John Winthrop (Founding, 1630)

Boston holds an exceptional place at the forefront of the American project. In 1951, a local journalist proposed a pedestrian path linking historic spaces that would help visitors navigate the tangled streets. Today, the red-bricked Freedom Trail    connects sixteen official landmarks of national significance, comprising public buildings and parks; original burying grounds; churches and meeting houses; the Ship of State for the United States of America; one Revolutionary battlefield; and the residence of a famous Bostonian.