Era
Organizational category for historical articles

AbolitionAfrican AmericansNew FieldsWest Boston A print of a group of white men in top hats kidnapping a Black man.

The Fugitive Slave Laws in Boston: Part 1, 1641–1849

This article, part 1 in a two-part series, explores the documentary history of the legalization of slavery in the United States, and the creation of federal laws prioritizing the rights of slaveholders over basic human rights. Part 1 surveys Massachusetts’ legalization of slavery in 1641; its abolishment of slavery in 1783; the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793; and how abolitionist organizations in Boston defied the Fugitive Slave Laws in order to help escaped enslaved people defend their freedom.

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City PlanningImmigrant NeighborhoodNew BostonUrban Renewal An aerial plan of the neighborhood of Charlestown, showing a large number of buildings colored in, coded with needing "serious" or "major" repairs.

Urban Renewal in Boston’s Charlestown Neighborhood and Lessons Learned from the West End

Boston’s urban landscape has been dramatically shaped by urban renewal initiatives of the mid-20th century. Among the most notable examples are the West End and Charlestown—two historic neighborhoods with starkly divergent urban renewal results. While the West End became the poster child for urban renewal’s destructive potential, Charlestown had a very different outcome only a few years later. This article examines these contrasting urban renewal experiences, highlighting their implementation approaches, community responses, and lasting impacts on Boston’s urban fabric.

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African AmericansBusinessSocial & Religious InstitutionsWest Boston Fragments of pearlware ceramics against a black backdrop. They are cream-colored with blue flowers.

Domingo Williams

Domingo Williams was an attendant and caterer who lived with his family in an apartment in the African Meeting House from 1819 to 1830. A 2005 archaeological dig behind the African Meeting House, in conjunction with mentions of Williams in local and national newspapers, help to illuminate Williams’ prosperous catering career, his activist involvement in Boston’s Black community, and his time living in one of the city’s most important Black social-religious centers.

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