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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Fought on June 17, 1775, the battle of Bunker Hill pitted an untrained American militia against a battle-hardened British army. Since the Americans had little gunpowder and ammunition, the famous line "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" was uttered at this battle as a pragmatic order.

Out of the 2,200 British troops at the battle, almost half (1,034) were counted afterwards as casualties (both killed and wounded). The Americans lost between 400-600 combined casualties.

Also killed during this battle was the popular American patriot, Major-General Dr. Joseph Warren, who was killed during the third and final assault.

Today, Bunker Hill has a 221-foot granite obelisk to mark the first site of the first battle of the American Revolution, and is on the Boston Freedom Trail.

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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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This entry is featured in the blog post Edgar Allan Poe: Life and Locations.

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