Boston

Essay by sunshine4432High School, 10th gradeA+, October 2004

download word file, 13 pages 4.1

Have you ever wondered why Boston National Historical Park is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to Boston? There are many historical attractions within the park.

Most of the Boston National Historical Park sites are connected by the Freedom Trail. Recognized as a National Recreation Trail, the 3-mile trail is a walking tour of 16 sites and structures of historic importance in downtown Boston and Charlestown.

Bibliography

http://www.bostonhistory.org/

http://www.nps.gov/bost/freedom_trail.htm

http://www.nationalparks.com/boston_national_historical_park.htm

www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/oldstate.asp

Revolutionary Boston, Lexington and Concord: The Shots Heard Round the World!, February 2002, by Joseph L. Andrews

Guide to New Jersey's Revolutionary War Trail: For Families and History Buffs, May, 2000, by Mark Di Ionno

Charlestown Navy Yard: Boston National Historical Park, September 1995, Massachusetts National Park Service Staff

Faneuil Hall

In early 18th-century Boston a number of merchant families amassed great wealth through shipping and trade. Codfish, caught off the coast, were dried, salted, and traded in the West Indies for molasses and rum.

These products were, in turn, exchanged in Europe for manufactured goods, or, along the west coast of Africa, for slaves. One of the wealthiest Boston merchants of this era was Peter Faneuil. Faneuil proposed to mark his success by building a central food market in his hometown. The building as finally constructed in 1742 included not only an open market but also a meeting space suitable for town gatherings. The hall, named for Faneuil, was built on land gained by the filling of the small cove near the ancient and dilapidated town dock. It was expanded in 1806 by Charles Bulfinch.

Old Corner Book Store

Originally built in 1712 as an apothecary shop, office, and the home of Thomas Crease, this building was the center of literary Boston in the 19th century. Such noted authors as Longfellow, Emerson, Hawthorne, and Oliver...