CHAPTER 3: Foundations of Human Activity

Reverend William Blackstone


 Reverend William Blackstone was the first English immigrant who settled in Boston in 1629. The following year, John Winthrop and his Puritan settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony settled at Boston. This location was called Shawmut by the local Algonquin inhabitants at that time.

On September 17, 1630, Winthrop decided to shift to Shawmut permanently and renamed it as Boston. The church members controlled citizenship in Massachusetts until 1664. Rebels like Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams were banished by the church. But despite these facts, representative institutions were establishing in the colony, laying the stone for its future as an established democratic nation.

Algonquin inhabitants

Puritans

Puritan way of life was more prevalent in Boston for the next two centuries. It emerged as a center for education and learning with the arrival of legendary theologians and statesmen. The famous educational institutions like the Boston Latin School and Harvard University were established during this period. Stephen Daye constructed the first printing press in the colonies in 1639.

The Boston manufacturers profited from the Civil War as they produced shoes, blankets, weapons, and other articles for the troops. Boston also actively participated in the abolitionist movement. It was a major turning point in the history of Boston in the late 19th century, when it established itself as the greatest industrial city.

Boston Latin School 1935

 


 Population

According to the 2000 United States Census, there were 589,141 people, 239,528 households, and 115,212 families residing in the city. The population density was 12,166 people per square mile (4,697/km²). There were 251,935 housing units at an average density of 5,203 per square mile (2,009/km²). The 2009 U.S. Census population estimate for the city is 645,169, an 8.7% increase from 2000. During weekdays, the population of Boston can grow during the daytime to over 1.2 million, and can reach as many as 2 million during special events. This fluctuation of people is caused by hundreds of thousands of suburban residents who travel to the city for work, health care, special events, and education.

According to the 2006-2008 American Community Survey, the racial composition of Boston was as follows:

• White: 56.3% (Non-Hispanic Whites: 50.6%)
• Black or African American: 23.5%
• Native American: 0.4%
• Asian: 8.2%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
• Some other race: 8.5%
• Two or more races: 3.1%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 16.1%

Dialect

 In the U.S, the "Boston accent" is widely parodied as the speech of the Kennedys. It is non-rhotic (i.e., drops the "r" sound at the end of syllables unless the next syllable starts with a vowel) and traditionally uses a "broad a" in certain words, so "bath" can sound like "bahth." Boston English has many dialect words, such as "frappe," meaning "milkshake made with ice cream." The accent originated in the non-rhotic speech of 17th century East Anglia and Lincolnshire.


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