10 Cities History Buffs Must Visit In The USA

OT Staff

Williamsburg, Virginia

From 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg was the political, cultural and educational centre of what was then the largest and most populous of the American colonies. Visit the Colonial Williamsburg, the Governor’s Palace and the Jamestown Settlement Museum.

A building at the Colonial Willamsburg | ColonialWilliamsburg/Facebook

Seneca Falls, New York

Seneca Falls is the birthplace of the women’s rights movement as it hosted the first Women’s Rights Convention in 1848. Visit the Seneca Falls Heritage and Tourism Center, the Women's Rights National Historical Park, and the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

Exhibits at the Women's Rights National Historical Park | womensrightsnps/Facebook

Baltimore, Maryland

At the outbreak of the American Revolution in 1775, Baltimore was a bustling seaport and shipbuilding centre. The defence of Fort McHenry against the British in 1814 inspired Francis Scott Key’s poem “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which is now the national anthem.

Fort McHenry in Baltimore | travellingwes/Instagram

Charleston, South Carolina

The Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site preserves the original site of the first permanent English settlement in the Carolinas. The Battle of Fort Sumter, a sea fort built on an artificial island near Charleston, sparked the American Civil War of 1861-1865.

The Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site | boy_timmy/Instagram

St. Augustine, Florida

Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, Saint Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the USA. Visit the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States, Flagler College and Aviles Street, the oldest street in the country.

The Castillo de San Marcos in Saint Augustine | sahithya1026/Unsplash

Taos, New Mexico

The Taos Pueblo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The multi-storey adobe buildings have been continuously inhabited for more than 1,000 years. Also visit the Hacienda de los Martinez, which was built in 1804 and is now a museum.

The Taos Pueblo | Overa1000YearsofTradition/Facebook

San Antonio, Texas

The Battle of the Alamo in 1836 took place here as part of a wider struggle between American colonists and Hispanic Texans against the government of Mexico. Visit The Alamo fortress, the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and the La Villita Historic Village.

The Alamo in San Antonio | OfficialAlamo/Facebook

Atlanta, Georgia

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. was born and raised in Atlanta. The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park houses the Ebenezer Baptist Church and his birthplace. Don’t miss a trip to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

The Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta | GARY_TARLETON_NPS_PHOTOGRAPHER for MartinLutherKingJrNPS/Facebook

New Orleans, Louisiana

Founded by the French in 1718, the last major battle of the War of 1812 was fought in New Orleans. It was the wealthiest American city in the first half of the 19th century, shipping produce like cotton to the Caribbean and Europe. Visit the French Quarter, Jackson Square and the New Orleans Jazz Museum.

Jackson Square in New Orleans | Nick Haynes/Pexels

Honolulu, Hawaii

The Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Honolulu commemorates the events of the attack in 1941. Check out Iolani Palace, the home of Hawaii’s last monarchs, the Hawaiian Mission Houses and the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum.

The USS Arizona Memorial in Honolulu | timmossholder/Unsplash

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