Page 79 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Boston

NOR TH END AND THE W A TERFRONT  77

the state-of-the-art Minute- e Children’s Museum with barrels of materials
man Theatre plays a multi- 300 Congress St. Map 2 E5. that children can use in
sensory film that dramatically Tel (617) 426-6500.  South Station. self-instructive creative
recreates one of the most Open 10am–5pm daily (to 9pm Fri). projects, while the KidPower
important events in the history & 7 ∑ bostonkids.org exhibition is designed to
of United States. encourage active, healthy
Overlooking Fort Point lifestyles. An international
Channel, a pair of rejuvenated flavor is injected into the
19th- century wool warehouses proceedings by a visit to
contain one of the country’s the silk merchant’s house,
best children’s museums, which has been transplanted
which underwent an extensive from the city of Kyoto in
expan sion in 2007. There Japan (Boston’s sister city).
are many interesting exhibits, A towering milk bottle
and youngsters are able to from a local dairy stands
participate in games and outside in front of the
learning activities, and hoist museum building and is
themselves up a climbing used as an ice-cream stand
structure in the New in summer. An outdoor
Balance Center. park features mazes, giant
Playing on the mini-construction site at The Art Studio provides boulders, and spaces for
Boston’s Children’s Museum a hands-on recycling area outdoor performances.

The Boston Tea Party
In 1767, when Britain decided to tax its Thomas Hutchinson
American colonies, there was outrage. Governor of Boston and
Boycotts were placed on British goods, staunch monarchist,
and protesters took to the streets. Thomas Hutchinson tried
One such protest in 1773 culminated to force the rebels to
in the Boston Massacre (see p22). comply with British
Despite a subsequent reduction in taxation, colonial law.
tax on tea remained. Parliament then granted
the British East India Company sole rights to
sell tea in the colonies, which caused prices
to rise further. In November 1773, ships arrived 342 bales of tea were
thrown into the sea.
in Boston Harbor loaded with tea, and
merchants, who refused to buy the tea, came
under pressure from Thomas Hutchinson,
the Monarchist governor. On the night of
December 16, however, around 7,000
rebels, gathered by Samuel Adams, marched
to the wharf declaring “Tonight Boston
Harbor is a teapot!” Fifty men, dressed
as Mohawks, boarded the ships and
dumped their cargoes into the water.
Britain reacted strongly, closing the port
and putting Massachusetts under martial
law. This retribution unified patriots across
America, and the “Boston Tea Party,” as the
protest was soon known, became the
spark that ignited the Revolutionary War.
Many of the rebels were
dressed as Mohawks.

A crowd of about 7,000
watched the events from
the quayside.
The Boston Tea Party, depicted in a 19th-century engraving

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