The Old South Meeting House was built in 1729 so that Puritans could meet there to pray.
 Benjamin Franklin was baptized here.
 The church's famous members included:
Phyllis Wheatley (the first African-American poet whose poetry was published)
James Otis
William Dawes, who warned people that British soldiers were coming, just like Paul Revere did, in 1775
Some of the events that led up to the American Revolutionary War happened at Old South Church.
 For example, five thousand people met at Old South Meeting House just before the Boston Tea Party in 1773.
 They were trying to decide what to do with the tea that was waiting on ships in Boston Harbor.
 After the British passed the Tea Act, Bostonians would have to pay taxes on the tea even though they had no say in whether the taxes were fair or not.
 They tried to have the tea sent back to England, but they were unable to.
 After this, Samuel Adams got up and said, "This meeting can do nothing more to save the country."
 This was a secret signal to tell the Sons of Liberty to go destroy the tea.
 This is how the Boston Tea Party started.

Several years later, when British soldiers were occupying Boston, they got revenge on Old South Church for its role in the Boston Tea Party.
 They ripped out the church's pews (benches) and turned the church into a horse stable.
 They used Old South Church to teach British cavalry soldiers how to ride horses.
 After the Revolutionary War was over, in 1783, the church's members fixed the building up into a church again.
The Old South Meeting House was built in 1729 so that Puritans could meet there to pray.  Benjamin Franklin was baptized here.  The church's famous members included:
Phyllis Wheatley (the first African-American poet whose poetry was published)
James Otis
William Dawes, who warned people that British soldiers were coming, just like Paul Revere did, in 1775
Some of the events that led up to the American Revolutionary War happened at Old South Church.  For example, five thousand people met at Old South Meeting House just before the Boston Tea Party in 1773.  They were trying to decide what to do with the tea that was waiting on ships in Boston Harbor.  After the British passed the Tea Act, Bostonians would have to pay taxes on the tea even though they had no say in whether the taxes were fair or not.  They tried to have the tea sent back to England, but they were unable to.  After this, Samuel Adams got up and said, "This meeting can do nothing more to save the country."  This was a secret signal to tell the Sons of Liberty to go destroy the tea.  This is how the Boston Tea Party started.
Several years later, when British soldiers were occupying Boston, they got revenge on Old South Church for its role in the Boston Tea Party.  They ripped out the church's pews (benches) and turned the church into a horse stable.  They used Old South Church to teach British cavalry soldiers how to ride horses.  After the Revolutionary War was over, in 1783, the church's members fixed the building up into a church again.
Freedom Trail