Faneuil Hall has a bronze stature of Samuel Adams on its Congress Street side. The statue portrays the Revolutionary patriot, just after demanding that Governor Hutchinson immediately remove the British troops from Boston after the Boston Massacre.

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Built by wealthy merchat Peter Faneuil in 1742 as a center of commerce, Faneuil Hall has since been dubbed the Cradle of Liberty for its role in a number of political and historical events.

While the first floor still contains numerous shops, the second floor meeting room is where American patriots first coined the phrase "no taxation without representation" in response to the Sugar and Stamp Tax Acts.

It's also where Samuel Adams railed against British occupation during the American Revolution, and where the funeral was held for victims of the Boston Massacre (also planned by Samuel Adams).

Today, Faneuil Hall is part of the Boston Freedom Trail.

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Built by Puritans in 1729, the Old South Meeting House has had a number of brushes with history. Benjamin Franklin was baptized here. Phillis Wheatley, the first published black poet in the United States, was a member, as were patriots James Otis, Thomas Cushing, and William Dawes.

On December 16, 1773, five thousand colonists piled into the Old South Meeting House to voice their frustration over British taxation. After the gathering, the Boston Tea Party occurred at nearby Griffin's Wharf.

In the 19th century, the Old South was one of the first buildings in the United States to be preserved as a historic site; leading proponents of its protection included the philanthropist Mary Hemenway, abolitionist Wendell Phillips, and the writers Julia Ward Howe and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Today, the Old South is a museum open to the public and part of the Boston Freedom Trail.

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On December 16, 1773, a large gathering of colonists had a heated exchange at the Old South Meeting House in Boston. The subject was what to do with the three British ships (the Dartmouth, Eleanor, and Beaver) that were loaded down with tea and moored at Griffin’s Wharf.

Samuel Adams said the phrase, "Gentlemen, this meeting can do nothing more to save the country." Later, this was interpreted as a signal (still under debate) for a group of 30 to 130 men, some dressed in Mohawk warrior disguises, to board the ships three dump all 342 chests of tea into the water. The Boston Tea Party (as it was renamed in 1834) was over in three hours.

The exact location of Griffin's Wharf has been disputed over the subsequent years. A plaque is located at this address and affixed to the Independence Wharf building to commemorate the occasion. However, this blogger makes a pretty convincing argument for the 500 Atlantic Ave location (the Intercontinental Boston building).

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Named by George Washington and launched on September 20, 1797, the USS Constitution is currently the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat.

The USS Constitution has been a part of national identity since its creation. Paul Revere fashioned the copper bolts and and later the copper sheeting that adorned its sides (which helped earn the nickname "Old Ironsides").

The ship saw battle against the Barbary pirates of Algeria, a moment that was later reworked into the "Marine's Hymn" ("...to the shores of Tripoli").

The Constitution saw action in the War of 1812, the Civil War, and several other battles. Today, it is a destination on the Boston Freedom Trail.

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