Sam Adams | John Adams | Robert Paine | John Hancock | Elbridge Gerry
A quick shout out to Boston's public transportation system for making this trip happen and for keeping me from dying while running across old town with two suitcases and two friends in-tow. This one's for you, Charlie.
Oh, Boston. What can I say about Boston? It's a beautiful city full of history and life, and far too much construction. But hey, I'm from Atlanta; I can't complain. I ended up exploring Boston in the Summer of 2019. I studied abroad in St. Petersburg starting in May of that year, and my first layover on the long journey to Europe left me with six hours in Boston and a lot of ambition. I was traveling with a friend from my school, and met up that day with a friend from grade school who studies at Harvard now. With two suitcases, two friends, a heart full of adventures, a head full of stories, and a dying phone battery, I set off on Boston's cobblestone streets. |
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Sam Adams
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One might have expected me to do more time researching for things to write about on my ambitious history/travel website, and less time traveling thousands of miles to take pictures with rocks. This 'one,' whomever he or she is, has definitely underestimated my distractability. For now, some fun facts. Sam Adams:
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John Adams
I will admit, when I went to Boston, I had fully expected to take the 30 minute train ride south to Quincy, lug my suitcases across the burrough, through the memorial buildings, and to the gravesite. The night before the flight I sat awake in my bed and whispered to myself 'tomorrow is the day I meet John Adams.' Well, our flight out of Atlanta got delayed by almost two hours, there was a whole wealth of Boston central to walk around and explore, and I wasn't yet completely comfortable with using the T (and trusting that the T would get us back to the airport across the bay in time for our flight out to London), so the Adams crypt was saved for another day and time.
Robert Paine
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I know almost absolutely nothing about Robert Treat Paine except that his middle name is Treat and that he is buried in a wall in a very wonderful graveyard. For my loyal readers, I shall learn more and endeavor to share before too long! |
Something forgotten...
I had hardly felt more tragedy than this: sitting in the Logan airport, about to fly halfway across the world out of Boston and realizing that that one edge of the graveyard we had neglected held the mortal remains of that man most famous for his signature: John Hancock.
I don't count all as lost however. During this quick trip I fell so in love with Boston that I knew I had to return. "John Hancock," I thought, "I WILL RETURN FOR YOU, (and the Adamses too)."
I don't count all as lost however. During this quick trip I fell so in love with Boston that I knew I had to return. "John Hancock," I thought, "I WILL RETURN FOR YOU, (and the Adamses too)."
MA signers Part 2: The Return |
John Hancock
So hopefully from above you can tell that I did in fact return to Boston, in Summer of 2021. There is a funny parallel between these two trips. Above, in May of 2019, I was passing through Boston on my way to Eastern Europe for a study abroad. As I wrote above, I was pondering returning to Boston for grad school. On the opposite end, here I am in August of 2021, having completed grad school (at my undergraduate alma mater), and returning from what was a purely entertaining trip to Eastern Europe.
John Hancock
John Hancock
MA Signers Part 3: the 'Mandering
Elbridge Gerry
Elbridge Gerry is buried in Congressional Cemetery in D.C. I have yet to visit him.