The Freedom Trail: Enemies to this Country Guided Tour

In 1774 Paul Revere and his neighbors in the North End were forced to make difficult and dangerous choices. As sides were drawn, both Patriots and Loyalists labeled the other “enemies to this country.” Join a National Park Service Ranger for a free 60 minute walk and de......More

In 1774 Paul Revere and his neighbors in the North End were forced to make difficult and dangerous choices. As sides were drawn, both Patriots and Loyalists labeled the other “enemies to this country.” Join a National Park Service Ranger for a free 60 minute walk and decide who the real "Enemies to This Country" were in the months before the breakout of the War for Independence.The tour is limited to 15 people. Tours begin inside the Find Your Park Space at the Faneuil Hall Visitor Center and end at Old North Church, covering about 0.5 miles. This is a walking tour through Downtown Boston and the North End. The path consists of different surfaces (cement, cobblestones, and pavement) and are occasionally uneven.If tours are CANCELLED due to inclement weather we will send an email notifying you of the cancellation.If cancelled an indoor option will be offered in the basement of Faneuil Hall in the Find Your Park Space.

Tours begin inside the Find Your Park Space at the Faneuil Hall Visitor Center and end at Old North Church, covering about 0.5 miles.

The Freedom Trail: Enemies to this Country Guided Tour

In 1774 Paul Revere and his neighbors in the North End were forced to make difficult and dangerous choices. As sides were drawn, both Patriots and Loyalists labeled the other “enemies to this country.” Join a National Park Service Ranger for a free 60 minute walk and de......More

In 1774 Paul Revere and his neighbors in the North End were forced to make difficult and dangerous choices. As sides were drawn, both Patriots and Loyalists labeled the other “enemies to this country.” Join a National Park Service Ranger for a free 60 minute walk and decide who the real "Enemies to This Country" were in the months before the breakout of the War for Independence.The tour is limited to 15 people. Tours begin inside the Find Your Park Space at the Faneuil Hall Visitor Center and end at Old North Church, covering about 0.5 miles. This is a walking tour through Downtown Boston and the North End. The path consists of different surfaces (cement, cobblestones, and pavement) and are occasionally uneven.If tours are CANCELLED due to inclement weather we will send an email notifying you of the cancellation.If cancelled an indoor option will be offered in the basement of Faneuil Hall in the Find Your Park Space.

Tours begin inside the Find Your Park Space at the Faneuil Hall Visitor Center and end at Old North Church, covering about 0.5 miles.

“Musik on the Harpsichord & Hammered Dulcimer” at Paul Revere House

Talented musician R. P. Hale plays 18th century tunes on instruments he has painstakingly reproduced from period originals. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Paul Revere’s time in this time travelling opportunity!

The Freedom Trail: Enemies to this Country Guided Tour

In 1774 Paul Revere and his neighbors in the North End were forced to make difficult and dangerous choices. As sides were drawn, both Patriots and Loyalists labeled the other “enemies to this country.” Join a National Park Service Ranger for a free 60 minute walk and de......More

In 1774 Paul Revere and his neighbors in the North End were forced to make difficult and dangerous choices. As sides were drawn, both Patriots and Loyalists labeled the other “enemies to this country.” Join a National Park Service Ranger for a free 60 minute walk and decide who the real "Enemies to This Country" were in the months before the breakout of the War for Independence.The tour is limited to 15 people. Tours begin inside the Find Your Park Space at the Faneuil Hall Visitor Center and end at Old North Church, covering about 0.5 miles. This is a walking tour through Downtown Boston and the North End. The path consists of different surfaces (cement, cobblestones, and pavement) and are occasionally uneven.If tours are CANCELLED due to inclement weather we will send an email notifying you of the cancellation.If cancelled an indoor option will be offered in the basement of Faneuil Hall in the Find Your Park Space.

Tours begin inside the Find Your Park Space at the Faneuil Hall Visitor Center and end at Old North Church, covering about 0.5 miles.

“William Dawes’s Midnight Ride” with William Dawes Schulz

While Longfellow cast Paul Revere as a lone hero in his 1860 poem “Paul Revere’s Ride,” history lovers have stood up for the other rider who carried news from Boston that night, William Dawes, since at least the 1890s. This talk will explore the life and the Midnight Ri......More

While Longfellow cast Paul Revere as a lone hero in his 1860 poem “Paul Revere’s Ride,” history lovers have stood up for the other rider who carried news from Boston that night, William Dawes, since at least the 1890s. This talk will explore the life and the Midnight Ride of William Dawes.Bill Schulz is a former cable news correspondent/co-host, a totally licensed NYC Tour Guide, and longtime contributor for publications including the New York Times, New York magazine, The Daily Beast, Maxim, New York Daily News, and Reader’s Digest. Schulz is also the 7th great-grandson of the Patriot William Dawes. In his words, “Truly, generating publicity for his long-forgotten ancestor/midnight-rider is the ONLY hobby this bitter journalist has.” This lecture is presented as a part of Paul Revere Memorial Association's 2025 Lowell Lecture series, “Whose Midnight Ride? Reflections on the 250th Anniversary of the Famous Ride.” On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere and William Dawes set out from Boston with information to convey to key Patriot leaders and to local Patriot militiamen. The story of the “Midnight Ride,” on the eve of the Revolutionary War, has been told and retold over the past two and a half centuries, both as a historical event and as a national legend. The 2025 Lowell Lecture Series will share perspectives on the events of April 18, the various participants, and on what it means to people looking back on the ride today.Lectures take place on Tuesdays, September 16 and 30 and October 21 and 28 at 6:30-7:45 pm. Lectures are free to the public and can be watched online at youtube.com/gbhforumnetwork and in person at Smith Commons (5th floor), Sargent Hall, Suffolk University, 120 Tremont Street. The lectures will be recorded and available after the fact.Presented in partnership with GBH, the Suffolk University History Department, Old North Illuminated, Lexington History Museums, Evanston History Center at the Charles Gates Dawes House (Evanston, IL), and Made by Us, with funding from the Lowell Institute.

Bark Basket Making Demonstration at Paul Revere House

Bark is to the Northeast Woodland tribes as Bison is to the tribes of the Western Plains. Bark is the material traditionally used to make wigwams, canoes, harvesting and storage containers, even raincoats. There is a season to harvesting Bark, just like there is a seaso......More

Bark is to the Northeast Woodland tribes as Bison is to the tribes of the Western Plains. Bark is the material traditionally used to make wigwams, canoes, harvesting and storage containers, even raincoats. There is a season to harvesting Bark, just like there is a season to harvesting raspberries. Craftsperson Jennifer Lee will demonstrate sewing a bark container together with spruce roots, and will have finished containers for sale.

Colonial Dance Tunes and Love Songs at Paul Revere House

In the guise of itinerant musicians Al Petty & Deirdre Sweeney perform popular 18th-century tunes such as “Mr. Isaac’s Maggot” and “Jack’s Health” on the penny whistle flute fife & other instruments.

Paper Marbling at Paul Revere House

See how colonial craftsmen created eye-catching marbled papers. Watch as R. P. Hale floats pigments in water, swirls the colors, then transfers the designs to paper. It may look like magic but Hale will explain the very real science behind this fascinating phenomenon.

“Who Cares About the Midnight Ride? Perspectives on an American Legend” with Dr. Noelle Trent, Ashante Bean, Dr. Eileen Ka-May Chen, and Kerry Dunne

What does the Midnight Ride mean today and who does it matter to? In this panel a university professor a high school teacher and administrator and a public history content creator will discuss how the Midnight Ride resonates (or doesn’t) with the groups they talk about ......More

What does the Midnight Ride mean today and who does it matter to? In this panel a university professor a high school teacher and administrator and a public history content creator will discuss how the Midnight Ride resonates (or doesn’t) with the groups they talk about history with. They will compare perspectives on societal trends that influence whether a historical event like this feels relevant today.Dr. Noelle N. Trent (moderator) President & CEO of the Museum of African American History | Boston & Nantucket is a public historian dedicated to preserving Black history. She has held leadership roles in national museum organizations and collaborated with institutions like the National Park Service and the Smithsonian. Previously she served as Director of Interpretation Collections & Education at the National Civil Rights Museum leading major exhibitions and MLK50. Her work has been featured in The New York Times  The Boston Globe and The Today Show. Dr. Trent graduated Phi Beta Kappa Summa Cum Laude from Howard University and holds a Ph.D. in U.S. History.Ahsante Bean is a video storyteller and creator of *Bean Thinking* a YouTube channel exploring American politics through history psychology and ideology. With a background in explanatory journalism she challenges cultural myths and invites viewers to imagine a more just inclusive democracy. A recent Us@250 Fellow with the New America Foundation Ahsante is passionate about connecting the present to the past—including moments like Paul Revere’s ride that continue to echo in our national character. Follow her work on YouTube or connect on social media @AhsanteB.Eileen Ka-May Cheng received her PhD from Yale University and is an associate professor of history at Sarah Lawrence College. She is the author of The Plain and Noble Garb of Truth: Nationalism and Impartiality in American Historical Writing 1784-1860 (2008) and Historiography: An Introductory Guide (2012).  She is currently working on a book project on loyalist historians of the American Revolution and their legacy entitled “The Loyalist Historians and Their Legacy: Plagiarizing the Nation ” and a book entitled “American Losers: How Defeat Made Our Democracy” (under contract to Yale University Press).Dr. Kerry Dunne has been a history teacher department head and director in Massachusetts public schools for 27 years and is in her fifth year as the History/Social Studies Department Head at Lexington High School. She is an adjunct instructor of education coursework at Boston University Framingham State University and Boston College. Dr. Dunne has also engaged in contract-based work in educational programming for the National Parks Service the Paul Revere House the USS Constitution Museum and the Public Health Museum and travels every summer to historic sites around the country and world. She owns and occasionally wears a tricorn hat!This lecture is presented as a part of Paul Revere Memorial Association's 2025 Lowell Lecture series “Whose Midnight Ride? Reflections on the 250th Anniversary of the Famous Ride.” On April 18 1775 Paul Revere and William Dawes set out from Boston with information to convey to key Patriot leaders and to local Patriot militiamen. The story of the “Midnight Ride ” on the eve of the Revolutionary War has been told and retold over the past two and a half centuries both as a historical event and as a national legend. The 2025 Lowell Lecture Series will share perspectives on the events of April 18 the various participants and on what it means to people looking back on the ride today.Lectures take place on Tuesdays September 16 and 30 and October 21 and 28 at 6:30-7:45 pm. Lectures are free to the public and can be watched online at youtube.com/gbhforumnetwork and in person at Smith Commons (5th floor) Sargent Hall Suffolk University 120 Tremont Street. The lectures will be recorded and available after the fact.Presented in partnership with GBH  the Suffolk University History Department  Old North Illuminated  Lexington History Museums  Evanston History Center at the Charles Gates Dawes House (Evanston IL) and Made by Us with funding from the Lowell Institute.

“Who was Paul Revere, Really?” with Dr. Robert Martello, Dr. Jayne Triber, and Nina Zannieri

Two of Revere’s biographers will speak with the Executive Director of the Paul Revere House on Paul Revere, the man and the myth. While today he is most famous for his Midnight Ride, this talk will cover his life before and after the Revolution as well.Dr. Robert Martel......More

Two of Revere’s biographers will speak with the Executive Director of the Paul Revere House on Paul Revere, the man and the myth. While today he is most famous for his Midnight Ride, this talk will cover his life before and after the Revolution as well.Dr. Robert Martello is a Professor of the History of Science and Technology at Olin College. He offers faculty development workshops on the subjects of interdisciplinary education, student motivation, and self-directed project-based learning, for educators around the world.  He has chaired efforts that re-imagined Olin’s faculty reappointment and promotion, institutional outreach, and curricular innovation. Professor Martello is the author of Midnight Ride, Industrial Dawn: Paul Revere and the Growth of American Enterprise, a study of Revere’s multifaceted career and national impacts. He is currently researching Benjamin Franklin’s printing and business endeavors, and regularly lectures on Revere and Franklin, our “Founding Makers,” for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.Jayne E. Triber, author of A True Republican: The Life of Paul Revere (University of Massachusetts Press, 1998), is an independent historian and public speaker who received a Ph.D from Brown University. She began her career as a historical interpreter at the Paul Revere House and later worked as a state and National Park Service ranger in Massachusetts and as a college instructor. She is also the author of a wide variety of articles, textbook chapters, research papers, and curriculum material on the American Revolution and the post-Revolutionary era and has appeared in documentaries for the Biography and History channels. Since 1986, Nina Zannieri has been the Executive Director of the Paul Revere Memorial Association in Boston, MA, which owns and operates a now fully accessible complex of three historic buildings that includes the Paul Revere House. Ms. Zannieri has held leadership positions in several national and regional professional museum organizations including American Alliance of Museum, New England Museum Association, and the American Association for State and Local History. In 2015 she received a NEMA Lifetime Achievement Award. She currently sits on the board of the Freedom Trail Foundation, Seamans Port and Aid Society, Harvard University Museum Studies Advisory Board, and is a member of the Boston Green Ribbon Commission Cultural Organization Working Group Leadership team. She received her BA in history from Boston College and her MA in Anthropology/Museum Studies from Brown University.This lecture is presented as a part of Paul Revere Memorial Association's 2025 Lowell Lecture series, “Whose Midnight Ride? Reflections on the 250th Anniversary of the Famous Ride.” On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere and William Dawes set out from Boston with information to convey to key Patriot leaders and to local Patriot militiamen. The story of the “Midnight Ride,” on the eve of the Revolutionary War, has been told and retold over the past two and a half centuries, both as a historical event and as a national legend. The 2025 Lowell Lecture Series will share perspectives on the events of April 18, the various participants, and on what it means to people looking back on the ride today.Lectures take place on Tuesdays, September 16 and 30 and October 21 and 28 at 6:30-7:45 pm. Lectures are free to the public and can be watched online at youtube.com/gbhforumnetwork and in person at Smith Commons (5th floor), Sargent Hall, Suffolk University, 120 Tremont Street. The lectures will be recorded and available after the fact.Presented in partnership with GBH, the Suffolk University History Department, Old North Illuminated, Lexington History Museums, Evanston History Center at the Charles Gates Dawes House (Evanston, IL), and Made by Us, with funding from the Lowell Institute.