PAUL REVERE RODE up Beacon Street blaring the news of rapidly approaching redcoats while Gov. Maura Healey trumpeted a message of her own, calling for Massachusetts to “show off our state over the next two years” as it prepares for center stage with the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
Healey even jumped briefly atop a horse Tuesday, in a seemingly unscripted moment, after the conclusion of a press conference where she and other officials touted the economic benefits that the Bay State can expect as thousands of tourists flock here for the sestercentennial.
“And part of the launch today is to make sure we get ahead of this, because we are the birthplace,” Healey told a crowd baking in the sun on the Beacon Street sidewalk, in front of what would have been John Hancock’s front doorstep in 1775.
The administration last week announced a total of $1.5 million in 250th grants for nonprofits, municipalities, and other groups preparing to mark the anniversary.
The 37 grant recipients include the Freedom Trail Foundation ($75,000), the Boston 4 Foundation that runs the Fourth of July extravaganza on the Esplanade ($60,000), the Charlestown Historical Society for a new “Brothers of the Battle” program ($50,000), the city of Chelsea for a program on “The Forgotten Story of the Battle of the Creek” ($50,000), and the Museum of African American History based on Nantucket and in Boston for a “Black Voices of the Revolution” exhibit ($75,000).
The governor said that “we’re going to leverage this moment to draw in visitors from all around not just the state, the country, but literally the world.” She added that “the more people who get involved, the bigger the boost there will be for our state.”
Healey placed emphasis on the Massachusetts of 2024, casting the upcoming historical reenactments, parades, and museum exhibits as a chance for the state to also showcase its modern economy.
Spot, a dog-like robot produced by Boston Dynamics, moved around next to the lectern and bowed its head after an acknowledgement from the governor, who also brought up a recent WalletHub scorecard that ranked Massachusetts the best state for “innovation.”
“We’re a state that led in the past, and now invents in the future. The state that cures diseases, develops vaccines, and heals the world. We’re leading the clean energy revolution to grow great jobs and heal our planet,” Healey said.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said, “We’re attracting employers and talent with a culture that welcomes all families and defends our core freedoms.”
Prior to the press conference, a banner was unfurled across the front portico of the 1795 State House featuring the state’s 250th marketing logo.
“Our First 250 Was Revolutionary,” the banner says.
Healey noted that launch of the 250th brand coincided with National Voter Registration Day, adding that “just like 1775 and 1776, we’re in a pivotal moment for this nation.” And Sen. Paul Mark, a co-chair of the state 250th Commission, said Tuesday also marked US Constitution Day.
“And I happen to teach a class on civil liberties. The Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and then the Bill of Rights — if you read these documents, they are all directly answers to what was happening here in Massachusetts,” said Mark, a Becket Democrat.
Rep. Daniel Ryan of Charlestown, home of the Bunker Hill battlefield, called the Office of Travel and Tourism grants a “great start” and said his neighborhood was also working with the federal government given the National Park Service and U.S. Navy presences there.
Rep. Mindy Domb of Amherst, the House co-chair of the 250th Commission, said that while the MOTT money addresses programming costs around the state, the Legislature has a chance to help towns and cities with needed funding for infrastructure and logistics.
The House included funding for affected municipalities in a supplemental budget this year, but House and Senate leaders dropped the money from a final version enacted last week and signed by Healey on Tuesday.
“But I’m so proud that the House actually attempted to put it in, and I think we’re going to continue to fight for those funds,” Domb said.
Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao took the opportunity to reflect on “one of the most special things I’ve done” since starting the job a year and a half ago — witnessing the annual dawn reenactment of the Battle of Lexington last April.
“Because it’s easy today, in 2024, looking at all of our skyscrapers and our State House to kind of take this for granted,” Hao said, looking out toward Boston Common and the Hancock and Prudential towers beyond. “When you go and stand on the Lexington Green at 5:30 in the morning, and you see the reenactment, and you see this very rag-tag small group of people … kind of standing together on this lawn, and then you see the British march in, with their horses and their uniforms and their guns — it is actually quite remarkable to think about how courageous those folks were. And how improbable it was that they had the vision and the courage and the will to go sacrifice so much to start this revolution, to lead this revolution, and to win this revolution that created this country. So that is the Team Massachusetts OG. That is the original Team Massachusetts. And the world owes a lot to that team.”
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