On September 7, 1630, English Puritan settlers established the town of Boston in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The site was chosen for its good harbor and defensible position on a peninsula. Boston soon became a major port and political center in New England. During the eighteenth century, it played a central role in events that led to the American Revolution, including the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party. The city later grew into a hub of commerce, education, and culture in the United States.
