People & Places
Boston's heritage
As one of the original English settlements on the continent, Boston has its roots in a distinctly Anglo identity as Ben Lewis found out
Originally founded in 1630 by puritan colonists from England, the city even takes its name from the small Lincolnshire port from which they sailed. The city itself, and New England as whole, has great historical significance for the US for just this reason as European settlement started in earnest with the first landings in this region. As the focal point of early British government control over the country, Boston played host to many of the battles for sovereignty played out between the independently minded colonists and the British army. Bostonians kick-started the War of Independence and, after the battle was won, became the country's richest major trading port thanks to its location at the nearest point to the European mainland.
For some time it remained the centre for high culture and literature in the US, with wealthy residents considered to be amongst the elite in American society. Yet, like much of the rest of America, the 1820s saw a massive influx of European immigrants into the area and the ethnic make up of the region started to change from its traditional Anglo-American dominance. Whilst the city became home to large numbers of Italians, polish and Russians, by the 1900s it was the Irish who exerted the most influence in the city thanks to a savvy political awareness that has left a lasting legacy on the country. Prominent establishment figures such as the Kennedy family were born out of this Roman Catholic influenced background and to this day the region is renowned for its brand of liberal leaning political thought.
Whilst Boston had prospered in both shipping and manufacturing throughout the 1800s, the 20th century did not bring with it such fortune. Businesses moved away to find cheaper labour, the factories went into decline and the city as a whole suffered a major economic downturn. Yet, by the 1970s Boston had succeeded in reinventing itself thanks to a growing reputation for some of the best healthcare and education in the United States. Harvard University made a name for itself as one of the premier universities in the country and gained a reputation around the world as a leading educational establishment. As such, Boston in the new millennium has become an international hub of modern political, intellectual and technological thought and can be held up as a shining example of positive American achievement.
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