If This Is Wednesday, We Must Be at Faneuil Hall
Monday was Lexington and Concord. One twin took the photo above, though he was put off by the chest-banging aspects of the motto on the flagpole. Munroe Tavern’s presentation of the British soldiers’ experience was a good way to end the day. Today we’ll visit some of the sites in downtown Boston, and tomorrow Bunker Hill after I finish talking to the teachers.
4 comments:
Thought across the great pond, it was always referred to as "The War for Independence?" Have not been back to Lexington in years (lived there for 40), so I can't recall what the chest-banging motto said.
I've always known it as "The Revolutionary War".
I think there are several markers at that flagpole with brief inscriptions commemorating the first battles of the war. I haven't been there in almost 20 years, so maybe something else has been added?
They are very fortunate to have YOU for a tour guide! I'd always heard that from the British POV, it was called "The American War". I'm sure at the North Bridge you pointed out the site of the British soldiers' common grave. When I was there a couple of weeks ago, the site was manned by a British period soldier.
The motto is actually modest, so far as these things go: "Birth Place of American Liberty." Other locations in the U. S. of A. might disagree, but it doesn't claim to be birthplace of all liberty or the like. That sort of self-congratulation is not at all British (except, of course, when they're proud of being so modest).
Britain's period term for the Revolutionary War was indeed "the American War," but that stopped being such a good identifier after 1812. Now they seem to use "American Revolution" as easily as we say "French Revolution" or "Russian Revolution."
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