Boston 1776 – J D Dickey (1)

Mayhew is an inspiration to those with even a little patriot blood in them, but you’re not apt to find too many other ministers like him in West Boston. One reason is there are no other major churches. Unlike other parts of town, the highest points in this neighborhood are not steeples but massive hills. Notice three of them to the south, collectively called the Trimountain and ranging from 80 to 138 feet tall.

To the east is Pemberton Hill, in the middle Beacon Hill, and to the west Mount Whoredom—called Mount Vernon in polite company. If you’re in fair shape, you won’t have trouble ascending Beacon Hill. Follow Temple Street south to a path that leads up the slope and curves around to a steep, grassy, hemispheric mound. From here, you can see pastures for cattle and horses, docks and wharves lining the western shore, and fine views out to Cambridge and Charlestown.

The residents draw fresh water from natural springs along the slope, with Blackstone’s Spring being the best known. The path ends at the summit of Beacon Hill, topped by a sixty-foot-tall, four-foot-thick mast with a stone foundation. Climb the mast by the pole steps (not recommended) and you’ll reach a projecting arm, off of which hangs a hook for an iron pot or barrel to be attached. During times of peril for the town, the container is filled with tar and set alight to warn the countryside it should prepare for battle and send militia to Boston’s defense.

Originally, Puritan leaders built the beacon to signal attack by native Indians, but more recently, patriots have regarded the British army as the primary threat. They nearly lit the barrel in 1768 when tensions were high with occupying troops, and again in 1770 immediately after the Massacre on King Street. General Howe had no use for the beacon and had it dismantled during the siege, also building fortifications on the summit and emplacing 24- pounder cannon. After the evacuation, Bostonians rebuilt the beacon—to fire the tar should another invasion occur.

Today, it stands less as an emblem of military power than a relic from an earlier age. A time when their greatest threat was the tribes on the frontier of Massachusetts instead of an imperial army across the length of North America. As you descend the hill the way you came, you’ll find that another threat is topographical. On the western slope, huge gouges have been hacked out of the earth—an ugly and aggressive excavation, which some residents fear may cause the entire hill to subside or collapse.

A man named Thomas Hodson has done this to collect gravel to fill in his wharves, and the selectmen haven’t been able to stop him.

also by j. d. dickey The Republic of Violence: The Tormented Rise of Abolition in Andrew Jackson’s America American Demagogue: The Great Awakening and the Rise and Fall of Populism Rising in Flames: Sherman’s March and the Fight for a New Nation Empire of Mud: The Secret History of Washington, DC 1kitap1.com/en 1kitap1.com/en Diversion Books A division of Diversion Publishing Corp.

www.diversionbooks.com Copyright © 2026 by J. D. Dickey All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval, without the written permission of the publisher. Diversion Books and colophon are registered trademarks of Diversion Publishing Corp.

For more information, email [email protected] First Diversion Books Edition: February 2026 Hardcover ISBN: 979-8-89515-017-7 e-ISBN: 979-8-89515-019-1 Design by Neuwirth & Associates, Inc. Cover design by Libby Kingsbury Printed in the United States of America 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 Diversion books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the US by corporations, institutions, and other organizations. For more information, please contact [email protected].

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content. 1kitap1.com/en To Andrew Rosenberg 1kitap1.com/en 1kitap1.com/en CONTENTS How to Use This Guide Introduction A ROGUE TOUR OF BOSTON—REVOLUTION CITY 1 The Harbor and Harborside 2 The North End 3 Official Boston Illustrations: PEOPLE AND PLACES 4 The Town Center 5 West Boston and Beacon Hill 6 The Common and the Liberty Tree Illustrations: REVOLUTIONARY EVENTS 7 The South End 8 The Charlestown Peninsula 9 The Boston Neck, Roxbury, and Dorchester Illustrations: ASPECTS OF BOSTON Practical Matters Visiting Boston in 2026 vs. 1776 Acknowledgments Illustration Credits Bibliography Selected Notes About the Author 1kitap1.com/en HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE Our journey to Boston in 1776 is designed for visitors with a flair for the dramatic, the historic, and the groundbreaking, as well as the commonplace —all in a town that has received a great deal of attention in our upstart new republic.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

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