Timeline of Boston

This article is a timeline of the history of the city of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

17th century

* 1625 – William Blaxton arrives.
* 1630 - When Boston was founded
** English Puritans arrive.
** First Church in Boston established.
** September 7 (old style): Boston named.
* 1631 – Boston Watch (police) established.
* 1632 – Settlement becomes capital of the English Massachusetts Bay Colony.
* 1634
** Boston Common established.
** Samuel Cole opened the first tavern in Boston, Massachusetts on March

* 1635 – Boston Latin School founded.
* 1636 – Town assumes the prerogatives of appointment and control of the Boston Watch.
* 1637 – Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts founded.
* 1638
** ''Desiré'' slave ship arrives.
** Anne Hutchinson excommunicated.
* 1644 – "Slaving expedition" departs for Africa.
* 1648 – Margaret Jones hanged as a witch.
* 1649 – Second Church established.
* 1652 – "Hull Mint", Robert Sanderson and John Hull establish a mint the pine tree shilling
* 1656 – Ann Hibbins hanged as a witch.
* 1657 – Scots Charitable Society of Boston founded.
* 1658 – Town-House built.
* 1660
** June 1: Mary Dyer hanged as a Quaker.
** Copp's Hill Burying Ground and Granary Burying Ground established.
* 1669 – Third Church built.
* 1679
** Province House and Baptist church built.
** Fire.
* 1680 – Paul Revere House built (approximate date).
* 1688 – King's Chapel built.
* 1689 – The Boston Revolt results in the overthrow of Sir Edmund Andros, unpopular governor of the Dominion of New England.
* 1690
** September 25: ''Publick Occurrences'' newspaper begins publication.
** London Coffee-House in business.
* 1692
** Town becomes part of the British colonial Province of Massachusetts Bay.
** Boston Overseers of the Poor established.
* 1699 – Brattle Street Church built.
* 1700 – North Writing School established.

18th century

1700s–1760s

* 1701 – Castle William (fort) rebuilt in harbour.
* 1704
** Capen house built (approximate date).
** April 24: ''The Boston News-Letter'' begins publication.
* 1705 – Benjamin Franklin born on Milk St.
* 1711
** October: Fire.
** Pierce–Hichborn House built (approximate date).
* 1712 – Crease's apothecary rebuilt.
* 1713 – May: Boston Bread Riot.
* 1716 – Boston Light erected in harbour.
* 1719 – December 21: ''Boston Gazette'' newspaper begins publication.
* 1721 – 1721 Boston smallpox outbreak
* 1722
** John Bonner's map of Boston published.
** Population: 10,567.
* 1723 – Old North Church built, Salem Street.
* 1729 – Old South Meeting House and Granary built.
* 1732 – Hollis Street Church established.
* 1733 – September 27: Rebekah Chamblit executed.
* 1735 – Trinity Church built on Summer St.
* 1737
** Charitable Irish Society of Boston founded.
** Saint Patrick's Day begins.
* 1738 – Workhouse built.
* 1742 – Faneuil Hall built.
* 1744 – Hospital active on Rainsford Island.
** November 5: Unrest during Pope's Night.
** Bells installed in Christ Church.
* 1747 – Impressment triggers Knowles Riot.
* 1748 – Manufactory House established.
* 1752
** Smallpox epidemic.
** Concert Hall built.
* 1754 – Boston Marine Society incorporated.
* 1755 – November 18: Cape Ann earthquake.
* 1760
** March 20: Great Boston Fire of 1760.
** Population: 15,631.
* 1765 – Protest against Stamp Act.
* 1768
** Britain's American Customs Board headquartered in Boston.
** June 10: Protest against customs officials.
** July: '' The Liberty Song'' published.
** September: Massachusetts Convention of Towns held in Faneuil Hall.
** October: British troops begin to arrive.

1770s–1790s

* 1770
** ''Massachusetts Spy'' newspaper begins publication.
** March 5: Boston Massacre.
* 1772
** Committee of correspondence formed.
** ''Boston Pamphlet'' (rights declaration) published.
* 1773
** Hutchinson Letters Affair.
** December 16: Boston Tea Party.
* 1774
** January: ''Royal American Magazine'' begins publication.
** March 31: Boston Port Bill blocks trade.
* 1775
** April 19: Siege of Boston begins.
** June 17: Battle of Bunker Hill takes place near town.
* 1776 – March 17: Siege of Boston ends; British depart.
* 1784 – Massachusetts Bank founded.
* 1785 – Massachusetts Humane Society headquartered in Boston.
* 1786 – Charles River Bridge built.
* 1787
** April: Fire.
** October 18: Massachusetts General Court receives U.S. Constitution.
** African Masonic lodge active.
* 1788
** January 9: Massachusetts convention to ratify U.S. Constitution begins at State House.
** January 17: Convention to ratify U.S. Constitution moves to Federal Street Church.
** February 6: Delegates ratify U.S. Constitution; Boston becomes part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
** February 8: Parade in honor of ratification of U.S. Constitution.
* 1789
** William Hill Brown's ''The Power of Sympathy'' published.
** ''Boston Directory'' and '' Massachusetts Magazine'' begin publication.
* 1790
** Memorial column erected atop Beacon Hill.
** Population: 18,320.
* 1791 – Massachusetts Historical Society founded.
* 1792
** Board Alley Theatre opens.
** Boston Library Society established.
** J. & T.H. Perkins shipping merchant in business.
* 1793 – West Boston Bridge opens.
* 1794
** Julien's Restorator opens on Milk Street.
** February 3: Federal Street Theatre opening performance.
* 1795
** Columbian Museum and Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association established.
** Mount Vernon Proprietors in business.
** Tontine Crescent built.
* 1796
** Haymarket Theatre, African Society, and Boston Medical Dispensary established.
** Otis House built in West End.
* 1797 – October 21: ship launched.
* 1798 – Massachusetts State House built on Beacon Hill.
* 1799 – Board of Health created.
* 1800 – Population: 24,937.

19th century

1800s–1840s

* 1801 – Almshouse built on Leverett Street.
* 1803
** Boston Female Asylum incorporated.
** Holy Cross Church built.
* 1804
** Anthology Club, Social Law Library, and Market Museum established.
** Nichols house built.
** Union Circulating Library in business.
* 1805
** Ice merchant F. Tudor in business.
** Boston Medical Library established.
* 1806 – African Meeting House and Old West Church built.
* 1807
** Boston Athenæum founded.
** Charles Street Meeting House built.
* 1808 – Roman Catholic diocese of Boston established; John Cheverus becomes bishop.
* 1809 – Craigie Bridge opens.
* 1810
** American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions headquartered in Boston.
** Boylston Market and Park Street Church built.
** Philharmonic Society established (approximate date).
** Bryant & Sturgis shipping merchants in business.
* 1811 – Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Lyceum for the Education of Young Ladies established.
* 1812 – Fragment Society founded.
* 1813 – ''Boston Daily Advertiser'' begins publication.
* 1814 – Linnaean Society of New England established.
* 1815
** Handel and Haydn Society founded.
** May: ''North American Review'' begins publication.
* 1816 – Provident Institution for Savings established.
* 1818
** New-England Museum opens.
** November 3: Exchange Coffee House burns down.
** Methodist Episcopal Church established.
** Annin & Smith in business (approximate date).
* 1819 – Cathedral Church of St. Paul built.
* 1820 – Mercantile Library Association established.
* 1821
** English Classical School established.
** Doggett's Repository of Arts opens (approximate date).
* 1822
** Boston incorporated as a city.
** Leverett Street Jail opens; old jail closes.
** May 1: John Phillips becomes mayor.
* 1823
** Chickering and Sons piano manufacturer in business.
** Josiah Quincy III becomes mayor.
** City seal design adopted.
* 1824
** City auditor established.
** Area of city: 783 acres.
* 1825
** Pendleton's Lithography in business.
** American Unitarian Association organized and headquartered in city.
* 1826
** Massachusetts General Colored Association and House of Juvenile Reformation established.
** Quincy Market built.
** Atwood & Bacon Oyster House in business.
* 1827
** September 24: Tremont Theatre opens.
** Boston Seaman's Friend Society organized.
** dancing school in business.
* 1829
** Boston Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge and Boston Lyceum established.
** Harrison Gray Otis becomes mayor.
** Tremont House built.
** Walker's ''An Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World'' published.

* 1830
** Boston Society of Natural History established.
** July 24: ''Boston Evening Transcript'' begins publication.
** Population: 61,392.
* 1831
** '' The Liberator'' and ''The Boston Post'' begin publication.
** New England Anti-Slavery Society established.
** S.S. Pierce in business.
* 1832
** Boston Lying-In Hospital and Afric-American Female Intelligence Society established.
** Charles Wells becomes mayor.
* 1833
** ''The Boston Journal'' newspaper begins publication.
** Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society, Boston Seaman's Aid Society, and East Boston Company founded.
** Harding's Gallery active (approximate date).
* 1834
** Parker & Ditson and Boston Sugar Refinery (East Boston) in business.
** Temple School opens.
** Theodore Lyman becomes mayor.
** Thompson Island becomes part of Boston.
* 1835 – Abiel Smith School and American House (hotel) founded.
** William Lloyd Garrison attacked by anti-abolitionist mob.
* 1836
** East Boston annexed to Boston.
** ''Boston Pilot'' Catholic newspaper in publication.
** National Theatre and Lion Theatre open.
** Chamber of Commerce established.
** Samuel Turell Armstrong becomes mayor.
** Abolition Riot of 1836
* 1837
** June 11: Broad Street Riot.
** September 12: Montgomery Guards Riot.
** Samuel Atkins Eliot becomes mayor.
** Harvard Musical Association organized.
* 1838 – African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church established.
* 1839
** Lowell Institute lectures begin.
** Melodeon opens.
** City lunatic asylum established.
* 1840
** Friends of Ireland society founded.
** Durgin-Park restaurant and Peabody's West Street Bookstore in business.
** Cunard's steamship ''Britannia'' sails from Liverpool to Boston.
** Population: 93,383.
** Jonathan Chapman becomes mayor.
* 1841
** Boston and Albany Railroad in operation.
** Boston Museum, Boston Artists' Association, and Plumbe's photo gallery established.
** Probation for prisoners introduced.
* 1842 – Merchants Exchange built.
* 1843
** Tremont Temple established.
** Martin Brimmer becomes mayor.
* 1844
** Liverpool-Boston "White Diamond Line" begins operating.
** Phillips School established.
* 1845
** Chinese Museum, Howard Athenaeum, and New England Historic Genealogical Society