Maps
This section of a map created by John Bonner in 1769 shows Griffin's Wharf, where many historians speculate the Boston Tea Party took place in 1773. Due to geographic and landscape changes in the centuries since the Boston Tea Party, it does not look very similar to the city you might see while walking down State Street. Changes to the shoreline over time mean that the wharves in this map are now solid land, likely home to apartments, shops, or parks. But by using familiar landmarks such as the State House, we can situate Griffin’s Wharf and the probable location of the Tea Party within the Revolutionary Corridor on this map. Griffin’s Wharf is in the lower left corner of the map, while the Old State House is marked by the capital “A” in the map’s top center. Additionally, the edge of the Boston Common and Tremont Street can be seen at the very top.
Cartographer John Bonner created this map of Boston in 1769. It shows the layout of the city during the Revolutionary Era, including several historic locations within the Revolutionary Corridor. Griffin’s Wharf at the bottom of the map is likely where the Boston Tea Party occurred, Faneuil Hall is in the map’s upper center, and the Boston Common at the top of the map serves as a location to orient those familiar with Boston in the modern day.
