History of Boston

Boston was founded on 17 November 1630 by Puritans from England seeking religious freedom - on a peninsula that was called Shawmut by Native American inhabitants. The early European settlers first called the area Trimountaine, later re-naming it after the town of Boston, England from which several colonists had emigrated. The Puritans established a stable and well-structured community and founded America's first public school in 1635 and its first college, Harvard, in 1636. Boston was America's largest, most influential and wealthiest city until the 1760s.

Boston and the American Revolution

In the early 1770s, as the British attempted to exert more stringent control on the thirteen colonies, primarily via taxation, the Bostonians prepared for revolt. The early battles of the American Revolution occurred in and around Boston including the Boston Massacre, the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and the Battle of Bunker Hill. After the Revolution, the city became one of the most successful trading ports in the world, as it was the closest major port to Europe. Descendants of old Boston families became regarded as the countrys social and cultural elite.

Changes in the 19th century

In 1822, Boston was granted a city charter, and by the mid-1800s industrial manufacturing had become the predominant economic force remaining so until the early 1900s. It was noted for its garment production, leather goods, and machinery industries. From the mid-to-late 19th century, Boston flourished culturally as well.

Also in the 1820s, Boston's population began to change as the first wave of European immigrants arrived the Irish and the Italians - bringing with them Roman Catholicism. Since the early 20th century, Irish Catholics have played a major role in Boston politics including the Kennedys, among others.

20th century decline and renewal

By the early years of the 20th century, the city began to decline as factories became obsolete, and businesses moved to find cheaper labour. Bostons response was to initiate numerous urban renewal projects. By the 1970s, the city was booming again after more than thirty years of economic downturn this time becoming a leader in the mutual fund industry. Additionally, the excellence of the health care system and hospitals, and universities such as Harvard, MIT and Boston University attracted many people to the area.