old South and demanded the troops be removed. Their battle slogan they chanted  was " both regiments or none ". The Boston Massacre will be covered in detail later. After the uproar over the massacre the town was quiet for a few years until the Tea Act was passed. The population again was again in an uproar. On November 28, 1773 a load of tea arrived in Boston Harbor aboard the Dartmouth. It was unloaded and the tax had to be paid within 20 days. The Patriots wanted the ship with its cargo to return to England however, the Governor of Massachusetts would not allow this. The deadline for payment of the tax was midnight December,1773. A group of several people went to the Meeting house and formed a delegation to go to make a final appeal to the Governor to send the ship and its cargo ( tea ) back to England but he refused. When the delegation returned Samuel Adams reportedly advise the crowd " Gentlemen, this meeting can do nothing more to save the country ". Legend has been that these words Adams said was a signal to a group of men and shortly thereafter a large group of men dressed as Mohawk Indians showed up at the Old Meeting House and they marched off to Boston Harbor followed by a large group of people. Reportedly the disguised Indians were yelling " Boston Harbor a tea pot tonight ". Information in trail literature indicates the Adams was not sending a signal in his speech. About a year later Dr. Joseph Warren made a speech recalling the memories of the Boston Massacre. Once again the meeting house was overflowing with a large crowd. There is a legend about this that a British military man was suppose to throw an egg at Dr. Warren if he said anything treasonous. The  British military man never got to throw his egg because as he came to the meeting house he fell and broke his leg. Later as the British occupied the town this old meeting house was severely damaged. It was used as a stable and the balcony was used as a bar. Many of the beautiful old pews were chopped up and used for fire wood and the library books used for starting the fire. Following the departure of the British Old South was restored and used as a church again. It was scheduled to be torn down but it was  bought and saved as a historical site. Actually it was the first build to be preserved strictly because of its historical associations.

Old South Meeting House

Entrance To Old South Meeting House

From Old South Meeting house as you walk along Milk Street there is a house at 17 Milk Street that is purported to be the birthplace of Benjamin Franklin. He was born January 6, 1706 in a small two story building that was destroyed by fire.  Near here is a statue of Franklin.

Statue Of Benjamin Franklin. 

  From this location back out on the trail and you pass several interesting places such as a Spring Street where there was a great spring from which the early population received much of their water. In an around this general area are other sights we did not visit such as The Veteran's Shelter which interestingly stands on the location where Benjamin Franklin's brother operated a printing shop and where Benjamin worked as an apprentice. Above the printing shop was a room where the patriots such as Revere, Adams, and others held their secret meeting to make their plans for action against the British. 

Now back onto Washington Street which was in the earliest days the only way into Boston if you did not arrive by boat. Next we come to Old State House. Here we find the Old State House which was built in1713. It is one of the oldest public buildings in the eastern United States. Over time it has served as the capitol of the colony's, the Massachusetts Assembly,was rented out as space for offices and stores, was scheduled to be torn down to make way for a street but was finally saved and turned into a museum in 1882. In an earlier posting I commented on the fact that Boston is very different in size and shape to earlier days. For example Old State House was just about a block and half from Long Wharf which was the only deep water pier in Boston harbor. With the passage of time and the filling in of low lying land and the water front Long Wharf has disappeared into the main land. Additionally Old State House served as the business center in colonial days. The merchants exchange meet here and the area to this day is the financial district of Boston as it is situated in the midst of skyscrapers.

The tower on Old State House has a lot of history and like any of these old building has been changed many time over the years  through renovation. For instance the tower once held a clock on one side which was covered over and then in1992 was uncovered during renovation. There was a balcony below the clock from which various royal proclamation were read to the colonial public below. You can imagine the opposition to British policies at the time these proclamation were a irritation to open wounds as far as the colonist were concerned. An interesting twist in fate came about in 1776 when from this balcony the Declaration Of Independence was read. Now, I am told that, on the 4th of July the Declaration Of Independence is read from the balcony. Sorry no photograph

Sign About The Old State House

Statue Of Samuel Adams  Stands In The Plaza Outside Faneuil Hall

Enlargement Of Inscription On Statue Of Samuel Adams 

Enlargement Of Inscription On Statue Of Samuel Adams 

Enlargement Of Inscription On Statue Of Samuel Adams  

Also, in the plaza is a circular mosaic of paving stones with a brass trim circle around them on which are the letters " March 5, 1770 " and  " Site Of The Boston Massacre ". The British referred to the massacre as " The Incident on King Street ". The problem started when a British soldier on guard/patrol was being heckled by a few people. A larger crowd gathered and continued to heckle the soldier. Now another group of soldiers came to his rescue so to speak and a still larger crowd of civilians gathered. As things got out of control with out orders the soldiers shot into the crowd killing 5 and wounding 6. Eight soldiers, 1 officer and four civilians were arrested and charged with murder. An interesting fact is that John Adams, lawyer and future United States President defended the accused in court. Other lawyers refused to defend them. Six soldiers were acquitted of murder. Two were convicted of manslaughter and given reduced sentences. The men convicted of manslaughter were sentenced to branding of their hands ( I don't know the details of this ).  When originally placed it was in the street at  the spot where the first victim of the massacre fell but it has been moved a number of times.Can you imagine trying to stand in the street to get a closer look at this memorial while cars drive by you.

Stone Memorial To The Boston Massacre

At this point in our tour we were getting a " bit foot weary and a lot hungry " so we stopped here at the Salty Dog  to have lunch  They had a wide variety of food but most of their specialty items were sea food. Their clam chowder was wonderful.

 Salty Dog Seafood Grille And Oyster Bar

One Couple Seated Near Us Had Their Dogs With Them And It Was Very Warm. The Waiter Brought Two Containers Of Water For The Dogs. After A Good Drink Of Cool Water They Laid Down And Went To Sleep. Now That Is Customer Service.

While Joyce And I Finished Lunch And Rested Lisa Went To Explore Quincy Market

Faneuil Hall Is Opposite Quincy Market

Faneuil Hall 

Faneuil Hall 

Plaque About Faneuil Hall 

From my point of view the most overused words when you talk about the Freedom Tail and its many landmarks are " most famous " or some such because they are all important beyond description when you talk about colonial times in Boston and the struggle to be free from England. But, Faneuil Hall falls into that category. It was originally a gift to the town in 1742 from Peter Faneuil who was a successful merchant. In the rooms of this building major discussions and meetings were held that fanned the fires of the desire to be free. Also known as the " Cradle Of Liberty " Major discussions were held here for example Americans protested the Sugar Act in May 1764 and the idea of " no tax without representation " was conceived. In November 1773 John Hancock held the first meeting to discuss the issues of " Tea " which eventually led to the Boston Tea Party.  Present day Faneuil Hall is much larger than in colonial days and the shape has changed due to renovations.

We now head for Old North Church whose tall white steeple we can see in the distance.

In Addition To Following The Red Brick Trail Occasionally There Are Sign Directing Freedom Trail Followers To A Point Of Interest In This Case Old North Church

Steeple Of Old North Church

That's all for this posting. I will cover the Old North Church and Coop's Hill Burying Ground in my next posting until then remember what I always say God loves you and so do I.

Grandpa Bill