In 1939, at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios in Hollywood, California, a fantastic musical film, considered a cult, was filmed, despite the fact that its initial project was a children’s film fable.
The film is based on the children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum in which, a young American woman, Dorothy, (Judy Garland) is dragged by a tornado in the state of Kansas to a fantasy land where good and bad witches live, a scarecrow that speaks, a cowardly lion, a tin man and other extraordinary beings.
Notable for its use of Technicolor, fantastic storytelling, its musical score and unusual characters, over the years it has become an icon of American popular culture. To get to the Castle where the Wizard of Oz lived, Dorothy, accompanied by her puppy Toto and her friends, the scarecrow that talks, the cowardly lion and the tin man had to walk along a yellow brick path.
So far the story of the film was only used to establish the connection with the bricks of the Freedom Trail, although in this case are red, and if you follow them, will take you to real and historical sites in the City of Boston.
The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile-long trail (4.0 km) through downtown Boston, passing through 16 major locations of the history of the United States. Marked largely with bricks, it wanders between Boston Common and the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. Stops along the trail include simple explanatory land markers, cemeteries, churches and notable buildings and a historic naval frigate. While most sites are free or suggest donations, the Old South Meeting House, the Old State House and the Paul Revere House charge admission.
During the tour, you can cross the Boston Common, which is a beautiful public park located in downtown Boston, dating from 1634, and is the oldest urban park in the United States.
You can visit the Massachusetts State House, the state capital and seat of government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, located in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston.
And be sure to visit The Old State House, a historic building in Boston, Massachusetts, at the intersection of Washington and State Streets. Built in 1713, it was the seat of the General Court of Massachusetts until 1798, and is one of the oldest public buildings in the United States.
The House of Paul Revere, built in 1680, was the colonial home of the American patriot Paul Revere during the American Revolution, located at 19 North Square, at the northern end of the City of Boston.
Another interesting site, the Old North Church, located at 193 Salem Street, in the North End, Boston, is the place where it is said that the famous sign of “One, if by land; two, if by sea” was sent. This phrase is related to Paul Revere’s midnight trip of April 18, 1775, which preceded the Battles of Lexington and Concord during the American Revolution.
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is a heavy frigate of three masts and wooden helmets of the United States Navy named by President George Washington in honor of the Constitution of the United States. Old Ironsides is the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat.
The Freedom Trail begins at the Boston Common. There you can decide whether to do the route on your own for which maps are available, or participate in a guided tour.
For those of us who have emigrated and we want to expand the knowledge of the history of this, now our country, a walk along the Freedom Trail will be a great teaching trip. Remember, Boston, Massachusetts is where the rich history of the American Revolution began, get to know it.
