Famous Dead Americans

Last year in Paris I saw my fair share of famous dead people's tombstones (see Pere Lachaise Cemetiere as well as Cemetiere Montparnasse), so I guess it's fitting that this year I pay homage to some of the famous American patriots who are buried in my new city. On Sunday during our "Freedom Walk" we went to visit the tiny Granary Burial Ground which, at least by American standards, is quite old, with tombstones dating back to the 1600s. Perhaps the funniest one is shown on the left, a strikingly phallic tombstone marking the grave of the aptly-named John Hancock.

"Now here's a little story I've got to tell about three bad brothers you know so well..." Hopefully, you get the reference...if not, here's the grave of famous Bostonian Paul Revere.


Sam Adams was so influential they named a local Boston beer after him.
All the martyrs of the Boston Massacre are buried in the same area. Interestingly, John Adams , a lawyer and signer of the Declaration of Independence, acted as the public defender of the British soldiers who had fired into the crowd because nobody else wanted to do it at the time. And this grave I thought just looked kind of cool.