Freedom Trail

On the guided tour of the Freedom Trail, specifically the Allegiance to Revolution tour, the retelling of the American Revolution concentrating on the white, upper class male allows for a dramatization and limited perspective of American history. The tour, which traveled from Faneuil Hall, to Paul Revere’s home, and finally the Old North Church, focused on the events between 1774 and 1775 that led the New Englanders to switch from trying to remain loyal to Great Britain and wanting a revolution for freedom. Instead of providing a complete portrayal of the New England people and their involvement in the events leading up to the American Revolution, the tour guide mentioned only men, specifically highlighting those in high social classes and

Throughout the tour, the guide offered little explanation of the British sentiment and did not speak of the retaliation Gage and Pitcairn faced as they attempted to enforce the legislation such as the Coercive Acts, Government Act, and Port Act, mandated by the British government. While there were numerous reasons for the Intolerable Acts other than irking the colonists, the only reason for the legislation mentioned in the tour was the British punishing New England for the Boston Tea Party, making the British seem manipulative, exploiting the colonists for apparently no reason. Instead of explaining the British thought process of collecting public stores of weapons and gun powder to protect from further violence and retaliation, the guide emphasized the secretive nature of the plans and the preposterous actions of Gage and Pitcairn trying to take arms, even though the colonists were subject to the crown’s rule. Lastly, while guide spoke in Paul Revere and Dr. Joseph Warren’s perspectives to retell the beginning of the revolution, they never once offered the viewpoint from Gage or Pitcairn, making the Freedom trail tour an incomplete historical account. Clearly, the story of the American Revolution would be incomplete with the British, making them a critical component of the historical event. Yet, the story told on the Freedom Trail is almost accusatory, maligning the British for upsetting the peace of the American colonies, causing the Patriots involved in the story to be