Boston
Boston is the capital and largest city of the state of Massachusetts in the United States of America. The city is located on over eighty-nine square miles and has a population of over six hundred and nine thousand people. The city of Boston was established in September of 1630 by Puritanical colonist from England. During the eighteenth century, the British attempted to control the thirteen colonies through a more stringent system of taxation. This caused the residents of Boston to incite incidents leading the country up to the American Revolution. These incidents would include the Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre, and the battles of Concord and Lexington. After the Revolutionary War, Boston would go on to become an important trade port. Exports of the city included tobacco, salt, fish, rum and rum based products. During the War of 1812, the city experienced a significant drop in their trade activities, and as a result the city began retooling itself as a manufacturing center. The city quickly become known for its leather and garment manufacturing all throughout the country. A side effect of the increase in manufacturing capabilities was an influx of new immigrants into the city swelling the population.
Boston’s manufacturing achievements would continue to rise until the early twentieth century when it suddenly dropped off. This prompted the city to initiate several renovation projects such as the improvement of the West End neighborhood, construction of Government Center, and the first Community Health Center to be built. With the addition of world class hospitals and famous universities that attracted new students to the area, the city once again experienced an economic boom during the 1970s. Today, a huge chunk of the cities economic activity is due to its colleges and universities. These institutions add an extra four billion dollars to the economy of Boston. Boston’s education system includes fifty-one institutions of higher education. Some of the ones located in the city include Bay State College, Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, Berklee College of Music, Boston Architectural College, Boston Conservatory, Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, Massachusetts College of Art and Design and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Tourism is also a big part of Boston’s economy. It is estimated that visitors pump more than eight billion dollars into the cities economy.
Their influx into the city is caused not only by the universities located here but also because of the many other attraction that this city has. One of the most prominent of its attractions is the Massachusetts State House. This building was located on Beacon Hill and overlooks Boston Commons. It was designed by Charles Bulfinch and features an elevated portico with Corinthian style columns. Originally, the bricks on this state house were painted white and it wasn’t until 1928 that the bricks were left unpainted. The red bricks provides a nice contrast to the white columns. The Massachusetts State House also has a large copper gilded dome topped with a pinecone and a lantern. The Boston Common is the oldest park in the United States and was founded in 1634. This area was originally used as a military installation and public hangings were also conducted there. This park is styled in the English pastoral style and is dotted with many different monuments. Some of the monuments in this park are the Parkman Bandstand, The Soldiers and Sailors Monument at Flagstaff Hill, Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, The Brewer Fountain, The Frog Pond and the Central Burying Ground.
The Central Burying Ground contains many bodies of American and British who died during the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. A popular walking tour along the city’s historic landmarks called the Freedom Trail also starts here at the visitors center. A great historical asset of the city of Boston is the Old State House. This building was originally built in 1713 to house the governmental offices of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. At the east end of this building, in the upstairs portion, was located the Council Chamber of the Royal Governor. The central portion of the second floor contained the Massachusetts Assembly. At the west end of the building was the Suffolk County Courts and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Outside this building is where the infamous Boston Massacre took place. Another building in Boston with historical significance is the Trinity Church. This Romenesque style church was built in 1872 and was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson. This church is made of granite with red sandstone for the trim. This church was built to replace the Old Trinity Church which was destroyed in The Great Boston Fire in November of 1872. In 1976, Boston erected the John Hancock Tower. This sixty story, seven hundred and ninety foot tower is the tallest building in Boston.
Next to this building is the Old John Hancock Tower. This glass Art Deco building is topped with a beacon set on a pyramid shaped roof. The beacon changes color according to the cities weather condition. A solid red color stands for coming rain, blinking red warns of snow, solid blue means clear skies and flashing blue means cloudy. One of the finest aquariums in the Northeastern United States is the New England Aquarium. This aquarium was founded in 1969 and features the largest salt water tank in the world. This three story building also has a penguin area, a jellyfish exhibit and a childrens area. Inside this aquarium is a restaurant named the Harbor View Cafe. At this restaurant visitors can get meals that are as simple as a burger and a hot dog, or a steaming bowl of clam chowder. Boston is a city rich in history and culture. And this is evidenced by the many restaurants, bars, cafes, shops and hotels in the city. It is also evidenced by the many attractions that this city holds, like a jewel, for its visitors. Attractions not previously mentioned include Louisburg Square, Harvard Yard, Faneuil Hall, Copley Square, Christian Science Mother Church, Bunker Hill Monument, Paul Revere’s House, Rowes Wharf, South End, Quincy Market and the USS Constitution. |
