History of Boston

Boston is a city rich in history. It dates back to early colonial times and was the site of many important events leading up to the American Revolution. Many of its buildings, museums, and other attractions reflect its role in early history, while others reflect its more recent heritage.

Puritan Foundation

Captain John Smith led the Puritan settlement of the New England region. During the 1620s, a member of the Robert Gorges Expedition, William Blaxton, was the first English settler in Boston. During the 1630s, John Winthrop became the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. English settlers trickled into the Boston area to set up homes and shops near the natural harbor. Boston became the center of education in the colonies with the establishment of the Boston Latin School in 1635 and Harvard University in 1636. The first printing press in the new world arrived in Cambridge in 1639.

The natural port and rivers for mills made Boston an attractive settlement in colonial times. Industry flourished, giving the city healthy growth, while loyal English settlers arrived by the boatload to Massachusetts. 

The Boston Massacre

The loyalty of the colonists was initially tested in the 1730s, when England recognized the prosperity of the colonies and raised taxes. This tax increase prompted discussion in Boston about the distance between the old world and the new.

The British underestimated this dissention and pushed the matter further in the 1760s and 1770s, when more taxes were imposed through the implementation of the Tax Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, and the Tea Act.

British troops were sent to Boston in 1768 to enforce tax collection and give presence to the rebellious colonists. On March 5, 1770, outside of the Old State House, a mob of colonists harassed a British sentry. More troops headed to the scene, which encouraged the mob to grow. Quickly the scene deteriorated into a showdown that culminated in the open firing by the redcoats. Three people were shot dead and two more died as a result from the wounds they incurred. 

The incident, known as the Boston Massacre, inflamed revolutionary discussion throughout the colonies. 

The Boston Tea Party

In 1773, four ships loaded with tea from the East India Company arrived in Boston Harbor. The shipment was meant to undermine the emerging Dutch tea trade within the colonies. The Tea Act of 1773, made by British Parliament, instituted a higher tax on all non-British tea in an effort to corner the market. Unwilling to idly stand by, rebellious colonists boarded the ships and tossed the tea into the harbor.

It was becoming clear to the Boston American patriots that Britain was more foe than friend.

“No taxation without representation” became the battle cry of the American Revolution and the event became known as the Boston Tea Party.

Paul Revere

In an effort to quell the colonists’ rebellion, the British closed planned to close all ports and invade the harbor.

On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere took his famous ride from the Old North Church to warn the American patriots Samuel Adams and John Hancock of the impending attack. A few hours later, the famous “shot heard around the world” was fired on Lexington Green, officially starting the American Revolution. 

Many of these important sights and attractions have been preserved by the city of Boston over the years, adding greatly to American history as well as to the experience of visiting the city.

Schools

Harvard University was established a year later, making it America's oldest institute of higher learning. These historic schools reflect the Puritan ethic of hard work and education, which led them to put a priority on creating schools in their new home. 

Sports

Fenway Park, home to the Red Sox, is one of the most famous baseball stadiums in the country.  The oldest Major League Baseball stadium still in use, it is also one of just three classic American baseball fields that are still played on today. You can catch a Red Sox game if you visit Boston during the MLB season. 

Boston has many other notable sports teams that have made sports history. The Celtics are the city's National Basketball Association team, dating back to 1946. The team plays at the TD Banknorth Garden, a stadium that it shares with the Boston Bruins hockey team. The Bruins were established in 1926 as one of the Original Six teams in the National Hockey League.

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