ROOTED HERE
The history of Boston
Boston connects centuries of history with distinct neighborhoods such as the North End, Back Bay and Roxbury. Boston Common provides a central starting point for exploring independent businesses and cultural destinations.
People who shaped Boston
These milestones are an introduction, not a complete local history. Follow the linked city and museum sources to explore the people and places behind them.Read the local historical account.
Watch the city’s history
FROM THE ARCHIVES
A Short History of Boston
Historian Robert J. Allison presents an illustrated account of Boston's major events and people for GBH Forum Network.
Watch on YouTube ↗- 1630
A colonial town government
Boston began its colonial municipal history in 1630, with governance by a board of selectmen. The town developed on a landscape already inhabited by Indigenous communities.
Boston Public Library: government history ↗ - 1775–1776
The Siege of Boston
Boston became a center of the Revolutionary War's opening campaigns. The siege and the fortification of Dorchester Heights helped drive British forces from the town in 1776.
National Park Service: Boston history ↗ - 1822
Town to city
A state act established the City of Boston on February 23. John Phillips became its first mayor, beginning a new mayor-and-council form of government.
Boston Public Library: government history ↗ - 1868–1874
The city's boundaries expand
Roxbury joined Boston in 1868 and Dorchester in 1870. Brighton, Charlestown and West Roxbury followed in 1874, bringing distinct older communities into the city.
Boston City Archives ↗ - 1909–1983
A changing council
A new charter replaced the earlier two-body council with a nine-member council in 1909. The structure changed again in 1983 to combine district representation with at-large seats.
Boston City Archives ↗
See the history for yourself.
Explore Boston’s cultural collections. Check current exhibitions and visiting information at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
For deeper research, the Boston Public Library provides library collections and research resources. Historic photographs have their own permissions; check collection-specific reuse guidance.
Selected milestones from the linked historical sources. This is an introduction, not a complete account of the city’s history.