While
walking The Freedom Trail, see if you can find the following pieces of the
past.
The Sacred
Cod – Why is the cod sacred?
Because the cod is one of the state’s staple economies, this symbol was
erected as a constant reminder of the importance of cod in Massachusetts. Can
you find it?
The Grave
of Mother Goose – William H. Whitmore wrote
in “Genesis of a Boston Myth” that the name Mother Goose
did not actually originate in Boston. Bostonians as well as non-local
historians still think it did. While you can find her
grave, the mystery still remains: Who was Mother Goose?
The
Grasshopper – The grasshopper has been
an important part of Boston’s history. The grasshopper, with its glass
doorknobs for eyes, was well known by everyone in Boston. During the War of
1812, suspected spies were asked if they
knew about the grasshopper in Boston. If they could identify it, they had
proven themselves patriots; if they couldn’t,
they were deemed spies and faced dire repercussions.
The Green
Dragon – This famous tavern was
called the Headquarters of the Revolution because of the secret meetings
of Revolutionaries that took place in the back room. The tavern you will find
is not actually the original, but built at a later date.
The Grave
of William Dawes – See if you can find the
grave of the man who rode with Paul Revere, but received little credit.
The Lion
and the Unicorn – The originals of these
two symbols of the British monarchy were burned in 1776, after the
Declaration of Independence was first read in Boston. The present ones are
replicas installed in 1882, when the building
they adorn was restored.
Bust of
George Washington – This bust was the first
public memorial erected to George Washington anywhere in America.