Massachusetts
Boston: Birthplace of American Liberty
Program No. 5717RJ
In 2026, celebrate America's 250th birthday in Boston, the cradle of liberty. Explore historic landmarks and revolutionary events alongside scholarly experts and friendly locals.
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6 days
5 nights
13 meals
5B 4L 4D
4
Freedom Trail, Free Time
Boston, MA
5
Lexington & Concord Field Trips
Boston, MA
6
Meet Deborah Sampson, Program Concludes
Boston, MA
At a Glance
What better place to commemorate America's 250th birthday in 2026 than Boston, where the dream of independence first took root? Walk in the footsteps of Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Paul Revere along the Freedom Trail. Led by expert instructors, discover the city's revolutionary spirit through visits to historic treasures like Faneuil Hall and Bunker Hill, where America's story began.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to 2.5 miles per day; some cobblestones and hills.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Explore the Boston Massacre site, Granary Burying Ground, Old South Meeting House and the Old State House.
- Visit Paul Revere’s home in Boston’s historic North End neighborhood, and see where the famed lanterns were hung at the Old North Church.
- Relive the first days of the Revolution at Old North Bridge, along the path from Lexington to Concord.
General Notes
Public transportation and ferries used.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Charles Bahne
Charles Bahne is a historian, author and local expert, focusing on Boston and its role in the American Revolution. Charlie came to Boston for college and fell in love with the city. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he majored in urban studies and planning, focusing on urban history. He has been a seasonal park ranger at Boston National Historical Park, and has worked with many of the city’s guide companies and museums. His guidebook, “The Complete Guide to Boston’s Freedom Trail,” has sold more than 580,000 copies since its publication in 1985. Charlie has taught over 100 Road Scholar programs about Boston over the past 25 years.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Charles Bahne
View biography
Charles Bahne is a historian, author and local expert, focusing on Boston and its role in the American Revolution. Charlie came to Boston for college and fell in love with the city. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he majored in urban studies and planning, focusing on urban history. He has been a seasonal park ranger at Boston National Historical Park, and has worked with many of the city’s guide companies and museums. His guidebook, “The Complete Guide to Boston’s Freedom Trail,” has sold more than 580,000 copies since its publication in 1985. Charlie has taught over 100 Road Scholar programs about Boston over the past 25 years.
Suggested Reading List
(14 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Boston: Birthplace of American Liberty
Program Number: 5717
Defiance of the Patriots: The Boston Tea Party & the Making of America
A good discussion of the issues and events that culminated in the destruction of the tea in 1773.
The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763–1789
From "The Oxford History of the United States" series, a good one-volume study of the Revolution from both a political and military perspective.
The First American Revolution: Before Lexington and Concord
Tells the little-known story of how residents of rural Massachusetts effectively overthrew the royal government, without force, seven months before the first shots were fired.
Masquerade: The Life and Times of Deborah Sampson
True story of a young woman who enlisted and served in the Continental Army.
Decisive Day: The Battle for Bunker Hill
A readable narrative of the first major battle of the American Revolution.
Paul Revere and the World He Lived In
Although it was published 70 years ago, this outstanding book is still the best available overview of what happened in Boston in the 1760s and 1770s. Not just a biography of Paul Revere, it describes life and politics during this tumultuous period. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
Founding Myths: Stories That Hide Our Patriotic Past
Examines some legends of the American Revolution that have become “accepted fact” in our history books, and digs out the story of what really happened.
Lexington and Concord: The Beginning of the War of the American Revolution
A detailed yet readable history of the events of April 19, 1775.
1776
The story of one momentous year, from the evacuation of Boston through the disastrous New York campaign. The illustrated edition includes reproductions of significant historical documents.
A New Age Now Begins: A People's History of the American Revolution
The best detailed history of the American Revolution; part of the author's eight-volume history of the United States.
The Minutemen and their World
A fascinating study of the farmers and townsmen of Concord in the years before they gathered at North Bridge.
As If an Enemy's Country: The British Occupation of Boston and the Origins of Revolution
Describes events that led up to the Boston Massacre, and the Massacre itself.
Paul Revere’s Ride
A modern history of events that led up to the famous ride, and of the fighting that occurred later that day.
The Muse of the Revolution: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis Warren and the Founding of a Nation
The story of a remarkable woman sister of one leading patriot and wife of another who played a surprising role in shaping political thinking during the Revolution, then wrote an early history of those events.