The Old South Meeting House was a Puritan church and was the largest building in colonial Boston. The church was used as a meeting place to discuss local issues, such as the Boston Massacre and to protest the impressment – or forcible draft, with or without notice– of American sailors into the British Navy. The famous writer Phyllis Wheatley was a member of this congregation. Wheatley was originally from African before she was kidnapped and sold as a slave in Boston. She was the first African American to publish a book. Benjamin Franklin was baptized in this church.

          On December 16, 1773, 5,000 Bostonians gathered in the meeting house to decide the status of the 30 tons of tea on ships in Griffin’s Wharf. The debate was whether the tea should be brought to shore – where it would become a taxable import – or if it should be sent back to England. There had already been several failed attempts to send the tea back to England. After the last failed attempt, Samuel Adams said “This meeting can do nothing more to save the country.” This statement was Adams’ signal to the Sons of Liberty. The Sons of Liberty were disguised as Mohawk Indians and were prepared to march to the wharf and destroy the 340 crates of tea by throwing it into the water.

          Over 1.5 million dollars of tea was destroyed by the Sons of Liberty. As punishment, the English closed Boston Harbor which was economically vital to the city. There were restrictions placed on the local governments and public meetings. The interior of the meeting house was destroyed by British soldiers. The soldiers ripped out the pews, installed a bar, and used it as a riding school for the British Army. Because of this, the meeting house was not used as a place of worship for ten years, from 1773 until 1783.

          In 1876, the building was slated to be demolished but a group of activists saved it. It then became first historic preservation effort in New England. In 1877, the meeting house was opened to the public as a museum and became a historic landmark.

​

​

Sources: https://www.nps.gov/bost/learn/historyculture/osmh.htm

                http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/

​