[One Day, One Thousand Characters] The History of American Independence in One Step: 'Freedom Trail'

You Can Trace the Footsteps of Historical Events Like the Boston Tea Party That Sparked the Independence War

Editor's NoteBoston, USA, was ranked 3rd in 2021 by Walk Score as one of the 'Most Walkable Cities in the United States,' following San Francisco and New York. It is a city where you can enjoy walking while taking in various sceneries. Located by the sea, the Charles River runs through the heart of the city, offering waterfront views, and large parks are scattered throughout downtown, providing spaces for relaxation. Boston also offers a rich blend of history, from the American independence symbolized by the Boston Tea Party to the coexistence of historic sites and modern skyscrapers, allowing visitors to fully experience its diverse character.

The highlight of today's route is the 'Freedom Trail (Freedom Trail, 프리덤 트레일).' As Boston is famous for the Boston Tea Party, which triggered the American Revolutionary War, the trail was created to allow visitors to tour various historic sites related to American independence scattered throughout the city. For the convenience of tourists, a 2.5-mile (approximately 4 km) red brick path was constructed through public donations, with iron signs marking each historic site in sequence. By simply following the bricks, visitors can easily visit major landmarks without needing a map.

Iron sign indicating the Boston 'Freedom Trail' historic site [Photo by Lee Chunhee]

The Freedom Trail begins at Boston Common. The visitor center here provides maps of the Freedom Trail and various information. The starting point for walking tours led by guides dressed in Revolutionary War-era costumes is also here. Even if you don't join a tour, you can use related applications (apps) to listen to paid audio guides linked with GPS.

Massachusetts State House
Photo by Lee Chunhee

The first major stop on the Freedom Trail is the Massachusetts State House. Located atop Beacon Hill, its golden dome is an impressive landmark of Boston. Designed by Charles Bulfinch, one of the era's greatest architects, it was built in 1789 and still serves as the Massachusetts State House today.

A guide dressed in attire from the American Revolutionary War period is conducting a Freedom Trail walking tour at the Old Granary Burial Ground.
[Photo by Lee Chunhee]

Next is the Old Granary Burying Ground, established in 1660. It is the resting place of the Founding Fathers such as Samuel Adams (the famous American beer 'Samuel Adams' is named after him), John Hancock, and victims of the Boston Massacre, which will be explained later. Another Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, is famously associated with Pennsylvania but was born in Boston, and his parents, Josiah and Abiah, are buried here.

Continuing on, you pass the Old South Meeting House, which served as a gathering place for Boston citizens during the colonial period to express their dissatisfaction with the increasing taxes imposed by the British government on the New World colonies. Then, arriving at the 'Old State House,' built in 1713, you will find a large sign on the pavement that looks quite different from today's markers.

'Boston Massacre Site' marker set up in front of the Old State House in Boston
Photo by Lee Chunhee

This marks the site of the 'Boston Massacre' that occurred on March 5, 1770. Rising discontent over excessive taxes led to a clash between British troops stationed in Boston and local citizens. The British soldiers fired on the crowd, killing five and injuring six, making it one of the major triggers of the Revolutionary War. However, later claims emerged that Boston citizens had provoked the British troops first (these claims were accepted, and the soldiers were acquitted or lightly punished), and as the U.S. government later massacred hundreds of Native Americans, there is ongoing debate about whether it is appropriate to call this incident a 'massacre' given that only five people died.

Boston Quincy Market
Photo by Lee Chunhee

Continuing along, you will reach Quincy Market. Originally used as a wholesale food market, it has become a famous Boston spot filled with restaurants, various food ingredients, and souvenir shops. Street busking performances are also held here, offering a delightful experience for the eyes, ears, and palate.

Quincy Market marks a fork in the trail. You can continue following the red bricks to visit the USS Constitution, the first American warship, and the Bunker Hill Monument, commemorating the major early battle of the Revolutionary War. Alternatively, you can follow the 'Rose Kennedy Greenway' toward the Boston Tea Party Museum, which is not part of the Freedom Trail. Today, let's take the Greenway for a more varied walking experience.

The elevated highway was demolished and an underpass was constructed, with a park created above ground to improve accessibility between the downtown area and the coastline, called the 'Rose Kennedy Greenway'
Photo by Lee Chunhee

The Rose Kennedy Greenway is a large-scale project similar to the restoration and removal of the Cheonggyecheon elevated highway in Korea, carried out around the same time in Boston. It involved burying the elevated highways that separated downtown Boston from the waterfront and creating parks and green spaces above the roads. This project is also known as the 'Big Dig.' The name comes from Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, mother of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, as the Boston area is the Kennedy family's hometown. This project opened up the previously divided downtown and waterfront areas, creating a connected pedestrian parkway and is considered a representative example of urban regeneration.

Visitors are experiencing throwing tea themselves at the Boston Tea Party Museum.
[Photo by Boston Tea Party Museum]

Walking along the Greenway, you will come to a bridge leading to the Boston Tea Party Museum. The Boston Tea Party was an event in 1773 led by Samuel Adams, where about 100 Americans belonging to the 'Sons of Liberty' attacked three British East India Company ships docked in Boston Harbor and threw 324 chests of tea into the sea. In response, Britain imposed harsh policies on the New World colonies, which eventually led to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War in 1776, making this event a major catalyst.

The museum is located about 150 meters from the original site of the event and is a floating museum. Two of the three ships attacked during the incident have been restored and are displayed there. The highlight of the Boston Tea Party Museum is the tea-chest throwing experience, where visitors can listen to stories from staff dressed in 18th-century costumes and participate in throwing replica tea chests.