Gravesite of Justice Willam Cushing in Scituate, Massachusetts

South of the town of Scituate (pronounced /SIT-you-it/), roughly a mile and a half from the Atlantic coast of Massachusetts, nestled in the second-smallest state park in Massachusetts, at the end of a secluded but luxurious residential street, is the gravesite of one of the founders of the United States, Justice William Cushing. You could drive by the entrance a hundred times and miss it each time. But this scenic little forested spot offers great scenery, a view of a secluded salt marsh, and the opportunity to pay respect to one of the people who helped build the republic as it is today. Notable among his achievements prior to his nomination to the court, Cushing presided over Massachusetts's landmark case Commonwealth v. Jennison (1783), which declared that slavery was "inconsistent with our ... Constitution," thus abolishing slavery in Massachusetts, being the second of the states to do so (after New Hampshire). He also assisted in keeping the courts open during Shay's Rebellion and assisted in prosecuting the rebels. In 1789, as vice-president of the Massachusetts's convention, he presided over the state's narrow ratification of the United States Constitution. And notably, he …

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