Freedom by the Bay: The Boston Freedom Trail

In tracing the history of Colonial Boston, Navy Captain William Schofield came up with the idea of establishing The Freedom Trail, which has become Boston’s most famous tourist attraction. The simple idea of laying down bricks on the sidewalks to connect the various monuments and sites with one another was Bill’s genial and practical solution that keeps on pleasing young and old alike, be they from Boston or California. American history in many ways began in Boston, and not all of it of the highest caliber. Over religious issues, the first woman was hanged and witches burned; in the same place, Samuel Adams created the Boston Massacre. Yet, Paul Revere took his famous ride; Harvard University got its charter; the USS Constitution continues to have harbor there; and, the Bunker Hill Monument together with the Athenaeum Library continue to be popular sites to everyone to visit. As an aside, the Constitution (Old Ironsides), which is an active commissioned vessel, by law has to make at least one sail per year into the harbor. And, for many years, Captain Schofield took the helm wherein he presented, to the special guests aboard, with the history of Boston contained in this book.