The Boston Massacre: A Guide to One of the Colonial City’s Bloodiest Events

“The riot on King Street” is what newspapers originally called the moment when British soldiers opened fire on an angry crowd in Boston on March 5, 1770. On this walking tour, you’ll explore the months of tension between the British and American colonists that culminated in the bloody shooting, now known as the Boston Massacre. The tour starts in front of the Chart House on Long Wharf, built in 1760 by John Hancock, a prominent merchant and advocate for colonial rights. From there, you’ll hear about the events that led up to the March 5th massacre, while passing significant sites that are connected to it. While walking along Long Wharf, you’ll learn about the Quartering Act, a housing law that prioritized British soldiers at the expense of Americans. You’ll see the Old State House, the second oldest building in Boston and now a symbol of British occupation, where John Hancock and Samuel Adams, another fierce critic of the British, gathered among 5,000 protesters in the aftermath of the massacre. As you continue along City Hall Avenue, I’ll tell you about the trial of Captain Preston and the seven British soldiers, and the legal hurdles faced by local lawyer and patriot John Adams, in their defense. The tour ends at the Granary Burying Ground, where you’ll take in the graves of a few Boston Massacre victims, including Sam Adams’, and hear about the legacy of one of Boston’s most fateful days. Along the way, you’ll have a chance to: • Learn about the Vagrancy, Quartering, and Tax acts that the British imposed, and the impact they had leading up to March 5th • Visit the true site of the Boston Massacre on State Street and listen to the events as they unfolded • Find out how the customs snitch Ebenezer Richardson inadvertently ignited tensions leading up to the Boston Massacre by murdering young Christopher Seider • See the ‘poor man’s pudding rock’ (the name given to inexpensive gravestones) that marks Saml Adams’ grave at the Granary Burying Ground • Marvel at the longevity of Long Wharf, the oldest and longest wharf in America where the British began their occupation of Boston • Stop for refreshments at Quincy Market where you can find the city’s finest clam chowder and lobster roll Join me on this 90-minute tour to immerse yourself in 400 years of revolutionary history. Prepare to have your perspective changed by our heroes and troublemakers as you follow the route in and around the Freedom Trail.

Price: £9.99 from VoiceMap