The Cradle of Liberty...

...Faneuil Hall
(you were thinking...???)

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Often referred to as the Cradle of Liberty, Faneuil Hall has served as a market-place and meeting hall since it was built in 1742.
The building became the first town hall in Boston and during the years leading up to the American Revolution the Great Hall on the second floor was the scene of many meetings where Bostonians voiced their dissent against the oppressive policies of the British Parliament.  Faneuil Hall still provides a forum for debate on the issues of today.

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The town meetings held in Faneuil Hall should only have concerned themselves with local issues.  In the mid 1760s, however, the discussion turned to the taxation policies of the British Empire, and Faneuil Hall became the focus of revolutionary activity in Boston

At times protest meetings held at the hall spilled over into incidents of violence in the streets.  Under the leadership of  James Otis, Samuel Adams, Dr. Joseph Warren and other "Sons of Liberty," debates let to opposition to the Sugar Tax of 1764, the Stamp Act of 1765, and other British political maneuvers.  In December of 1773,sessions took place here concerning a newly arrived consignment of tea and the tax to be paid on it.

Into the 21st century, Faneuil Hall has remained an active and important place for Bostonians.  In the early 19th century the three granite structures of Quincy Market were built to the east of the Hall.  These, along with Faneuil Hall's market stalls, continued to be Boston's wholesale food distribution center until the 1960's.

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During the 1970's, the entire Faneuil Hall area underwent a major renewal, and today the stalls purvey food to the thousands of visitors each day.

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The meeting room at Faneuil Hall still serves the people of Boston as a public meeting place as well.  National issues continue to be discussed from its stage, but more frequently, the Hall is the site of debates on community issues, high school graduations, and naturalization ceremonies for new Americans.

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Peter Faneuil's original Hall was intended to serve Bostonians as a market place for food on one level, and a market place for ideas on the second.  Today this tradition continues.

Informational text provided by :

- From the National Park Service - Dept of the Interior -

Photos provided by ME !