Boston has been called a “shining city on the hill,” “the Cradle of Liberty,” “the Athens of America,” “the Olde Towne,” “Beantown,” and “the Walking City.” Whatever name it takes, everyone knows it to be one of the most important cities in United States history.
“Flying over Boston is fantastic; there is so much to see and document,” says aerial photographer, Dave Cleaveland, who grew up an hour south of the city, and returns as often as he can to turn his lens on a place filled with so much history.
Downtown’s Faneuil Hall heard the citizens of Boston debate the issues that eventually led to the American Revolution. Major Revolutionary War skirmishes were fought on and around the city’s shores: the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the battles of Lexington and Concord, and the pinnacle Battle of Bunker Hill. It is in the steeple of the Old North Church in Boston’s North End where two lanterns were hung the night of Paul Revere’s famous ride, alerting Boston Patriots that the British were coming.
Today, Boston is one of the country’s ten most popular tourist locations, with nearly 17 million people visiting annually. And it’s no wonder why: the city’s role in the shaping of America, both past and present, has left the area peppered with venerated sights.