Contemporary Versus Historical

3/17/11

ENGL 101 CXL

Contemporary versus Historical

Which city would be a great place to visit? Boston, a city that is known for its colonial history, classical music, and fine arts, or Detroit, a city that has more of a modern history in industry, contemporary music, and modern art. Both are similar, but they do have many differences to offer.

Boston and Detroit are similar in that they are both the largest city in their state and have had a continuously operated industrial and fishing port. Furthermore, Boston and Detroit are well known in their importance to the growth of America. Boston, “The Cradle of Liberty,” is known for contributing to the birth of the United States, such as; Detroit “The Motor City,” who helped moved the nation forward in industries in the 20th century.

Boston has a great wealth of historical sites. Leslie Henriques says that “Boston and its history-packed surroundings are a mecca for American history buffs” (1). This is clearly illustrated in Boston’s numerous monuments and landmarks, such as the Bunker Hill Monument, the Boston Tea Party Ship, the U.S.S. Constitution, and the Faneuil Hall. One can take the historic Freedom Trail to see sixteen different historic sites, with thirteen of the sites being free of charge. Some of the sites that can be visited on the Freedom trail are Boston Common, one of the oldest parks in the country, Old North Church, famous for Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride, and the Boston Massacre Site, where the American Revolution began. All these historical sites show how Boston’s was a huge contribution to the birth of America.

In contrast, Detroit has a more contemporary history. What makes Detroit what it is today all started at the 20th century; as a result, most of Detroit’s attractions are about the history of the 20th century. First, there is the Henry Ford Museum, which documents the impact of the automobile industry on Detroit and America. A person could spend several days touring the...