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Freedom Trail Revolutionary Women Tours Bring History to Life in Boston

The Freedom Trail Revolutionary Women Tour kicked off at the begging of March. It’s a great way to celebrate Women’s History Month. The Freedom Trail Foundation has been responsible for…

Freedom Trail Revolutionary Women Tours Bring History to Life in Boston

(Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Freedom Trail Revolutionary Women Tour kicked off at the begging of March. It's a great way to celebrate Women's History Month.

The Freedom Trail Foundation has been responsible for protecting and preserving the Freedom Trail since 1964. That two-and-a-half mile long red line that winds through Boston, linking over a dozen of the most important historical landmarks not only in Massachusetts history but in U.S. history? The Foundation are the ones that keep that paint bright red and spiffy and get the word out on walks and strolls and the like. It’s important work.

You might recall the return of Holiday Strolls in 2022. This month, we're celebrating a different type of holiday in Women's History Month. And the Freedom Trail is at the forefront. They last hosted their Revolutionary Women Tours back in 2020, so it will be nice to have them back for this year's celebration. The tours take walkers along the Freedom Trail and through four centuries of history.

Freedom Trail Revolutionary Women Tours Bring History to Life in Boston

And which Revolutionary Women will you meet along the Trail? Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer, for starters, and the stories of their religious rebellions. You'll also hear from Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman and their roles in the abolition movement. Margaret Sanger and Susan B. Anthony will lend their voices and their dynamic speeches to the tour, bringing their history and Women's History to life. Click here to see who else you'll walk along with.

The Tours leave from the Boston Common Visitor Information Center, 139 Tremont St. on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:45 a.m. throughout the month of March. Tours are 90 minutes long, cover roughly a mile of walking, and are open to all ages. You can purchase tickets here. So take a walk into history for Women's History Month in Boston.

A Salute to the Women Performers in the Rock Hall

Today (March 8) is International Women’s Day. How should we celebrate? By honoring the influential women that have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

...Oh, and to serve up the reminder that women accounting for just over eight percent of Rock Hall inductees is simply inexcusable. (For a further breakdown of this, check out Evelyn McDonnell's exceptional piece "The Manhandling of Rock ‘N’ Roll History.")

John Sykes, the Rock Hall's new chairman after Rolling Stone/Rock Hall founder Jann Wenner stepped down as of January 1, 2020, said in countless interviews how the Rock Hall needs to evolve and diversify. It seems as though he's keeping his word. More women are being nominated and more women are being inducted. Tina Turner, Carole King and The Go-Go's were inducted as part of the 2021 class. Meanwhile, Annie Lennox, Dolly Parton, Pat Benatar and Carly Simon are members of the 2022 induction class. Hopefully, fans will see even more women make the cut in future classes.

Until then, scroll through the gallery. It features the remarkable women who have defied the odds to be recognized by the Rock Hall.

Aretha Franklin

GettyImages-2661202.jpgExpress Newspapers/Getty Images

Inducted in 1987.


The Supremes (Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson)

GettyImages-961812894.jpgKeystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Inducted in 1988.


Bessie Smith

GettyImages-3374654.jpgThree Lions/Getty Images

Inducted in 1989 in the Early Influences category.


Ma Rainey

shutterstock_1646276233.jpgLefteris Papaulakis/Shutterstock.com

Inducted in 1990 in the Early Influences category.


Zola Taylor

GettyImages-562580651.jpgA. W. Cox/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Inducted in 1990 with The Platters.


LaVern Baker

81nt4qNnggL._SS500_.jpgRhino/Atlantic

Inducted in 1991.


Tina Turner

GettyImages-1185624327.jpgJohn Rogers/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Inducted in 1991 with Ike & Tina Turner.


Dinah Washington

GettyImages-2323254.jpgHulton Archive/Getty Images

Inducted in 1993 in the Early Influences category.


Ruth Brown

71VYz8blZVL._SS500_.jpgRhino

Inducted in 1993.


Etta James

EttaJam_TheEsse_CoverAr_500DPI72RGB1000177292.jpgUMG

Inducted in 1993.


Cynthia Robinson & Rose Stone

GettyImages-954970358.jpgCentral Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Inducted in 1993 with Sly & the Family Stone.


Donna Jean Godchaux

GD_MS.pngRhino

Inducted in 1994 with the Grateful Dead.


Janis Joplin

GettyImages-3322663.jpgStroud/Express/Getty Images

Inducted in 1995.


Martha and the Vandellas (Martha Reeves, Rosalind Ashford-Holmes, Annette Sterling-Helton, Lois Reeves, Betty Kelly)

GettyImages-462097061.jpgEvening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Inducted in 1995.


Gladys Knight

GettyImages-3307982.jpgan Tyas/Keystone/Getty Images

Inducted in 1996 with Gladys Knight & the Pips


The Shirelles (Shirley Alston Reeves, Addie Harris, Doris Kenner Jackson, Beverly Lee)

GettyImages-3166465.jpgKaye/Express/Getty Images

Inducted in 1996.


Maureen Tucker – Inducted in 1996 with The Velvet Underground

Nico_TheVelv_Publici_616DPI72RGB1000129774.jpgUNIVERSAL MUSIC ARCHIVES

Inducted in 1996 with The Velvet Underground.


Grace Slick

GettyImages-72331428-1.jpgMcCarthy/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Inducted in 1996 with Jefferson Airplane .


Mahalia Jackson

GettyImages-3405102.jpgDouglas Miller/Keystone/Getty Images

Inducted in 1997 in the Early Influences category.


Joni Mitchell

GettyImages-3261470.jpgCentral Press/Getty Images

Inducted in 1997.


Christine McVie & Stevie Nicks

GettyImages-910781382.jpgDia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Inducted in 1998 with Fleetwood Mac.


Cass Elliot & Michelle Phillips

GettyImages-2659382.jpgWood/Getty Images

Inducted in 1998 with The Mamas & the Papas.


Dusty Springfield

GettyImages-2637606.jpgCentral Press/Getty Images

Inducted in 1999.


Cleotha Staples, Mavis Staples & Yvonne Staples

GettyImages-1061690812.jpgDon Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Inducted in 1999 with The Staple Singers.


Billie Holiday

GettyImages-50994149.jpgHulton Archive/Getty Images

Inducted in 2000 in the Early Influences category.


Bonnie Raitt

GettyImages-462928830.jpgLarry Busacca/Getty Images

Inducted in 2000.


Brenda Lee

GettyImages-1028150852.jpgLen Trievnor/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Inducted in 2002.


Tina Weymouth

GettyImages-704769.jpgLawrence Lucier/Getty Images

Inducted in 2002 with Talking Heads.


Chrissie Hynde

GettyImages-458780532.jpgTerry Wyatt/Getty Images

Inducted in 2005 with The Pretenders.


Debbie Harry

GettyImages-1137545304.jpgRogers/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Inducted in 2006 with Blondie.


The Ronettes (Veronica, Estelle Bennett, Nedra Talley)

GettyImages-2669321.jpgFred Mott/Getty Images

Inducted in 2007.


Patti Smith

GettyImages-1140483054.jpgTheo Wargo/Getty Images

Inducted in 2007.


Madonna

GettyImages-138324326.jpgEzra Shaw/Getty Images

Inducted in 2008.


Wanda Jackson

GettyImages-85805250.jpgMichael Loccisano/Getty Images

Inducted in 2009  in the Early Influences category.


Agnetha Fältskog & Anni-Frid Lyngstad

GettyImages-2667246.jpgEvening Standard/Getty Images

Inducted in 2010 with ABBA.


Darlene Love

GettyImages-114186635.jpgJared Wickerham/Getty Images

Inducted in 2011.


Claudette Rogers Robinson

GettyImages-3424376.jpgEvening Standard/Getty Images

Inducted in 2012 with The Miracles.


Laura Nyro

NyroLau_LiveThe_CoverAr_500DPI72RGB1000031078.jpgUMG

Inducted in 2012.


Ann & Nancy Wilson

GettyImages-3460404.jpgExpress Newspapers/Getty Images

Inducted in 2013 with Heart.


Donna Summer

GettyImages-954281198.jpgEvening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Inducted in 2013.


Linda Ronstadt

GettyImages-608683727.jpgP. Floyd/Daily Express/Getty Images

Inducted in 2014.


Patti Scialfa

GettyImages-51356643.jpgKevin Winter/Getty Images

Inducted in 2014 with The E Street Band.


Joan Jett

GettyImages-454621389.jpgChristopher Polk/Getty Images

Inducted in 2015 with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.


Joan Baez

GettyImages-665988694.jpgMike Coppola/Getty Images

Inducted in 2017.


Nina Simone

GettyImages-1943883.jpgPhoto by Getty Images

Inducted in 2018.


Sister Rosetta Tharpe

GettyImages-562624207.jpgChris Ware/Keystone Features/Getty Images

Inducted in 2018 in the Early Influences category.


Janet Jackson

GettyImages-517623176.jpgFrancois Nel/Getty Images

Inducted in 2019.


Stevie Nicks

GettyImages-1139180512.jpgDimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Inducted as a solo artist in 2019. Nicks is also the first woman double inductee in Rock Hall history.


Whitney Houston

GettyImages-2282278.jpgScott Gries/ImageDirect/Getty Images

Inducted in 2020.


Tina Turner

GettyImages-79695027-scaled.jpgKevin Winter/Getty Images

Inducted as a solo artist in 2021.


Carole King

GettyImages-1350326650-1-scaled.jpgDimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Inducted as a solo artist in 2021.


The Go-Go's

GettyImages-1350345820-scaled.jpgArturo Holmes/Getty Images

Inducted in 2021. (Was inducted as a songwriter with Gerry Goffin receiving the Ahmet Ertegun Award in 1990.)


Annie Lennox

GettyImages-1439397347.jpgTheo Wargo/Getty Images

Inducted as a member of the Eurythmics in 2022.


Dolly Parton

GettyImages-1439402870.jpgTheo Wargo/Getty Images

Inducted in 2022.


Pat Benatar

GettyImages-1439364001.jpgTheo Wargo/Getty Images

Inducted with guitarist/songwriting partner Neil Giraldo in 2022.


Carly Simon

GettyImages-670438746.jpgTheo Wargo/Getty Images

Inducted in 2022.

adam12Writer
Adam 12 is the Program Director of Boston's ROCK 92.9, heard weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. He's been flexing his encyclopedic rock knowledge in New England for over 2 decades, both on-air and online, at WBCN, WFNX, Boston.com, and indie617. At ROCK 92.9, he keeps you in the know on the big stories from the Boston music scene and writes about great places to eat, drink (beer), and to spend time outdoors in and around Boston.