PENETRATING GROWTH: 1840 - 1880
Boston expanded in size and importance during this period. Again, the city’s population quadrupled to 363,000 people, fueled mainly by Irish immigrants fleeing harsh conditions. The City of Boston’s land area grew nearly 2 sq. mi. to just under 50 sq. mi. through annexation, the creation of the Back Bay, and other land-making (City of Boston, 2013). Boston was an innovative city in communications, education, medicine, and infrastructure, while its commercial and industrial economies remained relatively strong. The new streetcar and railroad systems changed where people lived and worked. The Great Fire of 1872 and the city’s first slum clearance at Fort Hill reshaped the downtown area (Boston Chamber of Commerce, 1922).
PEOPLEYankees and massive Irish immigration
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PLACEGrowth through annexation and land-making; railroads and streetcar systems; infrastructure for water and sewer systems
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ECONOMYManufacturing and commerce dominate; Innovation in communications, education, medicine, and infrastructure
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PLANNINGPrivate development; new government roles
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PEOPLE
Annexation and immigration led to Boston's population tripling in size. Boston’s close connection with Liverpool, became the major driving force for Irish migrants crossing the Atlantic, which made Boston a primary destination for Irish escaping starvation in their homeland.
Large population movements occurred within the city as Yankees and middle-class people fled the immigrant-dominated areas. Land-making, annexation and new transportation technologies, such as the steam railroad and streetcar, allowed these people to relocate to new neighborhoods such as the South End, the Back Bay and to outlying suburbs like West Roxbury (Fisher, 1992). Established immigrant families also left the inner city immigrant neighborhoods for outlying areas within a short distance of jobs in the city center, such as South Boston, Charlestown, and East Boston.
Other immigrant groups also began to arrive alongside the large numbers of Irish. African-American migrants began arriving from the South after the Civil War and tripled Boston’s black population to approximately 6,000 people.
Large population movements occurred within the city as Yankees and middle-class people fled the immigrant-dominated areas. Land-making, annexation and new transportation technologies, such as the steam railroad and streetcar, allowed these people to relocate to new neighborhoods such as the South End, the Back Bay and to outlying suburbs like West Roxbury (Fisher, 1992). Established immigrant families also left the inner city immigrant neighborhoods for outlying areas within a short distance of jobs in the city center, such as South Boston, Charlestown, and East Boston.
Other immigrant groups also began to arrive alongside the large numbers of Irish. African-American migrants began arriving from the South after the Civil War and tripled Boston’s black population to approximately 6,000 people.
PLACE
Boston Common, aerial
The growth in this era illustrates well how migration, economic changes, and technological changes combine to physically transform Boston. Immigration and crowding in the center of the city motivated movement to outlying areas. New technologies and infrastructure, like the steam shovel, railroad, streetcars, sewage lines, and municipal water systems, enabled the growth of outlying areas. Crowds of immigrants provided labor for the large land-making and public works projects. The projects provided jobs that enabled the new immigrants to gain resources and establish themselves in Boston.
This era marked a shift in the use of land-making in Boston from primarily serving industry and commerce to creating residential neighborhoods. The city created new residential neighborhoods in the 1840s by filling land in the South Cove, South Bay, and South End. These were eclipsed in scale and value, however, by the massive land-making that created the Back Bay neighborhood from 1857 to 1894 (Fisher, 1992). Back Bay created a large territory for the city’s elite, allowing them to remain in the city while moving away from immigrant neighborhoods.
During this era, neighboring towns agreed to annexation in order to take advantage of Boston’s municipal infrastructure. Beginning with East Boston in 1836, Boston annexed the surrounding towns of Roxbury, Dorchester, Charlestown, Brighton and West Roxbury.
The city grew upward and outward. A building boom occurred both downtown and in the outlying residential areas. Downtown, several thousand commercial buildings were constructed on old and new land, such as Atlantic Avenue, and on land opened by the clearance of Irish slums on Fort Hill.
After the Great Boston Fire of 1872 destroyed 65 acres and 776 buildings, much of the downtown financial district had to be rebuilt (Frothingham, 1873). Private landowners resisted city intervention and an opportunity to plan for downtown revitalization. As a result, more modern and safe buildings were constructed along the old streets. The fire also helped stimulate the consolidation of industries around the downtown area. Wool clustered around South Station, garments in Chinatown, and leather in the area around the Fort Point Channel (Boston Chamber of Commerce, 1922).
This era marked a shift in the use of land-making in Boston from primarily serving industry and commerce to creating residential neighborhoods. The city created new residential neighborhoods in the 1840s by filling land in the South Cove, South Bay, and South End. These were eclipsed in scale and value, however, by the massive land-making that created the Back Bay neighborhood from 1857 to 1894 (Fisher, 1992). Back Bay created a large territory for the city’s elite, allowing them to remain in the city while moving away from immigrant neighborhoods.
During this era, neighboring towns agreed to annexation in order to take advantage of Boston’s municipal infrastructure. Beginning with East Boston in 1836, Boston annexed the surrounding towns of Roxbury, Dorchester, Charlestown, Brighton and West Roxbury.
The city grew upward and outward. A building boom occurred both downtown and in the outlying residential areas. Downtown, several thousand commercial buildings were constructed on old and new land, such as Atlantic Avenue, and on land opened by the clearance of Irish slums on Fort Hill.
After the Great Boston Fire of 1872 destroyed 65 acres and 776 buildings, much of the downtown financial district had to be rebuilt (Frothingham, 1873). Private landowners resisted city intervention and an opportunity to plan for downtown revitalization. As a result, more modern and safe buildings were constructed along the old streets. The fire also helped stimulate the consolidation of industries around the downtown area. Wool clustered around South Station, garments in Chinatown, and leather in the area around the Fort Point Channel (Boston Chamber of Commerce, 1922).
ECONOMY
Boston City Hospital, 1903
The American Industrial Revolution paved the way for Boston dominating in manufacturing and trade industries. Innovation and transportation connections fueled the strength of the city’s economy. Rail links to Canada and shipping lanes kept Boston commerce strong. Boston also exported ideas through its industry-leading publishing houses and the many intellectual leaders and writers made Boston their home. Many educational institutions and hospitals were founded in this era, laying the groundwork for Boston’s future competitiveness.
PLANNING
Despite an emerging role for the public sector, planning and development remained private enterprises in this era. Private entities built the railroads, the streetcar lines, and the residential developments in the new suburbs. Even downtown renewal was a business undertaking with private developers demolishing old buildings to build a higher density financial district (Boston Chamber of Commerce, 1922).