Ella Gorlova:
Table of Contents of the book “From Boston – About Boston” by Ella Gorlova, ИТД «Ретро», 2006 (in Russian)
(translated from Russian by the author)
Part I. Boston: 375 Years of History
England in the 16th century…………………………………………….25
King Henry VIII (1509 – 1547) and his establishing of the Anglican Church as the official religion of England (1534). King Edward and England’s temporary return to Catholicism (1547 – 1558). Queen Elizabeth I (1558 – 1603) and her support of the Protestants and the ideas of the Reformation. First attempts to colonize the Atlantic coast – the expeditions led by Gosnold and Smith.
Religious
Persecutions in England and the Beginning of the Puritan Exodus to
America………………………………………………………..27
The death of Queen Elizabeth I (1603)
and the accession of King James I. His orthodox religious policy and
persecution of dissidents. The death of James I (1625) and the
accession of his son Charles I, who continued the religious policies
of his father and established overseas colonization with the selling
of the Special Royal Chapters. The Massachussetts Company as a joint
enterprise for the colonization of New England. The first colony in
Salem. John Winthrop and the “Cambridge Agreement”
(1629) as a main term for establishing the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The departure of Winthrop’s group to America (March 1630). The
idea of the future City upon the Hill as it was formulated by
Winthrop on board of the ship “Arbella”.
In a New Place………………………………………………………….…..31
The landing of Winthrop’s group in Salem (June 1630) and the subsequent move to Charlestown in search of fresh water. The first encounter with William Blackstone and the purchase of part of his land on the Shawmut peninsula which resulted in the establishment the new settlement of Trimountaine.
Colonial Boston
The First Twenty Years (1630 – 1649)///…………………………………34
The topography of the Shawmut peninsula. The official renaming of the Trimountaine settlement to TheTowne of Boston (Sept. 7, 1630). Building of the first meeting house. Installation of Boston’s first minister John Cotton. Fishing and trade as the principal sources of sustenance for Boston habitants. Intense political and religious discussions while developing a civil society with the town meetings as the basic unit of civic government. Puritan morals and way of life. The power of church leaders. Church congregations – the seeds of the future democratic system and emergence of the first dissidents.
Boston from 1649 to 1675………………………………………………….43
Events in England: the execution of King Charles I and the establishment of Cromwell’s protectorate (1649). The deaths of the Colony’s governor Winthrop and the first minister Rev. John Cotton (1649). The new governor John Endicot. The construction of a second church due to rising population. Rev. Increase Mather – the new minister of the Second Church of Boston. The death of Cromwell (1658) and the restoration of the monarchy in England (1660). The accession of King Charles II and his aggressive colonial policy culminating in the “Navigation Act”.
King Philip’s War and the Loss of the Charter by the Bay Colony
(1675 – 1686)……………………………………………………………….46
King Philip’s War (1875 – 1677) – the first bloody conflict of the colonists with Indians and the severe devastation it inflicted. The defeat of the Indians. The arrival of the Crown’s agent Edward Randolph in disguise to Boston and the report he sent to England. King Charles II’ ultimatum to the Colony. The English Court of Chancery’s decision to annul the Colony’s Charter. The death of Charles II and the accession of King James II (1685). The final loss of the Charter by the Bay Colony and the replacement of the governor Simon Bradstreet by the royal Governor Joseph Dudley.
The Tyrant Andros and the Partial Restoration of the Charter
(1686 – 1690)………………………………………………… ……………48
Edmund Andros as the new royal governor of all the New England colonies and his autocratic rule. The construction of the first Episcopalian Church in Boston. The dethronement of King James II by the political opposition (1689) and the accession of King William and Queen Mary. The arrest and banishment to England of Andros and Dudley and the reinstallation of governor Simon Bradstreet (1690). The new compromised Charter for a Colony resulting in dual government: the governor of the Colony appointed by the Crown; the members of the governor’s Council chosen by the elected lower House of the Legislature; representatives of the General Court elected by general vote limited by property census only (and not by their religious affiliation). Boston as the capital of the royal province Dominion of New England.
Boston as the Capital of the Royal Province
(1692 – 1774)
The Last Decade of the 17th Century……………………………………51
The first phase of the French-Indian war (1690 – 1697). “Witch trials” in Massachusetts (1692). The weakening of the church leaders’ power and cultural and political changes in society. The construction of the Manifesto Church (1697). The rise of the money aristocracy and its increasing influence in society.
Boston in the First Half of the 18th Century…………………………..55
Queen Anne’s War – the second phase of the French-Indian War (1701-1713). The smallpox epidemic in Boston (winter of 1720-1721). Postwar hardships and the decline of the marine industry in Boston. King George II and his Molasses Act (1734) with its devastating impact on Boston’s ship building industry. King George’s War – the third phase of the French-Indian War (1740-1748). The capture of the Louisburg fortress (1745) as the first victory of the Colonial Army. The earthquake of 1755 and the great fire of 1760. New England’s King George III (1760) and the new governor of New England province, Francis Bernard. The petition before the General Court of the Colony for “Writs of assistance” to fight smuggling and the protests of Bostonians.
Pre-Revolutionary Years (1763 – 1775)…………………………………58
Townsend’s program set into motion by the Parliament of England: TheSugar Act and Currency Act (1764), Stamp Act and Quartering Act (1765). The role of Boston’s taverns and clubs as political organizations for opposing those actions. “Sons of Liberty” and its founders. The Congress in Albany (1765) and the beginning of the boycott of English goods by the colonies. The repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766, replacing it by extra duties on imported goods, including tea. The escalation of unrest in Boston and the arrival of additional regiments of British soldiers. The “Boston Massacre” (March 5, 1770). The repeal of all but one of Townshend’s Acts – the Tea Act. The appointment of Thomas Hutchinson as a new royal governor – the last civilian to hold the post (Dec. 1770). The Boston Tea Party (Dec. 16. 1773), the ultimatum of the English Parliament and its subsequent repressive actions: the dismissal of Governor Hutchinson, the appointment of General Gage as the military commander and the closing of Boston’s port. The solidarity of the colonies and the First Congress in Philadelphia (Sept. 5, 1774).
Boston During the Revolution and the War for Independence………..69
The first session of the Congress of the Provinces (the former State Legislature) in Concord (March 22 through April 5 of 1775). The raid of British soldiers to Lexington and Concord and the ride of Paul Revere and William Dawes. The battle in Lexington – the actual start of the Revolutionary War. The sea blockade of Boston by British military forces from within and the retaliatory land siege of Boston by the colonial forces.
The Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia (May 10, 1775) and the formation of a Continental Army under the command of Gen. George Washington. British plan for the occupation of Bunker Hill as a part of a total plan for breaking the siege. The Battle for Bunker Hill (June 16, 1775). Washington’s arrival in Cambridge and the preparation and training of the regular army during the summer and fall of 1775. Washington’s strategy for the capture of Boston without bloodshed or destruction. The end of blockade of Boston with the evacuation of the British Army (March 17, 1775). The role of Boston’s leaders in the fight for independence and in the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The ratification of the Massachusetts Constitution (June 8, 1780) and the adoption of the first federal constitution – Articles of Confederation (1781).The end of the War for Independence by the signing the peace treaty with England in Versaille (Sept. 3, 1783).
Boston as the capital
of the independent State of Massachusetts
Boston in the Years of Developing a New Federal system
(1783 – 1789)………………………………………………………………80
The ravages of war and the wreck of the national economy. The insurrection of farmers of Western Massachusetts under the leadership of Daniel Shays (Sept. 1786). The struggle of the Federalists with anti-Federalists in Massachusetts for a new state union. The ratification of the new Federal Constitution by Massachusetts with nine amendments proposed by John Hancock (Feb. 6, 1788). The election of Gen. George Washington as the new president of the country under the new constitution. Former revolutionary leaders on the new political stage and the rise of the “federalist aristocracy”.
Boston During the Federalist Years (1789 – 1829)………………………85
The economic growth of Boston: flourishing sea trade, population boom and the beginning of wide urban construction. Architect Charles Bulfinch and the building of the new State House (1795-1798). The shift of the city’s business center from the waterfront to the area around Beacon Hill. The increase of the town’s territory with the annexation of Dorchester (1804) and with the creation of new land by leveling hills and filling up bays. President Jefferson and his Act of Embargo (1807) which affected New England’ s vital sea trade. President Madison, the deterioration of relations with England and the War of 1812 over a number of disputes with the British including the impressment of U.S. sailors. Boston’s nonparticipation in the war and the subsequent dwindling political influence of the Federalist party. The revival of the local textile industry and the union of the cotton-producing South and a textile-manufacturing North. The growing class of young textile magnates. The change of Boston’s status from “town” to ‘city” (Jan. 7, 1822). “The Big Mayor” Josiah Quincy (1823 – 1826) and his contribution to Boston’s modernization by improving the city’s fire and police departments, school and sanitary systems and social services. The construction of the Quincy Market. The Presidency of John Quincy Adams (1925 – 1929) and the end of the Federalist period.
Becoming the “Athens of America” – the Golden Age of Intensive Intellectual and Cultural Activity in Boston (1829 – 1861)……………..97
The thriving achievments in literature and historical studies. The famous writers of New England – Nataniel Hawthorne, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Henry Longfellow and the famous historians – George Bancroft, William Prescott. Ralph Waldo Edison and the new intellectual movement of transcendentalism. The rise of the Unitarian Church. Actions to bring about a better general education: Horace Mann and the modernization of public schools; the opening of the Boston public library – the first of its kind in the United States; vocational and common lectures by the most prominent intellectuals of Boston.
Boston During the Civil War (1861 – 1865)……………………………103
Black slaves in colonial Boston. The special article in the post-revolutionary state constitution declaring all people, including blacks and Indians, free. The existence of two systems in the country: the slavery in the South and freedom for all people in the North. The Missouri Compromise of 1820. The first abolitionist leaders in Boston and the first emancipation programs offered by the American Colonization Society. William Lloyd Garrison and his radical newspaper “Liberator” calling for the immediate abolition of slavery. The Fugitive Slave Law passed by Congress (1850) and opposition of Massachusetts by enacting the Personal Liberty Laws. The election of Abraham Lincoln as the President of the United States and the South’s refusal to accept the results of election. The beginning of war between the South and the North (April 12, 1861). Mobilization in Boston. The defeat of the North’s Army in the battle of Bull Run (August, 1862). Revenge of the North Army in the battle of Antietam. Lincoln’s “Emancipation Proclamation” (1862) and the festivities in Boston followed by the formation of the 54th black battalion under the command of Robert Gould Shaw. The fall of Richmond – the capital of the South. Capitulation of the Confederate forces (April 3, 1865). The assassination of President Lincoln (April 5, 1865) and the mourning in Boston.
The Postwar Period Until the End of the 19th century. Waves of Immigrants and Boston’s Transformation into a Multinational City.
The Appearance of the Irish on the City’s Political Stage……………111
The land laws adopted by the Congress after the Civil War. The country’s rapid growth of large-scale industrialization with Boston’s lagging behind. The influx of Irish immigrants and the fundamental changes in Boston shape, scope and the very character of the city. The construction of the entire new fashionable section of the city by filling up Back Bay. The annexation of districts around Boston: Roxbury (1867), Dorchester (1869), Charlestown, Brighton and West Roxbury (1873). Subsequent development of the city communal services and public transportation system. The entrance of the Irish on the city’s political stage and their growing support of the Democratic Party. Emerging of “Ethnic politics” and Irish system of “bosses”. An election of the first Irish–born Mayor Hugh O’Brien (1884). Inundation of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe and the rise of the Jewish community. The founding of the Immigration Restriction League by young Brahmins and the response of their fathers by moving to suburbs but still actively participating in the city’s cultural affairs and philanthropy. The construction of new buildings for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Public Library and Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Boston in the First Half of the 20th Century…………………………….121
The election of Patrick Collins as the second Irish-born Mayor of Boston (1902). The attempts to improve city management and to reduce an overwhelming influence of Irish “bosses” by establishing the Association for Control of City’s Affairs. The sudden death of
Mayor Collins (1905). The next Mayor John Fitzgerald (1906-1907) and his methods of “ethnic politics”. The inspection of the city’s affairs by the special commission, the city’s government reform and the loss of election by Fitzgerald. A short sojourn of the next Mayor George Hubbard and the return of John Fitzgerald as Mayor for 4-year term. The longest political tenure of Mayor James Michael Curley through the end of World War I. The postwar deteriorating condition of the city and the uncompromizing split between its Irish-Catholic political system and its Yankee-Protestant financial establishment. Curley’s withdrawal from the Boston’s political stage.
Boston During the Postwar Years (1950 – 1975)………………………131
Mayor John Hynes (1950 – 1955) and his call for a “New Boston”. The involvement of leading Boston universities and colleges in urban renovation plans. The establishing of the Boston Housing Authority (BHA). The construction of the first subsidized housing complexes in Brighton, Jamaica Plain, South Boston and Dorchester. The establishing of the Boston Redevelopment Agency (BRA). Reconstruction of the dilapidated parts of South Boston and the razing of West End. Gentrification of the reconstructed neighborhoods and protests of their displaced residents. Mayor John Collins (1960 – 1967) and the appointment of Edward Logue as the head of BRA. The continuation of the construction projects started during the Collins term: the successful negotiations with the Prudential Company and the building of the first Boston skyscraper; new buildings near Huntington Avenue; a construction of the garage under Boston Common; the total demolition of Scollay Square and the construction of the Government Center. The establishing of the Masspike Agency headed by William Callahan for toll highways, the construction of part of Mass. Pike, the second tunnel under Boston Harbor and the elevated Central Artery. The next four terms of Mayor Kevin White (1968 – 1983) and his program of increasing homeownership among black residents. The exodus of the Jewish community from Mattapan, Dorchester and Roxbury and its subsequent transformation into a predominantly black neighborhood.
The “Big Dig” – the Central Artery Depression and the Third Harbor Tunnel – From Concept to Construction………………….142
Fred Salvucci, one of the authors of the comprehensive plan of Boston’s transportation system (1966). His achievements as a Secretary of Transportation in the administration of Governor Dukakis (1975 – 1978) in public transportation developing: the reconstruction and expansion of the Red Line, the dismantling and rebuilding of the elevated Orange Line. Two more terms of Governor Dukakis (1982 – 1990) with Salvucci as Secretary of Transportation – the years of economic prosperity called the “Massachusetts Miracle”. Pressure from the big business to improve access to Logan Airport and the need for the Third Harbor tunnel. Salvucci’s great idea to link the depression of the Central Artery with the construction of a Third Tunnel to Logan. His constant efforts to elaborate and approve the idea of the future project and to secure federal funds for its realization. The Highway Commissioner Jim Kerasiotis in Governor William Weld’s administration – the real driving force behind the “Big Dig” construction.
The first phase of the “Big Dig” – the construction of the Third Harbor tunnel to Logan Airport (1991 – 1995).
The Central Artery depression – the second phase of the “Big Dig”. Building the tunnel under the Fort Point Channel. The construction of a new bridge across Charles River and the fight about its name.
The reconstruction and development of the Boston waterfront. The gentrification of South Boston. The new boulevard – the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
When the Big Dig is completed – plans, projects and polemic.
Part II. The Boston’s major historical areas and
landmarks – their past and present
Boston Common…………………………………………………………..168
The purchase of land from William Blackstone by the first settlers and the designation of the area as a common pasture. The Park in colonial times and during the revolutionary years. Reconstruction and expansion of the park in the Federalist years. Boston Common Memorials. The construction of the first subway line.The garage under Boston Common.
Beacon Hill………………………………………………………………..186
Beacon Hill – the residential neighborhood in the vicinity of downtown. Beacon Hill from Boston’s early years up to the end of 18th century. Charles Bulfinch and the construction of the State House. The further development of the area. The rose window legend. Louisburg Square. Abolitionism as an integral part of Beacon Hill’s history.
The Atheneum Library as a Predesessor of the Museum of Fine Arts
and the Boston Public Library…………………………………………...216
Boston Center……………………………………………………………..224
The Old State House. The reconstruction of the Scollay Square area and the conception of the Government Center. The new City Hall. The John Fitzgerald Kennedy Federal Buildings. Center Plaza, Sears Crescent and Sears Block. The story of the Steaming Kettle. The Charles Hurley Building.
Faneuil Hall Market Place………………………………………………..243
The Faneuil Hall construction (1740-1742). Faneuil Hall as a “Cradle of Liberty”. Its later reconstruction by Charles Bulfinch (1806). The “Big Mayor” Josiah Quincy and the construction of the Quincy Market (1825-1826). The revival of the Market complex in the Bicentennial year.
The Blackstone Block, the Holocaust Memorial and the Haymarket…257
The former topography of the area. Union Oyster House – the oldest Boston’s restaurant. The “Boston Stone” and its history. The Holocaust Memorial. The role of the Haymarket in preserving the oldest remains of the city’s past.
North End…………………………………………………………………268
North End – Boston’s oldest residential neighborhood. Topographical history of the area. The churches of North End. Paul Revere and his house. The creation of Paul Revere Mall. Copp Hill. North End in the 19th century.“The Molasses Flood” (1919). New life and gentrification going on in the North End.
Back Bay…………………………………………………………………..286
Topographical history of the area. The construction of Mill Dam (1821) as a tidal energy source and a connector to Brookline. The purchase by the city of the land west of Mill Dam and giving it a common status. Plans for filling the Back Bay flats and and for creating a new land area over them. Robert Gurlay and his proposal. The city’s decision to landfill and the rules and regulation for developing a new residential area (1856). Architect Gilman’s plan and the naming of the streets and avenues. The financial arrangement for funding the construction. Start of the great fill (1857). Construction of the buildings on the created land. The residents and residences in the most desirable modern neighborhood. The churches of Back Bay. The history of the Public Garden. The Esplanade. Back Bay today.
Copley Square…………………………………………………………….314
Copley Square as a part of the Back Bay landfill. The delayed development of the Square due to the neighboring industrial area. The dramatic history of the Copley Square ensemble: the Coliseum – its first buildings; the Museum of Fine Arts and the naming of the square as Art Square; the design and construction of Trinity Church. The Boston Public Library. The turbulent construction of the John Hancock Tower. The completion of the Copley Square ensemble.
Huntington Avenue – the Avenue of Arts……………………………….341
Christian Science Church………………………………………………...344
Mary Backer Eddy, the founder of the Christian Science movement (1875). The construction of the Mother Church (1894) known also as the First Church of Christ, Scientist. The new cathedral built in 1903-1906 as the extension of the Mother Church. The “Christian Science Monitor” newspaper and its publishing bulding, site of the Mapparium. The completion of the complex with three additional edifices. Recent reconstruction of the complex.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra and its Home – Symphony HalI…..355
Henry Lee Higginson – the founder of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO). The role of the Orchestra in the city’s cultural life and its support by many prominent Bostonians. The conductors of the Orchestra. The Boston Pops and the tradition of the Esplanade concerts. The design and construction of Symphony Hall.
The Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum …………………………………367
Isabella Stuart, her family and her passionate interest in art. Her marriage to John Gardner. Their travels and the beginning of their acquisition of works of art. Her friendship with John Singer Sargent. Bernard Berenson, her assistant and art adviser. The growing collection and the decision to built a special edifice for its housing. The purchase of land on Fenway, in the newly created Back Bay. The sudden death of Mr. Gardner. Isabella as the sole supervisor of design and construction of the future Fenway Court. Her personal arrangement of the collection and the grand opening of the Museum (1901). Her death (1924) and her will to bequest the Museum to the City of Boston.
Appendix I Brief notes on the beginning of Irish immigration…………………..381
Appendix II The origin of the two major American political parties
– Democratic and Republican……………………………………….384
Appendix III The Governors of Massachusetts from 1630 to present………….387
Appendix IV The structure of the city’s government and the mayors of Boston
from 1822 to present………………………………………………..389
Appendix V Dynamics of the Boston’s population…………………………...393
List of photographs………………………………………………………394
Bibliography………………………………………………………………396
Index………………………………………………………………………397
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