The story
- Founding, Independence & Government
Why it matters
Boston was a center of the protests and early battles of the American Revolution. A red line on the sidewalk connects meeting halls, churches, burial grounds, and battle sites from that era.
Why it may matter to you
Walking the trail is an easy way to see how ordinary residents organized, argued, and protested — the roots of civic participation.
The fuller story
The Revolution's language of liberty coexisted with slavery in Massachusetts until the 1780s. The national park also tells the stories of free Black Bostonians, including those connected to the African Meeting House on Beacon Hill.