Where is Boston?

The historical heart of America lies on the eastern coast of the Atlantic Ocean, in the state of Massachusetts. Most of Boston was built on reclaimed land. The first settlers brought soil from nearby hills to battle the local swamps. Only two districts — Back Bay and South Boston — stand on solid ground.

The city is very compact, covering only 232 sq. km, of which 125 sq. km is land. More than 600,000 people live within this area, while the greater Boston metropolitan region is home to over four million residents. The average age of the population is 27–28 years.

Boston was founded on September 17, 1630. It was named after its namesake in Lincolnshire, England — the hometown of several well-known settlers, including the state’s first governor, John Winthrop. The overseas origins of Bostonians are still reflected in their accent, reminiscent of 17th-century Eastern England.

An important chapter in the city’s history — which, according to Charles Dickens, should serve as an example for the rest of America — is its role in the fight for U.S. independence. This struggle essentially began with the “Boston Massacre” of 1770, when British soldiers opened fire on peaceful protesters opposing the crown’s taxation policies. The troops were eventually forced to leave the city.

In 1773, Boston witnessed the famous “Boston Tea Party,” when residents, outraged by new import duties, boarded ships of the East India Company and threw all the tea cargo into the harbor. Three years later, the Declaration of Independence was read publicly for the first time from the balcony of the Old State House.