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Jul 16, 2016 · The City Flag. The City flag is a Continental blue and buff. The flag is five-feet long and three-and-a-half-feet wide, or within that ratio. The center of the flag features the City seal surrounded by two white rings.
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History is woven into the fabric of Boston, making it nearly...
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Apr 6, 2023 · “Boston” is merely the most recent. The earliest Native Americans adapted this landscape for their survival. They lived on the harbor's islands and peninsulas for protection, trapped seafood on its vast tidal plains, and used the coastline and rivers for transportation.
Apr 30, 2023 · From the majestic state bird, the chickadee, to the iconic Mayflower ship, each symbol tells a unique story about the history, culture, and natural beauty of Massachusetts. These symbols remind us of the state’s rich past and inspire us to continue building a bright future for all who call Massachusetts home.
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Boston, city, capital of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, and seat of Suffolk county, in the northeastern United States. It lies on Massachusetts Bay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. The city proper has an unusually small area for a major city, and more than one-fourth of the total—including part of the Charles River, Boston Harbor, and a portion o...
The area, the people, and the institutions within its political boundaries can only begin to define the essence of Boston. Its nickname “Beantown” has its origin in colonial times, when Boston, as a stop on a major trade route with the West Indies, had a steady supply of molasses from the Caribbean, thus leading to the creation of a popular dish th...
The Boston region’s topography was largely shaped by the glaciers that covered the land during the last ice age. The city and its sheltered deepwater harbour sit in a basin that extends to Lynn in the north and Quincy in the south and is ringed by modest hills: the Middlesex Fells (north) to the Blue Hills (south). There are harder, higher surface rocks (mostly granites) on those northern and southern edges, while inside the basin the lower-lying rocks—commonly known as pudding stone—are found mostly below the surface in such areas as Roxbury, Newton, Brookline, Mattapan, West Roxbury, and Dorchester. The land, enormously compressed by the vast accumulation of glacial ice on it, has since been rebounding (rising up) at an extremely gradual rate.
Numerous drumlins (mounds of glacial debris) form low hills in the city and islands that dot the harbour. At the beginning of English settlement in the 17th century, the Shawmut Peninsula was called Trimountain (or Tramount) because of its dominating three-topped hill on the northwest corner near the mouth of the Charles River. Beacon Hill is its only surviving, though greatly reduced, remnant. The other portions were leveled to become landfill that added to the city’s area in the 19th century.
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The hilly Shawmut Peninsula, upon which Boston was settled, originally was almost completely surrounded by water. It was connected with mainland Roxbury to the south by a narrow neck of land along the line of present-day Washington Street. To the west of the neck were great reaches of mudflats and salt marshes that were covered by water at high tide and known collectively as the Back Bay. The Charles River flowed through the Back Bay to Boston Harbor and separated the peninsula from the mainland to the north and west. To the east, Town Cove indented Boston’s harbour front and divided the city into the North End and the South End. The centre of the colonial town was at the Old State House (built 1711–47).
Although that original centre and the colonial South End have long been given over to offices and retail stores, a few 18th-century buildings remain: Faneuil Hall (1742–1805), the Old Corner Bookstore (1718), the Old South Meeting House (1729), and King’s Chapel (1750). The North End is the only part of the early town that has remained residential since the 1630 settlement. Colonial survivals such as the Paul Revere House (c. 1680) and Christ Church (1723)—the Old North Church from which lanterns revealed the route of the British march to Lexington in 1775—coexist with the busy life of a traditionally Italian American community.
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Visiting Boston can feel like opening a U.S. history book. One of the most cosmopolitan cities in the United States, the state capital of Massachusetts is a true melting pot pulsating art, history and culture everywhere, and proud Bostonians take pleasure sharing it with visitors.
May 19, 2016 · The Story Behind a Forgotten Symbol of the American Revolution: The Liberty Tree. While Boston landmarks like the Old North Church still stand, the Liberty Tree, gone for nearly 250 years,...
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Sep 8, 2024 · From movies and TV shows to advertisements and artwork, the iconic sign has served as a quintessential symbol of Boston, garnering widespread recognition and fond nostalgia. Its vivid red triangle and bright letters have made it a beloved landmark, standing tall in the Kenmore Square since 1965.
