Category: American Revolution
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Lafayette: America’s Favorite Frenchman
Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, made eight visits to Boston during his travels to the United States. According to Boston’s city records, he made six trips between 1778 and 1784 and two trips between 1824 and 1825.[1] Lafayette served with distinction under General George Washington and acted as his trusted advisor, earning a…
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Paul Revere’s Ride and the Mark of Urban Slavery
In this episode of Illuminating the Unseen, Jaimie explores an often-overlooked detail of Paul Revere’s ride. In a letter recounting his historic midnight mission on April 18, 1775, Revere mentions that he “passed Charlestown Neck and got nearly opposite of where Mark was hung in chains.” Who was Mark and why was he hanged? As…
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A Community Reading of “Paul Revere’s Ride”
Listen to a community reading of “Paul Revere’s Ride”: On Independence Day Weekend, it has become a tradition for the Old North Church to host a reading of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s iconic poem “Paul Revere’s Ride.” This year, we did something a little different for our July 4th celebration. Instead of having just one…
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The People in the Pews: Rev. Stephen Lewis
What happened to the Anglican community during the American Revolutionary War? The story of Old North’s third rector, the Rev. Stephen Lewis, sheds some light on this period of great change. In the summer of 1776, Rev. Lewis set sail from England with General Burgoyne’s 16th Regiment of Light Dragoons (mounted infantry). Lewis was the…
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The People in the Pews: Rev. Mather Byles, Jr.
Reverend Mather Byles, Jr. served as the second rector of Old North Church from 1768 until April 18, 1775. He occupied pew #6. Like his predecessor Rev. Timothy Cutler, Byles left the Congregational ministry to be ordained as an Anglican priest. Also like Cutler, Byles was an enslaver. Church records document the baptism of Byle’s…
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The People in the Pews: General Thomas Gage
Following the Boston Tea Party in December 1773, the British Parliament deployed over 4,000 troops to occupy Boston. Their mission: enforce the Coercive Acts, designed to punish colonists for the Boston Tea Party and suppress insurgency within the colony. General Thomas Gage (1719- 1787) commanded these forces and, according to tradition, worshiped from pew 62…
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The People in the Pews: Capt. Samuel Nicholson
During his lifetime, when he was not out at sea, Capt. Samuel Nicholson attended Old North Church and owned Pew #11. After he died, he was buried in the Old North Church crypt. Visitors may now visit the crypt on Behind-the-Scenes Tours or view the plaque given to the church by the US Navy in…
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The People in the Pews: Robert Newman
Robert Newman is perhaps the most famous sexton ever to serve Old North due to his participation in the fateful events on the night of April 18, 1775. Robert Newman was born on March 20, 1752 in Boston. He had an interesting and complex family tree. Robert Newman’s great-grandfather, Rev. William Burroughs, was accused of…
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The People in the Pews: Joseph Warren Revere
Joseph Warren Revere, son of Paul Revere, attended the Old North Church in the early 19th century. He sat in Pew #54 with his family. Joseph Warren Revere was born in Boston on April 30, 1777, to Paul Revere and Rachel Walker Revere. He was the third of eight children from Paul Revere’s second marriage…
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The People in the Pews: Dr. Thomas Kast
Thomas Kast, a renowned doctor with an interesting story, attended Old North Church in the 18th century and owned Pews #6 and #27 while he lived on Hanover Street. Dr. Kast was born in Boston on August 12, 1750. He graduated from Harvard College in 1769 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Shortly after college,…