The Colonial Era in Boston

Colonial era Boston was a thriving city, but it was much different than the city that exists today. It has an important role in history as the birthplace of the movement for American independence, with many events like the Boston Tea Party and Boston Massacre leading to the Revolutionary War.

Founding of Boston

Colonial era Boston was founded in 1630 by Puritan colonists from England who were being persecuted by the Church of England for their religious beliefs. They originally named it Trimountaine in honor of the three hills that existed at the time. Two were leveled as the city grew, but the lone survivor, Beacon Hill, is still part of Boston today.

The Winthrop Fleet first arrived in the area that would become Salem in June, 1630. They found that this first landing point lacked food. The second stop on their journey, in Charlestown, revealed that water was scarce in that area. Finally they arrived on the site that would become Boston and settled in, with John Winthrop as their governor. 

Values and Religion 

Colonial era Boston had strong Christian values, as the settlers believed that they had a special covenant with God by which they had to abide. This led to strict laws governing residents' morality and forced church attendance. Life in the colony also involved persecution of those perceived to be sinners. 

The Puritans put a priority on religious education. They valued hard work, high moral standards, and education, which led to the formation of the first public school and first college in America. The Boston Latin School was founded in 1635, and Harvard followed in 1636. Both of these institutions are still educating students today. 

Early Government 

Massachusetts and the other surrounding colonies were united into a large province from 1686 to 1689. They were known as the Dominion of New England during that period and were governed by Sir Edmund Andros, who was given the position by England's King James II. Andros supported the Church of England, earning him animosity from the Puritans. They overthrew him in 1689, destroying the Dominion.

Disasters 

Boston was struck by two disasters in the 1700s that caused setbacks for the colonists, although they managed to rebound from both incidents. It was rocked by a major earthquake in 1755, and the Great Fire of Boston burns down 349 buildings five years later. 

Revolution 

Boston was home to Revolutionaries like James Otis and Samuel Adams, who were getting increasingly disillusions by what they saw as unfair taxation by England and other problems that led to a desire for independence. Things reached a boiling point in 1770, when five people were killed by British soldiers in the Boston Massacre. 

The Boston Tea Party was another pivotal event, with Sons of Liberty, a group of artisans, shopkeepers, and other Bostonians who supported independence, at the helm. They disguised themselves as Indians and destroyed an expensive shipment of tea by tossing it into the harbor. The British retaliated by revoking self-government in Massachusetts and imposing new, restrictive laws. This led to a banding together of the colonies, who held the first Continental Congress and strengthened their armed militia units.

The British tried to squelch the burgeoning desire for freedom from the Crown, but the Battle of Lexington and Concord, resulting from Paul Revere's famous ride, kicked off the American Revolution. New England's militia units protected Boston, and General George Washington took command. The British managed a slim victory in the Battle of Bunker Hill but were forced out shortly thereafter, leaving Boston in the hands of the revolutionaries.

Preservation 

Many buildings and other historical sites and relics are preserved in Boston. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile red brick pathway leading to many of those sites. The trail is popular with visitors to the city who want to get a flavor of colonial era Boston and see some of the most famous and important historical sites.

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