Discussing legacy of Boston Tea Party with 250th anniversary approaching
ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOSTON TEA PARTY, ONE OF THE TURNING POINTS IN AMERICAN HISTORY, WHICH HAPPENED RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD, SO TO SPEAK. BIRTHING THE FAMOUS EXPRESSION NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT THE LEGACY OF THE EVENT IS NATHANIEL SHATLEY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE AND CEO OF THE REVOLUTIONARY SPACES. GOOD MORNING, NAT. GOOD MORNING. THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. WELL, TELL US ABOUT HOW REVOLUTIONARY SPACES HELPS BOSTON AND THE NATION REALLY COMMEMORATE OUR REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY. SURE. WELL, REVOLUTIONARY SPACES IS A BOSTON BASED NONPROFIT. WE ARE THE STEWARDS OF THE OLD STATEHOUSE AND OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE. BOTH OF WHICH ARE JUST NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT WITNESS SITES THAT STOOD AT THE CENTER OF THE EVENTS THAT LED TO THE REVOLUTION. SO IN THIS CASE, AS WE THINK ABOUT THE TEA PARTY ANNIVERSARY, OUR SPACE OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE WAS THE PLACE WHERE ALL OF THE MEETINGS THAT LED UP TO THE TEA PARTY TOOK PLACE. AND IT’S THE ONLY SURVIVING WITNESS SITE THAT DATES TO THE EVENTS OF DECEMBER 16TH, 1773. IT’S SUCH A RICH HISTORY. IT IS, YES. AND AS WE THINK ABOUT THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY, WE’RE REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN ENGAGE PEOPLE, NOT JUST IN THINKING ABOUT OUR FOUNDING STORY, BUT ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT CHAPTER THAT WE HAVE TO WRITE TOGETHER. SO THE QUESTIONS THAT TOOK SHAPE DURING THE TEA PARTY IN OUR SPACES AND DURING THOSE OTHER EVENTS, THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD, ARE QUESTIONS THAT WE STILL GRAPPLE WITH AND THAT SIT AT THE CENTER OF OUR CIVIC LIFE. SO IN THE CASE OF THE TEA PARTY, HOW IS MY VOICE HEARD? WHAT’S MY RECOURSE IF MY VOICE IS BEING OVERLOOKED OR SILENCED? THOSE ARE THOSE ARE QUESTIONS WE STILL DEBATE AS A AS A CITY, AS A COUNTRY. AND THE AND THESE ANNIVERSARIES ARE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE PEOPLE IN THINKING TOGETHER ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE PART OF A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY. SO WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT THIS WEEKEND IN TERMS OF MUSIC AND EVENTS AND INFORMATION DOWNTOWN? SHAUN YEAH, ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, MAY THE 23RD AND 24TH, WE ARE HOSTING A TWO DAY FREE OUTDOOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY MUSIC AND ART FESTIVAL CALLED RAISING VOICES. IT’S AN EXPLORATION OF AND REALLY A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC, ART AND THE POWER OF PROTEST. SO WE HAVE THREE STAGES, ONE INDOORS AT OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE AND TWO OUTDOORS IN THE DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD, ONE ON SUMMER STREET IN FRONT OF MACY’S AND ONE AT THE STEPS ON WASHINGTON STREET. SO BE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES AND ART THROUGHOUT THE THOSE THREE STAGES AND AND ACROSS THE DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD. ED FROM 11 TO 6 ON SATURDAY AND FROM 11 TO 5 ON SUNDAY, THERE WILL BE ACTIVATIONS FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND NOT ALL OF IT, JUST PERFORMANCES. SO WE’LL HAVE A BEER GARDEN HOSTED BY DEMOCRACY BREWING BAGNI WILL HAVE A FOOD TRUCK THERE. THE NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WILL BE THERE WITH ACTIVATIONS AND GAMES FOR FOR YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE. SO LOTS GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WHAT ELSE CAN BOSTONIANS EXPECT AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOSTON TEA PARTY IN DECEMBER? YEAH, WELL, THERE’S A LOT GOING ON AND THE EVENTS WILL CULMINATE IN DECEMBER, BUT IN NOVEMBER WE ARE MOUNTING AT OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE, A PLAY THAT WAS WRITTEN SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR SPACE CALLED PHILLIS IN BOSTON THAT EXPLORES THE EXPERIENCES OF PHILLIS WHEATLEY, WHO IS A GREAT AFRICAN-AMERICAN POET AND ENSLAVED WOMAN DURING THE EVENTS OF THE 1770S, AND HER POEMS WERE ALSO ON BOARD THE SHIPS. SO WE’VE GOT A FANTASTIC NEW PLAY THAT WILL GIVE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THAT STORY AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR OUR FOUNDING STORY IN OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER. AYER AND THEN ON DECEMBER 16TH, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH OUR FRIENDS AT THE TEA PARTY SHIPS AND MUSEUM TO PUT ON A WORLD CLASS REENACTMENT OF THE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED 250 YEARS AGO. SO WE WILL HAVE A REENACTMENT AT OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE OF THE MEETING OF THE BODY OF THE PEOPLE, THE SORT OF MEETING THAT LAUNCHED THE TEA PARTY THAT NIGHT. AND FOR FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE EVENTS, WE HAVE AN EXHIBIT UP AT THE OLD STATE HOUSE CALLED IMPASSIONED DESTRUCTION, WHICH LOOKS AT THE ROLE OF VIOLENCE IN AMERICAN PROTEST FROM FROM THE TEA PARTY TO JANUARY SIX. SO THERE’S THERE’S A LOT THAT’S GOING ON, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES AND PEOPLE CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT REVOLUTIONARY SPACES DOT ORG TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OF IT. WE’LL HAVE TO CHECK BACK IN WITH YOU DEFINITELY IN DECEMBER TO SEE WHAT’S GOING ON THERE TO REALLY MARK THE ANNIVERSARY. ALL RIGHT. REVOLUTIONARY SPACES PRESIDENT AND CEO NAT SHIVELY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS
Discussing legacy of Boston Tea Party with 250th anniversary approaching
Updated: 3:59 PM EDT Sep 17, 2023
The president and CEO of the nonprofit Revolutionary Spaces says a world-class reenactment will be happening on Dec. 16.
The president and CEO of the nonprofit Revolutionary Spaces says a world-class reenactment will be happening on Dec. 16.
