Meeting Hall of Liberty
The Old South Meeting House, built in 1729 as a Puritan meeting house, was the largest building in colonial Boston and a stage for key events leading up to the American Revolution. It stands today as a significant colonial site, one of the first public historic conservation efforts, and an early museum of American history. Its congregation included notable figures like Phillis Wheatley, Samuel Adams, William Otis, William Dawes, and the young Benjamin Franklin.
From 1768-75, it became the center for public protest meetings against British actions. The most notable event occurred on December 16, 1773, when over 5,000 men gathered to debate the tea tax. When compromise failed, Samuel Adams signaled the start of the Boston Tea Party, leading the Sons of Liberty to dump 342 chests of tea into the harbor, marking the Old South Meeting House as one of the country's most significant buildings.
Stories from Old South Meeting House
Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved woman from Massachusetts, became a celebrated poet, publishing a book in 1773, corresponding with prominent figures like George Washington, and demonstrating the literary talent of African Americans before dying in poverty at 31.
