Time Machine

Hidden History of Boston

The Hidden History of Boston study guide is one of a series of educational supplements sponsored by American Airlines and Land's End for America: Understanding Our Heritage. This two hour documentary presents the history of the Boston area, from the arrival of the Mayflower to today. Replacing myth with fact-filled research, Mike Barnacle hosts this tour through the past. The Hidden History of Boston is appropriate for all grade levels and recommended for family viewing as well.

Discussion Questions

  1. Who were the people we call the Pilgrims? Did everyone on the Mayflower come over to the New World in search of religious freedom? What other motives might some of the immigrants have had?

  2. What was the difference between Thanksgiving and a harvest festival from the Separatists' point of view. When American's celebrate Thanksgiving today, which of these two events does it resemble most closely?

  3. Who was John Winthrop? What was the 'city upon a hill?' What was happening in Britain when the Great Migration took place in the mid-17th century?

  4. The Salem witch trials are a tragic time in American history. Why do you think they remain so infamous today? Would it be possible for an event like that to happen today?

  5. Why were merchants so important in the economy of 18th century Boston ? What parts of Puritan beliefs contributed to the growth of commerce?

  6. Who was James Otis? What were writs of assistance?

  7. What was the Boston Massacre? Who was Crispus Attucks? What role did propaganda play in the American resistance to the British?

  8. What was the Tea Act? Why did the Bostonian merchants resent this act? How did they respond? Who were the Sons of Liberty?

  9. What role has literature played in how we remember Paul Revere's ride? Who else rode to warn that the British troops were on their way to Lexington and Concord?

  10. Who was Phyllis Wheatley? What can we learn from her work?

  11. What is an 'Intellectual Revolution'? Who were the leaders of this literary movement in ante-bellum Massachusetts? Do you think that ideas can change the course of history? Why or why not?

  12. What role did Boston play in the colonial slave trade? Why do you think Boston became the capitol of the abolitionist movement? Name some of the abolitionists and describe why they were important.

  13. Why was the 54th Massachusetts Regiment so unusual during the Civil War ? Had African Americans fought in previous wars? What role did Frederick Douglass play in originating this regiment? Why did the soldiers in the 54th refuse pay for the first eighteen months of their service?

  14. Describe the Great Fire of 1872. What were the factors that contributed to this disaster?

  15. Why did so many Irish arrive in Boston in the mid-19th century? Why did so many Bostonians feel that the Irish could never fit in to their society ? Why do historians say that the 'Irish uprising happened at the ballot box?' Who was James Michael Curly ? Why were his constituents so loyal to him ?

  16. Describe the tragedy at Cocoanut Grove. What safety regulations were developed in response to this event?

  17. What the West Boston neighborhood like in the early 20th century? What happened in 1949? What do you think motivated this change ?
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