I will try to follow these pilgrims by searching through the life of William Bradford (1590-1657), the leader and Governor of the pilgrims at Plymouth. King James I (1566-1625) came to the English throne in 1603, declaring that he would put an end to church reform movements and deal harshly with radical critics of the Church of England. He ordered that there be only one English translation of the Bible that became known as the King James Bible in 1611. Some English Reformers decided in 1607 to leave England unlawfully for the Dutch Republic, where religious freedom was permitted, as William Bradford went with them. By the summer of 1608, they managed to escape England in small groups and relocate to Leiden in the Dutch Republic. When Bradford turned 21, he was able to claim his family inheritance in 1611. By 1617, this English reform congregation began to plan the establishment of their own colony in the Americas. The Separatists could practice religion as they pleased in the Dutch Republic, but they were troubled by the fact that their children were being influenced by Dutch customs and language, after nearly ten years in the Netherlands. By 1620, they had made the necessary arrangements, as fifty Separatists departed Holland. Joining this congregation, were about 50 colonists who had been recruited by the Merchant Adventurers for their vocational skills, which would prove useful in establishing a colony. These passengers of the Mayflower, both Separatists and non-Separatists, are commonly referred to today as “Pilgrims.” The term is derived from a passage in Bradford’s journal, written years later, describing their departure from the Netherlands itself an allusion to Hebrews 11:13 in the Bible that we are strangers, aliens, and pilgrims on this earth. They left on the Mayflower from Plymouth, England, in 1620. People died on the trip there. They spotted Cape Cod in November 1620, after two months at sea. They were supposed to go to Virginia, but strong winter seas forced them to return to Cape Cod, now called Provincetown. There they signed the Mayflower Compact, with Bradford the first to sign. They finally landed at Plymouth Harbor in mid-December and selected that site for settlement. They had a rough first year, losing about half the settlers, especially the women. Bradford was elected governor, and, in that capacity, he worked closely with Captain Myles Standish. William Bradford’s most well-known work is Of Plymouth Plantation, a detailed history in journal form about the founding of the Plymouth Colony and the lives of the colonists from 1621 to 1646, with his experiences and observations. Bradford drew deep parallels between everyday life and the events of the Bible, as divine providence was at work in their community. He was the one who called these settlers pilgrims, that has stuck since then. What do you know about William Bradford and his group of pilgrims?
Plymouth Rock
We ended our Friday by going back to the hotel and getting our car. We drove out to Plymouth, Massachusetts, to see Plymouth Rock, a boulder that symbolizes the historical disembarkation site of the Mayflower Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony in December 1620. However, the pilgrims did not refer to Plymouth Rock in any of their writings. The first known written reference to the rock dates from 1715 when it was described in the town boundary records as “a great rock”. In 1774, the rock broke in half during an attempt to haul it to Town Square in Plymouth. One portion remained in Town Square and was moved to Pilgrim Hall Museum in 1834. It was rejoined with the other portion of the rock, which was still at its original site on the shore of Plymouth Harbor, in 1880. The date 1620 was inscribed on the rock at that time. The rock is now ensconced beneath a granite canopy. Thus, Plymouth Rock has been moved multiple times since 1620. The rock first attracted public attention in 1741 when the residents of Plymouth began plans to build a wharf which would bury it. Before construction began, a 94-year-old church elder named Thomas Faunce declared that the boulder was the landing place of the Mayflower Pilgrims. The one thing the the Pilgrims certainly did not do was step ashore on Plymouth Rock, since the boulder would have made an impractical landing spot. Others have pointed out that the Pilgrims landed at Provincetown to explore Cape Cod more than a month before they arrived in Plymouth harbor, which lessens the significance of where they set foot in Plymouth. In 1851, a group of Cape Cod residents formed the Cape Cod Association for the purpose of promoting Provincetown as the site of the original Pilgrim landing. Such efforts eventually led to the construction of the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, which was completed in 1910. This Rock has become an object of veneration in the United States, but after all, it is just a rock. It was nice to be in Plymouth, but I was not impressed with the rock at Plymouth Rock. I was happy not to stay there that long. We headed back to our hotel to get ready to leave Boston after our two nights stay there. What do you know about Plymouth Rock?
Old Ironsides
The other stop that we made was to see the USS Constitution and its Museum. It was fun to get on an old ship, but the tea party ship was much more fun. This ship is also known as “Old Ironsides,” a three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate of the United States Navy at the Charlestown Navy Yard at Pier One, at the end of Boston’s Freedom Trail. However, it is not made of iron. The privately run USS Constitution Museum is nearby, located in a restored shipyard building at the foot of Pier Two. This ship is the world’s oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat. This ship was launched in 1797, one of the six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794, the third constructed. The name “Constitution” was among the ten names submitted to President George Washington by Secretary of War Timothy Pickering. Joshua Humphreys designed the frigates to be the young Navy’s capital ships. Thus, the Constitution and its sister ships were larger and more heavily armed and built than standard frigates of that period. This ship was built at Edmund Hartt’s shipyard in the North End of Boston. The Constitution is most noted for its actions during the War of 1812 with the United Kingdom, when the ship captured numerous British merchantmen and five warships: HMS Guerriere, Java, Pictou, Cyane, and Levant. This ship continued to serve as a flagship in the Mediterranean and African squadrons, and the ship circled the world in the 1840s. During the American Civil War, this ship served as a training ship for the United States Naval Academy. This ship carried American artwork and industrial displays to the Paris Exposition of 1878. The Constitution was retired from active service in 1881 and served as a receiving ship until being designated a museum ship in 1907. In 1934, it completed a three-year, 90-port tour of the nation. It sailed under its own power for its 200th birthday in 1997. The Constitution’s stated mission today is to promote understanding of the Navy’s role in war and peace through educational outreach, historical demonstration, and active participation in public events as part of the Naval History and Heritage Command. As it is a fully commissioned Navy ship, its crew of 75 officers and sailors participate in ceremonies, educational programs, and special events while providing free tours all year round. The officers and crew are all active-duty Navy personnel, and this is a special duty assignment. It is usually berthed at Pier 1 of the former Charlestown Navy Yard at one end of Boston’s Freedom Trail. Have you ever been on an old ship?
The Old North Church
On the other hand, I really liked the old North Church, Christ Church, at 193 Salem Street. I liked seeing the pews with the names of the old colonial families. Of course, these boxed pews had no kneelers. These pews cost an initial 30 pounds, but owners were also expected to pay an annual tax and make weekly contributions. If owners fell behind on their weekly contributions, the church reserved the right to sell their pews. The church also had two pews in the back of the center aisle designated for “Wardens and Strangers,” possibly to entice non-members to join the congregation. The pews were restored in 1912, with some of the original doors, hinges, and paneling from 1723, and numbered the same way they were in 1731. After 1912, the Old North Church became an open congregation and seating was open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. I have three postcards of these pews. This was and still is an Anglican or Episcopal Church. The Old North Church, officially named Christ Church, is in the North End neighborhood of Boston. The church, built in 1723, is the oldest standing church building in Boston and a National Historic Landmark. Old North Church’s steeple is famous for the role it played in Paul Revere’s lantern signal to warn militias in Charlestown that the British were coming, launching the American Revolution. Thus, the Old North’s steeple has become an iconic symbol of liberty in the USA. The original steeple of the Old North Church was destroyed in 1804 and again in 1954, but rebuilt. Construction of the Old North Church began in April 1723, but the congregation was able to celebrate its first worship the following year. The architectural design was inspired by the works of the English architect Christopher Wren, who was responsible for rebuilding London after the Great Fire. The Old North fulfilled a social function, supplying merchants and ship captains with a religious common ground to build their inter-Atlantic trust. Clark and Peter Faneuil each donated 100 pounds for the creation of Old North Church, representing the two largest contributions for the purchase of the church’s bells. The colonists laundered their reputations through Old North, signaling that they were upstanding men of commerce who gave back to the community that supported their activities. In 1991, the Old North Foundation was established as a secular non-profit organization independent of the church. Modern estimates suggest that enslaved Black African people made up 10-15% of Boston’s 18th century population. Enslaved people were expected to be baptized, and were required to attend church with their enslavers, but they could not sit amongst their enslavers, so that they sat in the gallery instead. Many famous people have worshiped here over the centuries. Old North Church is today one of the sites among the 16 stops on the Freedom Trail. Had you ever heard about the Old North Church?
Paul Revere’s house
Then it was on to Paul Revere’s house. I just looked at it. I did not want to go in it. I have three postcards, including one of the statutes of Paul Revere. This Paul Revere House has been a National Historic Landmark since 1961, located at 19 North Square, Boston, in the city’s North End, now a museum of the Paul Revere Memorial Association. The original three-story house was built about 1680, making it the oldest surviving house in downtown Boston. It occupied the former site of the Second Church of Boston’s parsonage, home to Cotton Mather, that was destroyed by fire in 1676. Its first owner was Robert Howard, a wealthy slave merchant. Paul Revere owned this house from 1770 to 1800, although he and his family may have lived elsewhere for periods of time in the 1780s and 1790s. After Revere sold the house, it became a tenement with its ground floor remodeled for use as shops, including at various times a candy store, a cigar factory, a bank, and a vegetable and fruit business. In 1902, Revere’s great-grandson, John P. Reynolds Jr. purchased the building to prevent demolition. Restoration took place under the guidance of architect and historic preservationist Joseph Everett Chandler. In April 1908, the Paul Revere House opened its doors to the public as one of the earliest historic house museums in the United States. Despite the substantial renovation process which returned the house to its conjectured appearance around 1700, 90% of the structure is original to 1680, though none of the window glass is original. Its heavy beams, large fireplaces, and absence of interior hallways are typical of colonial living arrangements. The two chambers upstairs contain several pieces of furniture believed to have belonged to the Revere family. Immediately adjacent is the brick Pierce–Hichborn House, built about 1711 as an early Georgian house, and operated as a nonprofit museum by the Paul Revere Memorial Association. In December 2016, the Paul Revere Memorial Association opened a 3,500-square-foot visitor and education center connected to the house by an elevated walkway. Purchased in 2007, $4 million renovations allow the new education center to provide additional exhibit space on Revere’s Midnight Ride, his work as a silversmith, and his industrial work after the American Revolution. Obviously, it was not there when we were present in 1984. I thought it was a nice old house. Have you ever visited an old historic house?
The Boston Tea Party (1773)
The first stop was the Boston Tea Party ship. I remember the best part was that you got to throw over the side of the ship a box with tea in it that was on a rope. I think Joy enjoyed that too. I felt very patriotic throwing the tea box off the side of a boat, just like the Sons of Liberty on December 16, 1773. This was an act of opposition to the Townsend Tea Acts of May 10, 1773. Some of them disguised themselves as Native Americans as they destroyed a shipment of tea sent by the British East India Company. Thus, the Boston Tea Party became an iconic event in American history. Originally, this event was known as “The Destruction of the Tea.” The first use of “Boston Tea Party” in print was in 1834, sixty years later, as it gained popularity in the 19th century, since this event took on a legendary status in American history. The name succinctly captured the combination of locality (Boston), the commodity involved (tea), and the nature of the event (a political “party” or gathering as a form of protest). The Boston Tea Party arose from two issues confronting the British Empire. The first was the financial problems of the British East India Company and an ongoing dispute about the extent of Parliament’s authority, if any, over the British American colonies without seating any elected representatives. The British Prime Minister, Lord Frederick North (1713-1792), exacerbated these issues that produced a showdown that eventually resulted in the War of Independence, and ultimately the end of British colonialization and the emergence of the United States as a sovereign nation. The Boston Tea Party was the second American tax revolt against the British royal authority, the first occurred in April 1772, in Weare, New Hampshire, known as the Pine Tree Riot where colonialists protested heavy fines levied against them for harvesting trees. The British government considered this Boston Tea Party protest an act of treason, and responded harshly. Days later, the Philadelphia Tea Party, instead of destroying a shipment of tea, sent the ship back to England without unloading it. The Tea Party was the culmination of a resistance movement throughout British America against the Tea Act, a tax passed by the British Parliament in 1773. Colonists objected to the Tea Act, believing it violated their rights as Englishmen to “no taxation without representation.” They wanted to be taxed only by their own elected representatives and not by a parliament in which they were not represented. The well-connected British East India Company also had been granted competitive advantages over colonial tea importers, who resented the move and feared additional infringement on their business. The Boston Tea Party was a significant event that helped accelerate and intensify colonial support for the American Revolution. The English Parliament responded in 1774 with the Intolerable Acts, or Coercive Acts, which, among other provisions, ended local self-government in Massachusetts and closed Boston’s commerce. Colonists throughout the Thirteen Colonies responded to the Intolerable Acts with additional acts of protest, and by convening the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, which petitioned the British monarch for repeal of the acts, and coordinated colonial resistance to them, culminating in the October 1774 Continental Association. Modern protesters often consider themselves a Tea Party movement, referring to this incident. Do you think that taxes or tariffs are a good idea?
Traveling on Boston’s Freedom Trail
I was not prepared for the roundabouts in the Boston area that confused me. I have never seen a city that had so many of these intersections with circles. I had a hard time getting in and out of these rotary circles. I had to learn that entering vehicles only needed to give way, not come to a full stop. However, the slow-moving traffic in the roundabouts made less noise than the stopping, starting up, speeding up, and braking at Red Lights and Stop signs. Columbus Circle in NYC has been there over a hundred years, since 1905, but I never knew that. In the New England region, they were called a “rotary.” I did not like them. That Friday morning of June 15, 1984, was a busy day of sightseeing in Boson. I was not going to drive, but leave my car at the hotel in this busy city. We took public transportation downtown from our Swiss Chalet Motor Lodge, about four miles south of downtown. Instead, we rode the guided Double Decker Freedom Trail Shuttle, $6.00 each for Margaret and I, and $4.50 for Joy. We stopped at Old Ironsides, the Tea Party Ship, the Old North Church, and Paul Revere’s house. Instead of walking the Freedom Trail, a 2.5 mile walk through history, marked by a red painted line or red bricks, we were going to ride a bus. I felt that it would be more efficient that way. I had a guide book and a map. What else did I need? Everything seemed to go well, as the first few stops were not a problem. However, then we got stranded for nearly an hour at one stop. I was upset, since a bus did not come along every fifteen minutes as promised. I finally decided to end our trip with a visit to Faneuil Hall. I had never heard of this place. Today it is a marketplace and meeting hall located near the waterfront that opened in 1742, now part of Boston National Historical Park, and a well-known stop on the Freedom Trail. It is sometimes referred to as “the Cradle of Liberty,” although the building and location also have ties to slavery. On October 9, 1960, this building was designated a National Historic Landmark. In 2008, Faneuil Hall was rated number 4 in “America’s 25 Most Visited Tourist Sites” by Forbes Traveler. Colonial merchant and slave trader Peter Faneuil offered to build a public meeting place in 1740. This Faneuil Hall has a long history of remodeling since then. Neighboring Quincy Market was constructed between 1824 and 1826. Quincy Market is commonly referred to as Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which is where we were. We had lunch at the Salty Dog, a seafood place that is still there today. The Salty Dog Seafood Grille & Bar specializes in fresh New England Seafood prepared traditionally with local ingredients with a friendly and casual atmosphere. The outside cafe was great for a place to eat and relax with a great meal on the historic bricks of Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Have you ever been to Faneuil Hall?
Boston, the capital of New England
Boston is the capital and largest city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in an area of 48 square miles, but only a population of 675,647 as of the 2020 census, less than a million people. Its high point was 1950 with 801,444 people. However, the Greater Boston metropolitan statistical area has a population of over 5 million, the largest metropolitan area in New England. Today Boston has a population of only 48% Non-Hispanic White, 22% Black, 20% Hispanic, and 8% Asians, a truly diverse and inclusive city. Ethnic African-Americans comprise 22% of the city’s population. People of Irish descent are 16%, and Italians are 8%. Boston was founded on Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by English Puritan settlers, who named this city after the market town of Boston, Lincolnshire, in England, the home of Isaac Johnson. During the American Revolutionary War, Boston was home to several seminal events, including the Boston Massacre (1770), the Boston Tea Party (1773), Paul Revere’s midnight ride (1775), the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775), and the Siege of Boston (1775–1776). Following American colonists’ independence from Great Britain, Boston played an important national role as a port, and as a manufacturing hub, as well as an educational and cultural center. Boston has the nation’s first public park, Boston Common, 1634, the first public school, Boston Latin School, 1635, and the first subway system, Tremont Street subway, 1897. Boston has emerged as a global leader in higher education and research, as the largest biotechnology hub in the world in 2025. Greater Boston has more than 50 colleges and universities, including Harvard and MIT, the highest-ranked universities in the world. With nearly 5,000 startup companies, the city is considered a global pioneer in innovation, entrepreneurship, and artificial intelligence. As a global city, Boston is among the top 30 most economically powerful cities in the world. Tourism also composes a large part of Boston’s economy that is led by finance, professional and business services, information technology, and government. Boston was the largest town in the Thirteen Colonies until Philadelphia and New York outgrew them in the mid-18th century. Since the 1820s, Boston’s population grew rapidly, as the city’s ethnic composition changed dramatically with the first wave of European immigrants. The Irish and Italian immigrants brought with them Roman Catholicism. Currently, Catholics make up Boston’s largest religious community. 57% of the population identify themselves as Christians, with 25% attending a variety of Protestant churches and 29% professing Roman Catholic beliefs. 33% claim no religious affiliation, while the remaining 10% express other non-Christian religious beliefs. Nearly a third of Bostonians use public transit for their commute to work. 34% of Boston households lacked a car in 2013, compared with the national average of 9%. 13% commute by foot, the highest percentage of pedestrian commuters in the country. Boston also has one of the highest rates of bicycle commuting. With the gentrification of Boston in the latter half of the 20th century, housing prices have increased sharply since the 1990s. Boston is sometimes called a city of 23 neighborhoods with varied degrees of wealth. What do you know about Boston?
Boston, the sports town
Besides the Boston Celtics, Boston is a great sports town. Fenway Park, with its left field green monster, is the home stadium of the Boston Red Sox that opened in 1912, the oldest professional baseball stadium still in use, older than Wrigley Field in Chicago that opened in 1916. Boston has teams in the four major North American men’s professional sports leagues, plus Major League Soccer. As of 2024, the city had won 40 championships in these leagues. Boston was the site of the first modern World Series, in 1903. Boston’s first professional baseball team was the Red Stockings, one of the charter members of the National Association in 1871, and of the National League in 1876. The Boston Braves were in the National League from 1912 until they moved to Milwaukee after the 1952 season, when I was in grade school. Since 1966, the Braves have played in Atlanta as the Atlanta Braves. Meanwhile, the American League Boston Red Sox always lost to the New York Yankees, ever since they let their star player, Babe Ruth, move to New York in 1919, where he became the Bambino with his curse on Red Sox baseball. The Boston Bruins were the first American member of the National Hockey League and an Original Six franchise, along with Montreal, Toronto, New York, Detroit, and Chicago. While the New England Patriots have played in suburban Foxborough since 1971, they were founded in 1960 as the Boston Patriots, changing their name after relocating. Those Patriots have won the Super Bowl after the 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018 seasons. They share Gillette Stadium with the New England Revolution of the Major League Soccer. Harvard Stadium was the nation’s first collegiate athletic stadium made of concrete. One of the best-known sporting events in the city is the Boston Marathon, the 26.2-mile race which is the world’s oldest annual marathon, run on Patriots’ Day in April. The Red Sox traditionally play a home game starting around 11 a.m. on the same day, with the early start time allowing fans to watch runners finish the race nearby after the conclusion of the baseball game. Is your town a sports town?
Celtic Pride
After our little excursion at Lexington and Concord, it was on to Boston, where we spent two nights at the Swiss Chalet and Motor Inn, as it had a swimming pool and overlooked Boston Harbor. We were not aware that June 14, 1984, was Celtic Appreciation Day in Boston. The roads were more busy than normal because of this downtown celebration, that was all over the local TV stations that night as we settled in. I had forgotten that the Boston Celtics had won the NBA championship on June 12, 1984 at the Boston Garden, two days earlier. Celtic pride was busting out all over. The Boston Celtics were founded in 1946 as one of the league’s original eight teams, probably the most successful team in NBA history. They hold the record for the most NBA championships won, with 18, and most recorded wins of any NBA franchise. The Celtics were the founding members of the Basketball Association of America, one of the two leagues that merged to form the NBA. The Boston Celtics rose to dominance led by coach Red Auerbach, with Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, and Tom Heinsohn, when the Celtics won their first NBA championship in 1957, the year I graduated from high school. Russell, along with a talented supporting cast of future Hall of Famers, including Don Nelson, K. C. Jones, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, Satch Sanders, and Bill Sharman, would lead the Celtics into their greatest period in franchise history, as they won eight consecutive NBA championships from 1959 to 1966, as Bill Russell dominated Wilt Chamberlain. After Russell became the team’s player-coach, as well as the first African American head coach in any USA sport, they won back-to-back titles in 1968 and 1969. The Celtics entered a period of rebuilding after Russell retired in 1969. In the mid-1970s, the Celtics became contenders once again, winning championships in 1974 and 1976 under the leadership of head coach Tom Heinsohn with Dave Cowens, Havlicek, and Jo Jo White. The Celtics returned to dominance in the 1980s with the “Big Three” of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, with a renewed rivalry with the “Showtime” Lakers. The Celtics won championships in 1981 and 1984, the year that we were there. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game series that year. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during this final series, earning the NBA Finals MVP award. The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics rivalry was revived in 1979 with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird entering the NBA. After alternating wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series by a score of 111–102. The Boston Celtics had four Hall of Fame players, Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, while the defeated the Los Angeles Lakers that had six Hall of Fame players, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson, Bob McAdoo, Jamaal Wilkes, and James Worthy. Coach KC Jones bested Pat Riley, both Hall of Fame members also. In March of 2025, the Boston Celtics were sold for 6.1 billion dollars to Bill Chisholm, billion not million, the most expensive sale of any sports team. I guess that they are worth it. What do you know about the Boston Celtics?
Gene Finnegan Remembers Living Eighty Wonderful Years 