Boston Charter Day

To commemorate Boston’s founding, early years, and ongoing challenges, a number of organizations in the city and region hold a series of events every year under the broad rubric of Boston Charter Day.

Boston Charter Day celebrations are intended to engage Bostonians in a conversation about the city, its values, history, and people. The celebrations give modern Bostonians an opportunity to consider who they are as a community and the ongoing challenges of community-making.

We Bostonians are so proud of our heritage as the cradle of the Revolutionary War that we do not pay much attention to the first century or more of the city’s history. The conditions of Boston’s founding – the people, the spiritual and material longings, and the very territory of the modest town and colonial capital – say something important about the city’s character and deserve commemoration.

Boston is a vastly different place than it was in the days of Winthrop. Besides the sheer size of the city – it has grown from 750 acres to 49 square miles since the founding – Boston has expanded from a small, church-based sailing port to the hub of a sprawling region with a diverse array of industries and cultural institutions. It also has become a rich mix of ethnic and racial groups. But much about the character of Boston remains the same.

If you would like more information on Boston Charter Day, please visit the official Boston Charter Day website.