Schmap Boston Historical Background

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Boston - Historical Background
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Boston Home
Schmap Boston guide and map

Native Americans had been living on the Boston peninsula for more than 2,000 years when Captain John Smith, famous for helping lead the settlement of Virginia to the south, sailed into the harbor in 1614. Smith mapped the area between Cape Ann to the north and Cape Cod to the south and called it New England. He named the largest river in the area the Charles, after the British prince. In 1620, the Puritans, chased out of England for their religious beliefs, landed in nearby Plymouth, and founded the first permanent European settlement in the Boston area.

A few years later, William Blackstone, a scholar and clergyman from the Plymouth settlement, set out in search of solitude. He found himself, his bull and several hundred books at the foot of Beacon Hill. In 1630, Blackstone lured other Puritans to Boston with promises of ample fresh water. He soon was in the middle of a bustling community that included the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, John Winthrop.

The town was named Boston - area Native Americans had called it Shawmut - after the town of the same name in England, which had been named after St. Botolph, the patron saint of fishing. From the beginning, the growing town used the Atlantic Ocean as its lifeline, and over the next 40 years, Bostonians built more than 730 ships. As Boston became a center for publishing, education and trade, the strict moral teachings of the Puritans clashed with the zeal of emerging merchant class.

The Redcoats are Coming!

By 1680, the once independent colony was firmly under British control. As Paul Revere's famous engraving of 1768 shows, British warships conveyed troops to the city in response to protests over the Stamp Act of 1765, which required tax stamps to be placed on any published materials. The act was later rescinded after protests by the "Sons of Liberty," who included Samuel Adams, John Hancock and John Adams.

But the British Crown issued mandates that imposed additional taxes on the colony. By 1770, there was one British soldier in town for every four colonists. The powder keg exploded on March 5, 1770, with the Boston Massacre. The site where British troops fired into a crowd of colonists, killing five people, is marked today by a ring of cobblestones at Congress and State Streets.

Beginning a War

On December 16, 1773, a mob led by Samuel Adams boarded three ships and dumped their cargoes of tea overboard in "The Boston Tea Party". The British parliament responded by sending even more troops to close off Dorchester Neck, the only land entrance to Boston. The "shot heard 'round the world" was fired in Lexington on April 18, 1775, when a group of colonial militiamen engaged in battle with British regulars. The American Revolution had begun.

The tide turned for the Bostonians with George Washington's first major victory on March 16, 1776. Using the cover of night, the rebel army moved much of their artillery to the top of Dorchester Heights. British troops awoke to find enough cannon staring down at them to destroy their fleet anchored in Boston Harbor. On March 17th, Evacuation Day, they fled the city, and the date has been a city holiday ever since.

Rebuilding For a New Century

Post-Revolutionary Boston had a population less than a third of what it had been just prior to the war. But the early years of the 19th century were boom times for Boston, which added 10,000 new residents every 10 years, along with mills, tanneries and factories. Eventually annexed by the city were fast-growing suburbs: Roxbury, Jamaica Plain and Dorchester. Landfill was another way to meet the ever-increasing demands for more space: Mount Vernon gave up tons of dirt and gravel to form Charles Street at the base of Beacon Hill. The Back Bay, once a soggy bank along the Charles River, was built on top of landfill.

It was during these prosperous times that Frederick Law Olmsted, one of the nation's foremost landscape architects, designed the "Emerald Necklace." This is a series of green spaces that connects the Boston Common, Public Gardens and Commonwealth Avenue Mall to parks of Olmsted's design like the Arnold Aboretum, Franklin Park and the Back Bay Fens.

Boston's Downturn

The end of the Civil War signaled an end to Boston's booming economy. Newly constructed rail lines eliminated trade from Boston's waterfront. Factories around the country produced goods more cheaply than in Boston, and the shoe and textile industries vanished by the 1920s. With the arrival of the Great Depression of the 1930s, Boston's economy seemed doomed. Renovation of Boston's economy finally came at the hands of Mayor John Collins, who undertook a massive restructuring of the city in the 1950s. Many old landmarks were destroyed, but he also created many jobs and helped pump dollars into the slowly reawakening economy.

Booming Again

The John Hancock Tower, designed by famed architect I. M. Pei, soared skyward in 1975 as Boston's tallest building. In 1978, renovated Quincy Market symbolized a new period of growth. The 1990s saw the beginning of the giant urban renovation program known as the Big Dig, designed to bury Interstate 93. The project has so far accumulated costs in excess of $1 billion per mile.

Boston, now one of the country's major centers of high-tech development and a popular tourist destination, has entered the new millennium with the energy, perseverance and heady spirit that have always been the city's trademarks.

Copyright 1999-2005 Wcities, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Contact Wcities

Arnold Arboretum

Acres of botanical marvels

125 Arborway
Boston, MA 02130-3500
United States
+1 617 524 1718
http://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/
arbweb@arnarb.harvard.edu

This botanical garden, located in Jamaica Plain, is the crown jewel in Frederick Law Olmsted's Emerald Necklace, which is the chain of Boston parks that he created. The manicured grounds, under the management of Harvard University, are filled with exotic flora that are tagged with species and genus names for the eager amateur botanist. The annual "Lilac Sunday" during the second week of May draws thousands of visitors to enjoy the beauty of over 500 lilac bushes. Admission: Free.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Mark O'Neill

Arnold Arboretum photo by Michael W. Nowill

Photo: Michael W. Nowill

Photo: Mark O'Neill

Photo: Liz Shuman

Photo: Liz Kelleher

Photo: Simon Wu

Photo: andy hall

Arnold Arboretum photo by ribizlifozelek

Photo: ribizlifozelek

Photo: Liz Kelleher

Photo: John Monahan

Photo: R.I. Bustos

Photo: Phil Pool

Photo: Paul W. Locke

Arnold Arboretum photo by Joshua Dreyfus

Photo: Joshua Dreyfus

Arnold Arboretum photo by Stephen Masiello

Photo: Stephen Masiello

Photo: Kendal Harder

Photo: dzjeni

Photo: Erik Berman

Photo: Jacob Xavier

Photo: Christa Smith

Photo: Robert Mayer

Photo: G.Menon

Back Bay

Beautiful brownstones and landmarks Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02116
United States
+1 888 733 26 7866 (Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau) The quaint, tree-lined streets in this neighborhood are filled with brownstone shops, restaurants, bars and upscale housing. The Public Garden is the neighborhood border. From there, you can amble along the wide sidewalks of Commonwealth Avenue or down lively Newbury or Boylston Streets. There are many types of international foods available, from tapas to sushi. Numerous bars serve as meeting places for talking, drinking and dancing. Also in the neighborhood are the John Hancock Tower and the Prudential Center, two of Boston's most prominent skyscrapers.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Ted Smykal
Photo: Ted Smykal
Photo: Dr. Stevenson, Ph.D.
Photo: Charlie Denison
Photo: Rebecca Fenning
Photo: Brian Lewandowski
Photo: Zakcq Lockrem
Photo: Joe Laskowski

Photo: Daniel Rogers
Photo: Kristy Hamilton
Photo: Joe Laskowski
Photo: Charles S.
Photo: Dehilly
Photo: Matthew Walker
Photo: Sky O'Mara
Photo: Jim Plumb

Photo: Lars Rehm
Photo: Brian 'DoctaBu' Moore
Photo: SHIVAJI DAS
Photo: Claire Martin
Photo: Tim Fitzsimons
Photo: Michelle Deschenes

Back Bay Fens

Urban oasis Fenway Park Drive
Boston, MA 02115
United States
+1 617 635 4505 Tucked away on winding roads behind the Museum of Fine Arts is a beautiful park of manicured lawns, bridges, ponds and flower beds. In the summer, the gated Rose Garden explodes into aromatic pink, white, yellow and red. More varied horticulture can be found in the Victory Gardens, a community garden with hundreds of well-tended plots. Cross a few bridges and you will discover the running track, basketball courts and softball fields. No green space in Boston offers a more peaceful oasis.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: ken yee
Photo: Linda Cullivan
Photo: Laura Thorne
Photo: Mle-Mle
Photo: Matthew Leingang

Beacon Hill

Historic elegance Between Beacon Street and Cambridge Street
Boston, MA 02114
United States
+1 617 523 9490
http://www.beaconhillonline.com/ Steeped in history, this is one of Boston's most beautiful neighborhoods. Always the home of statesmen, artists and intellectuals, "The Hill" is also the site of the State House, which is the beginning of the Freedom Trail. Cafes and majestic brownstone buildings line the narrow cobblestone streets next to the Boston Common, America's oldest urban park. At the bottom of the hill, along Charles Street, are several antique shops and boutiques full of unusual merchandise. This charming neighborhood has managed to preserve its history without becoming artificially quaint.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Carlos Alfaro
Photo: Kim Hocott
Photo: Michael Magnuson
Photo: Jonathan Mayhew
Photo: Mick Timony
Photo: Zakcq Lockrem
Photo: Catherine Hsu
Photo: Sigfrid López

Photo: BinayakB
Photo: barnable
Photo: Tracy Courtemanche
Photo: J Haskin
Photo: Eder Guajardo
Photo: Joyce Rogers
Photo: Tricia Curtis
Photo: Ivan Herman

Photo: Bilvox Neidlinger

Big Dig

What is up with all the holes? Atlantic Avenue
Boston, MA 02111
United States
+1 617 951 6400
http://www.masspike.com/bigdig... A visitor to Boston would have to go to great lengths to avoid running into road construction these days. Boston is home to the largest, most ambitious and most expensive civil engineering project in the world. The Big Dig's purpose is to create a 10-lane underground superhighway to replace the current elevated six lanes that cut through the heart of the city. The space formerly occupied by the elevated highway will become 150 acres of new parkland. An exhibit at the Museum of Science explains the mess.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Martin O'Brien (martin@martinobrien.com
Photo: Martin O'Brien (martin@martinobrien.com
Photo: Martin O'Brien (martin@martinobrien.com
Photo: Jane
Photo: J. Rufo Hill
Photo: Seaside Photographer
Photo: E. Harris
Photo: iluvrhinestones

Photo: Jesse Legg

Boston Common

First city park Bound by Tremont, Beacon, Charles and Boylston Streets
Boston, MA 02116
United States
+1 800 7 3326 7866 (Tourist Information)
http://www.cityofboston.gov/fr... America's oldest park is the heart of Boston, offering recreation opportunities and a glimpse into history through numerous monuments to the past. Designated as public space in 1640, British soldiers later camped here during the Revolutionary War. Part of the Freedom Trail, the park adjoins the Massachusetts State House and Beacon Hill. A favorite spot is the Frog Pond, which doubles as an ice skating rink. The park is the beginning of the "Emerald Necklace," a seven-mile string of local parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: harley b.
Photo: harley b.
Photo: Tomasz Miaskiewicz
Photo: Tomasz Miaskiewicz
Photo: Tomasz Miaskiewicz
Photo: Stacy Thornton
Photo: Tao Olezeski
Photo: Maggie Adams

Photo: Jordan Gutierrez
Photo: James Wang
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Other Schmapplets in this city related to "Boston - Historical Background"
Boston
Boston - Neighborhood Guide
Boston - Where to Stay
Boston - Dining & Drinking
Boston - Art & Entertainment
Other nearby cities:
New York (307 miles)
Montreal (395 miles)
Philadelphia (430 miles)
Ottawa (494 miles)
Baltimore (577 miles)
Buffalo (636 miles)
Washington DC (646 miles)
Niagara Falls (661 miles)
Toronto (689 miles)
Richmond (764 miles)

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