Themes in American History

Boston and NYC’s histories have been different from their founding. Boston was founded among the first Puritan colonies. These people were escaping religious persecution in England. NYC, on the other hand, was founded by a massive corporation for the sake of profit. John Winthrop had a vision for Boston to be as “a city upon a hill,” where the members were exclusive and had special favor from god (Chudacoff 59). In fact, many non-puritan leaders were persecuted for their beliefs. His vision failed, as the cities population nearly doubled around the time of the revolutionary war, and exploded in the 19th century. Boston was also a hub for anti-British ideals. The events that lead to the revolution like the Tea Party and the massacre happened in Boston. New Yorkers seemed primarily concerned with making money, and until the British began taxing unfairly, didn’t mind who ruled. After the war had ended, the differences in ideals became apparent in slavery. Boston almost immediately banned slavery whereas NYC took a few decades as the practice was still profitable.

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