“Speaking disrespectfully of the King’s letter.” The plaques of Massachusetts remember. (Photo by Paul Schlichtman)

Picture of a historic plaque erected in 1930 to commemorate 300 years of the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s independence from Britain. The plaque reads: “SITE OF FIRST HOUSE. BUILT IN 1640 BY EDWARD CONVERSE, WHO LED THE PARTY SENT OUT BY CHARLESTOWN TO EXPLORE ‘WATERFIELD’. SELECTMAN TWENTY-FOUR YEARS, DEACON NINETEEN YEARS, ARRESTED IN&10;1662 FOR SPEAKING DISRESPECTFULLY OF THE KING'S LETTER.”

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