Old South Meeting House

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

One of America's most historic sites was once scheduled for demolition and narrowly escaped the wrecking ball.  

Old South Meeting House, the home of some of the most dramatic events leading up to the American Revolution, was built in 1729 as a Puritan meeting hall. 

On December 16, 1773, not wanting to pay the duty on 30 tons of taxable tea that sat on three ships in the harbor and failing to be able to return the tea to England, thousands of Bostonians crowded into Old South Meeting House.  During a heated discussion, the cry rang out "Boston Harbour--a tea pot tonight!" 

Men disguised as Mohawk Indians proceeded to Griffin's Wharf where they destroyed 342 crates of tea.  

As consequences of the "Tea Party" Britain cracked down on the unruly colonists.  The port of Boston was closed, regiments of British soldiers were sent to Boston and Governor Thomas Hutchinson was replaced with British army officer General Thomas Gage.    

This galvanized the colonists against the crown.  Ten months after the Boston Tea Party, the first Continental Congress met in 1774.  The Declaration of Independence followed less than two years after that.  

The rest, as they say, is history.   

 

The Old South Meeting House was saved from distruction by a group of activists in 1877 and incorporated as a museum and historic landmark open to the public.

And, there is a dandy little fruit market outside the front door.