Published in 1769, this map of Boston was produced at a time of great tumult for the iconic American city. Though the Revolutionary war had yet to break out, tensions were high between the colonists and Great Britain. The passage of the Townsend Acts in 1767 had further angered colonists, and Boston was a hotbed for patriot speech and action. Bostonās role in the Revolution was crucial, and this depiction in 1769 paints a unique picture of the city in a time of transition and just one year before the famous Boston Massacre. British troops that had been stationed in the city since 1868 opened fire on a group of pro-independence protestors, and the incident served as fuel for the growing Patriotic movement. Some of the interesting features of this illustration include the details regarding the dates of significant fires as well as outbreaks of smallpox. It also features landmarks that have been filled and re-purposed like Mill Pond as well as prominent features that remain to this day like Boston Common. William Price, the producer of this map, owned the rights to this map, which was initially printed in 1726. Price would amend and update the map re-printing for the following forty years. Street names were added or changed, and new buildings were depicted by shading rather than perspective drawing. The details, additions, and cartouche make this map the best visual record of pre-Revolutionary Boston and an authentic piece of both American and cartographical history.
Anonymous. Thu Oct 23 2025
