The Revolutionary Story Tour Is Different

The simplest thing to grasp is that instead of walking the Freedom Trail geographically – starting at one end and following it to the other – we follow the story of the American Revolution chronologically through the streets of Boston.

The sightseeing is synchronized with and unfolds to the storytelling. There’s a lot less emphasis on the facts and the dates and a lot more on the passions, personalities, and psychologies driving the events.

We don’t just walk past the different Freedom Trail sites. We connect the dots and use the Freedom Trail to teach the deep history of America.

The Old & The New

The focus of this tour is a narrative dramatization of the course, location by location recreation of the events, and character driven exploration of Boston’s contribution to the American Revolution. While the core of this tour is built upon 14 of the 16 Freedom Trail locations, a booming modern city has grown up all around its historic foundation. Neither should be missed and we will not overlook the present in our pursuit of the past.

The Sights

Faneuil Hall
The North End
The Old State House
Old North (Christ) Church (“one if by land, two if by sea”)
King’s Chapel

Boston Harbor
Old South Meeting House (location of Tea Party Meetings)
Paul Revere House
Grainary Burial Ground (tombs of founding fathers)
And More!

The Heroic & The Human

No other country looks to its founders as reverently as America. No other city can boast so many as Boston. However, the fullness of their personalities has become lost in the process of lionization – and opened them up to a diametrical method of demonization. I avoid either a triumphant or a cynical interpretation, letting the story itself reveal the characters. The result is more interesting…and more relatable .

The Characters

Samuel Adams
John Hancock
Paul Revere
James Otis
Benjamin Franklin

John Adams
The Sons of Liberty
The Friends of Government
An “odious villain” hated more than any before or since
The “founding martyr” tragically lost at the crest of glory

The Anger & The Enthusiasm

The American Revolution did not just happen in Boston it could only have happened in Boston. From protest to resistance to rebellion the intensification of American opposition to England was first, foremost, and fiercest in this city. What took place here has become a central part of America’s identity and we use both patriot and loyalist perspectives to recover truth from legend.

The Events

The Founding of Boston
The Boston Massacre
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
The Boston Tea Party
The Battle of Bunker Hill

The half-dozen other rides of Paul Revere
Lexington & Concord
The Stamp Act Riots
The Siege of Boston
And More!

The Eating & The Drinking

Clam Chowder. Lobster Rolls. Baked Beans. Pizza. Cannoli. I don’t have the famous accent but my appetite has become a local. No food or drink is included but whenever I was in a new city there was nothing I appreciated more than a locals take on the best spots, tourist traps, and inside tips. Living in the restaurant district and having worked at the Oldest Tavern in America, whether cheap beer or fine Italian dining I try to pay it forward.

The Public Spaces & The Hidden Hideaways

Boston has consciously invested in beauty and in the span of a generation has transformed itself from stagnation and decay into a booming revitalized urban oasis. The convoluted streets can still be confusing – but the unique charm can’t be missed. While we chase the history we will wander the city: stopping at some spectacular parks, sneaking down side streets, and shortcutting a back alley or two.