Report From the Field: Not the Same Old Freedom Trail—A View from the Paul Revere House

Abstract

One of the key public history venues in the country is Boston's Freedom Trail. The Trail is a wonderfully confusing collection of public buildings, churches, museums, and historic markers. The manner in which the sites along Boston's Freedom Trail interpret history is a function of many factors, including the impact of evolving scholarship, how the sites are governed, and audience expectations. Over the years, how the story of the American Revolution is related has changed. The Paul Revere House provides an informative example of one site's response to changing times and heightened expectations.