In July 1976, The Queen and Prince Philip travelled to the United States to honour the United States Bicentennial – a series of celebrations in tribute to the creation of the United States.
As part of their trip, The Queen and Prince Philip visited Boston, Massachusetts. While in Boston, they attended a Sunday worship service at the Old North Church before being shown the nearby Paul Revere Statue and attending events at the Old State House.
For most Americans, the Old North Church has a significant historical meaning; for non-Americans, it may just look like, as part of the name states, an old, colonial-looking place of worship.
What is so important about the Old North Church, you might ask?
It goes back to the beginning of the Revolutionary War in April 1775. Legendary Paul Revere told three fellow Bostonians to hang either one lantern if the British were coming from land or two if they were by sea in the church’s steeple; this became known as the “One if by land, two if by sea” signal here in the States after Henry W. Longfellow’s poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” included the statement in one of the stanzas.
The lanterns were hung to give the warning to the Charlestown patriots across the Charles River about the British Army’s movements. Paul Revere and William Dawes then travelled to Lexington to give them the same warning regarding the British troops, or as we (Americans) refer to British soldiers during this period: the Red Coats.
On the night of 18 April 1775, two lanterns were lit in the steeple of the North Church, signalling that the Red Coats were travelling by boat. The next day, the British troops arrived in Lexington, Massachusetts, to find the colonists waiting and ready to fight. On that day, the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired.
Rev. Robert W. Golledge led the service on 11 July when Her Majesty and His Royal Highness were in the congregation of the Old North Church. He also presented The Queen with a replica silver chalice that was originally made by Paul Revere.
To commemorate their visit and time worshipping in the historic church, a plaque was placed at the front of the church, just in front of the pew where they sat, that said, “Her Britannic Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Worshipped Here 11 July 1976.”
During her visit, Her Majesty remarked, “At the Old North Church last year, your President lit a third lantern dedicated to America’s third century of freedom and to renewed faith in the American ideals. May its light never be dimmed.”
Before leaving to participate in events at the Old State House, The Queen was also shown the massive statue of Paul Revere that is placed just behind the church in Boston’s North End. After her and Prince Philip’s event at the Old State House, she attended a lunch at City Hall and greeted the assembled crowds during a walkabout. Her Majesty also reviewed the troops (dressed in Revolutionary War attire) before being given a private tour of the USS Constitution.
Her Majesty stated while at the Old State House, “We have enjoyed tremendously joining with the people of America and celebrations of the Bicentenary. We are deeply grateful for the kindness with which we have been welcomed everywhere, not least here in Boston.”
The irony was not lost on the American media of a British monarch visiting the city where the war for independence began to rid the colonies of the Crown (the despised King George III) and separate itself from the mighty British Empire. The New York Times headline from that day stated, “Boston, Where It Began, Salutes the English Queen.”
It’s always an interesting in the debate about how America become a separate nation & how that was achieved. Now, the rebellion happened due to taxation however, what is never mention Britain had just fought the Seven Years Wars which America had done very nicely out of. But wars are expensive matters & the British government felt that the Colonists should contribute. The so called Americans were actually British Americans & like all rebellions it’s usually just a few that start one. In one article I read the Boston tea party had nothing to do with tax but criminal gangs having their over priced black market tea undermined. A major issues for the Southern States was slavery. The British had promised after the war slavery would be abolished hence a large number of blacks for for the British side. Another thing that’s never mentioned is that this was a civil war & that their were large number of Loyalists who did not want the break with Britain. Now, propaganda played a huge role in undermining the British & of course you can get away with anything to the point of outright lies. However, their is one man who I blame for the loss of the Americas, Lord Howe. Their is the famous battle that Lord Howe fought which trapped Washington’s badly defeated army but he failed to follow up & Washington was able to escape to Delaware & the colonies were lost as the French came in who basically won independence for America. Something I only just found out was that Delaware was not one of the original colonies it broke away during the war. Also, the last battle ever fought was between Loylists & rebels & the Loylists inflicted a heavy defect on the Rebels but by then it was to late & the fate of those Loylists that stayed behind was not a nice one. They were treated as enemies of the state & punishing restrictions were imposed on them & when you bear in mind that any Loylists captured after a battle were generally executed history becomes whitewashed. Another thing that I recently read was that most of the states could not agree on the constitution & it ended up as a cobbled together appeasement to the point were if one state could not get its own way it was going to ask to go back under the Crown. A number states started to become restless & in some parts fighting broke out. Their is a lot more to be said about the constitution & how undemonstratic it was with suggests of presidents for life & stopping the masses the freedom of a real vote i.e. the electoral college just look how President Trump got elected.
Ahem: “On the eighteenth of April, in SEVENTY-FIVE”….
Thank you very much for correcting the date!