The early European settlers of Boston first called the region Trimountaine but later changed it to Boston (after Boston – Lincolnshire, England), the origin of numerous famous colonists. Many of the critical proceedings of the American Revolution — the Boston Tea Party, the Boston Massacre, the Siege of Boston, and many more —occurred in or around Boston. After the Revolution, the city’s nautical tradition helped it become one of the world’s richest international ports, with fish, rum, tobacco and salt being predominantly important. In the 1820s, the population grew rapidly with a dramatic change in its ethnic composition. Then there was The Great Boston Fire of 1872, which took years to recover from. The years after that were also tough as businesses started moving to other cities. This brought upon many urban renewal projects that helped the economy recover. Boston then became a technological, intellectual and political hub and now one of the top tourist destinations in the country as well.

Boston has been referred to as the ‘Athens of America’ for its literary culture, getting it the reputation of being ‘the intellectual capital of the United States’. Classic writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, etc., all wrote in the city and used to meet at the Old Corner Bookstore which is now called ‘the cradle of American literature’. Music is a big part of the lives of the people here and there are numerous events like First Night, Boston Early Music Festival, Boston Arts Festival and multiple orchestra performances. The city also houses numerous museums and theatres. Independence Day is celebrated in a grand way in Boston with concerts, fireworks and weeklong Harborfest festivities.

Boston has around 667,137 residents and is the third most densely populated large American city. Whites represent the majority of the population (52.9%), followed by Blacks (24.1%), Hispanic or Latino (18.8%), Asian (9.0%) and the rest belong to other races. Boston is one of the top 30 economically powerful cities in the world. The main areas of income are education, technology and tourism. Since the city has some of the best institutes in the world (MIT, Harvard, etc.), Boston attracts students from all around the world.