Database: Old South Meeting House

This building hosted some of the key events in the American Revolution, mostly by accident. It just happened to be one of the largest buildings in Boston. So, when meeting at Faneuil Hall overflowed, everyone moved to the Old South Meeting House to continue. This meant the biggest, angriest, most rebellious crowds ended up here.

After the Boston Massacre, the people met here to demand that the Governor remove British troops from the city - which he did. Thousands showed up here for meetings leading up to the Boston Tea Party. On the night of the tea party itself, this was where Samuel Adams delivered the line "This meeting can do nothing more to save the country", giving the go-ahead to seize the boats and dump the tea. Is anything a bigger slap in the face to a Brit than dumping tea? No. Well, apart from just slapping us in the face, but that's a secret I wish I hadn't told you.

Of course, during the British siege in 1776, this church met the same fate as other rebel hotspots: it was ransacked. The pews and pulpit were torn out and used as firewood, and the interior was filled with dirt and used as a stable and riding school. There was even a bar on the second level. I guess the troops thought that would really stick it to the Puritans. The only thing worse would have been a karaoke night. Puritans hare karaoke.