The written history of Boston begins with a letter drafted by the first European inhabitant of the Shawmut Peninsula, William Blaxton. This letter is dated September 7, 1630, and was addressed to the leader of the … See more

Blaxton Era (1624–1630)
The first European to live in what would become Boston was William Blaxton. He was directly responsible for the foundation of Boston by Puritan … See more

Boston had taken an active role in the protests against the Stamp Act of 1765. Its merchants avoided the customs duties which angered London officials and led to a crackdown on … See more

Early decades
In 1900, Julia Harrington Duff (1850–1932) became the first woman from the Irish Catholic community … See more

Prior to European colonization the region around modern-day Boston was inhabited by the Indigenous Massachusett people. Their habitation … See more

Early colonists believed that Boston was a community with a special covenant with God, as captured in Winthrop's "City upon a Hill" metaphor. This influenced every facet of Boston life, … See more

Economic and population growth
Boston was transformed from a relatively small and economically stagnant town in 1780 to a bustling … See more