THE GREAT LEGAL HISTORY OF BOSTON (cont.)

21. Mary Dyer On the east side of the State House grounds is a statue of Mary Dyer, who was greatly influenced by Anne Hutchinson. A Quaker, Dyer was twice imprisoned because of her religion, and in 1659, she was sentenced to death. Reprieved at the last minute, she was instead banished from New England but returned to "desire the repeal of that wicked law against God's people and offer up [my] life there." This time, she received no clemency. In 1959, the Massachusetts General Court, which had sent her to her death almost 300 years before, commissioned the statue that now faces Beacon Street. (Notable American Women 1607Ð1950 Volume I, Edward T. James, ed., p. 536-37 (1971))   22. The Boston Athenaeum The Boston Athenaeum, a private library that grew out of a magazine, was incorporated in 1807 and moved to its present location at 10&1/2 Beacon Street in the 1840s. It houses a magnificent collection of historical books, journals, and documents. To the left as you enter the Athenaeum hangs a portrait of Virginian John Marshall, great chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and there is a bust of Lemuel Shaw on the first floor.   23. The Boston Bar Association The Boston Bar Association headquarters at 16 Beacon Street was designated a Registered Historic Landmark and houses "the oldest legal organization in the United States." 24. Robert Gould Shaw Augustus Saint-Gaudens' monument, directly across Beacon Street from the State House, commemorates the courage and independence of Bostonian Robert Gould Shaw and his 54th Massachusetts infantry -- the first unit of black soldiers recruited for the Civil War. Massachusetts Governor John A. Andrews persuaded the War Department to permit the formation of the unit. Shaw trained the men and led them into the attack on Ft. Wagner, where he died in action and was buried alongside his men. The Oscar-winning film Glory is based on the exploits of Shaw and his soldiers. 25. Boston Common One of the first governmental acts of the settlers in Boston was the joint purchase of the 45 acres of land that have come to be known as Boston Common. The land, owned in common by the townspeople, was set aside for common use and protected against sale, lease or development of roads or buildings -- though in the 1950s, an underground parking facility somehow slipped past this restriction. During the witchcraft panic of 1692, "witches" were hanged on the Common. By the 1700s, the Common was an important feature of the town, in constant use as pasture, park and meeting ground, not to omit its use for "training military companies and hanging unwelcomed Quakers." (Whitehill, Boston, A Topographical History, 1959)