Show w iw y V aft ws jiji X r K jiow or wix basw y fk r i as v A n v f w v T i uffe of TB rk MCK t s m N TAO V y A aj ivra ro WIT W t 1 l isussi ia y i 0 perpetuate the memory W H of mighty deeds on the field J 0 battle and of epochal H H scents which hare led to the SL H changing of governments and of the boundary lines in our geographies and to arouse in the minds of succeeding gen erat lons the spirit of patriot lam which inspired our fore fathers to accomplish these deeds tablets nd monuments of various kinds have been placed on the sites of those historic events in the united states boston new york palla delphia and many other places in the east and southeast are rich in memories of the war of the revolution and of the events leading up to and succeeding it boston more than any other place perhaps Is deserving of the title the cra die of american liberty faneuil hall old south church christ church or old north church from whose belfry the signal was flashed which started paul revere on his famous ride and bunker hill are only a few of the historic landmarks which make boston famous in revolutionary lutio nary history the famous boston tea par ty was the first protest of the indignant colonists against the oppressive rule of the mother coun try this event occurred in boston harbor in december 1773 in order to compel grea britain to ba just toward the american colonists in tho matter of taxation merchants of this country had agreed not to import anything while such oppressive laws existed the british parliament declared their right to tax the colonists without their consent the latter declared that taxation without representation Is tyranny the quarrel grew hotter and hotter some of the contested duties were removed under pressure but by 1773 several articles among them tea were still burdened by heavy taxes the colonists finally refused to allow any cargo of tea even to be landed at some of the ports vessels were am mediately sent back with their cargoes un touched in december 1773 three british ships landed at boston and the royal governor at tempted to have their cargoes landed in defiance of the popular will the boston tea party was the result this occurrence the inscription on the tablet itself sufficiently explains here formerly stood griffins wharf at which lay moored on dec 16 1773 three british ships with cargoes of tea to defeat king georges trivial but tyrannical tax of three pence pound about ninety citizens of boston partly disguised as indians boarded the ships threw the cargoes three hundred and forty two chests in all into the sea and made the world ring with the patriotic exploit of the BOSTON TEA PARTY no neer was mingled such a draught in palace ball or arbor As freemen brewed and tyrants quaffed that night in boston harbor A large building on the corner of pearl street and atlantic avenue devoted to commercial pur poses now marks the site of griffins wharf where this event occurred the first armed resistance to great britain took place at salem bridge mass in february general gaffe of the british army beard that some cannon and munitions of war had been placed in salem by the colonists so he bent colonel leslie in a vessel from castle wll ham to seize them they landed at marblehead marched into salem and not finding what they sought moved toward danvers part way between the two towns at a small drawbridge which Is now marked by the tablet shown in the illustration they found a laige number 0 people assembled and on the opposite side 40 under timothy pickering the drawbridge was up and refused to let it down leslie tried to ferry his troops over in a gondola near by whereupon the colonists prompt ly scuttled the craft the british troops event bally returned to their vessel but without tha cannon the first real battle of the revolution was fought at lexington mass in the spring of 1775 general gage was informed that the colonists had deposited a large quantity of munitions of war at concord a village some 16 miles outside of boston and he planned a secret expedition to seize them the alert and wary colonists beard of his plan however and through the immortal ride of paul revere tha whole countryside was alarmed when major with some men the advance guard of the british arrived at lexington on their way to concord they were met there on the village green by about seventy determined men under capt jonas parker ehg british ordered them to disperse and when they refused to do so fired upon them killing eight and wounding a number of others this began the revolutionary war it was at cambridge mass that the army of the colonists was gathered for the march against the british at bunker hill the city of cambridge one of the county scabs scats of middlesex county massachusetts Is separated from the greater city of boston by the charles river it Is chiefly noted for three things As the seat of harvard university as the place where washington took command of the conal cental army on july 2 which was only a short distance from the spot shown in the illustration and for the occurrence marked and described by the tablet aleo the building in the background Is the law library of harvard versley the battlefield of bunker hill at charlestown Charles town now part of the city of boston Is marked by an imposing monument erected on a commanding site on the summit of breed s hill the cornerstone of this huge granite obelisk was laid on june 17 1825 the fiftieth anniversary of the battle lafayette was at this time on a visit to america and he was present at tho ceremony daniel webster delivered an oration the monument stands on breed s hill near the center of the ground included in the old breast work it Is built of quincy granite and Is feet in height it Is 30 feet square at the base and 16 feet square at the spring of the apex the top may be reached by a flight of stone steps there la a room in its top with four iron Bh uttered windows the monument was not completed until 1843 when it was dedicated in th presence of president tyler and bis cabinet the general impression Is that this engagement of the revolution was fought on bunker hill BO it figures in history as the cattle of bunker hill in reality it was fought on breed s hill bome distance from the former the minute men were so called because of their ability to assemble upon a minute a notice in april 1776 after having dispersed the 70 colonists under captain parker who resisted them at lexington about six allea away major pressed forward toward concord by this time the whole country was aroused and the flocked toward concord from every direction the middlesex farmers armed with every con cel vable weapon prepared to defend their homes ami their rights the battle of concord started at north bridge near concord the first volley was fired by the P the spot Is marked by the famous statue of a typical minute man so incensed were the colonists that the whole british would have been destroyed had they not been re enforced by more troops from lex ington they retreated to lexington and then after a short rest the whole body 1 strong started their march of retreat to charlestown Charles town during the whole of their ten mile march they were terribly assailed by the infuriated colonists they finally reached their destination and un der the guns of the british war vessels spent the night at charlestown Charles town crossing over to boa ton next morning during this affair the british lost men the colonists lost during the war of 1812 sir isaac brock a major general of the canadian forces personally led his troops in the battle of queenston where he was killed on october 13 the british government caused a fine monument to be erect ed to his memory in st paul s cathedral london in 1816 the canadians struck a medal to hta memory and on the heights of queenston built a beautiful tuscan column over feet in height in the base of which a tomb was formed and in which the general s remains now repose the small monument here shown marks the spot where he waa billed |