Where We Live: Boston, Massachusetts Book 1

Written by Dr. Hollee Freeman

Illustrated by Ariana Chariton

Page Sections

Before the 1600s

a drawing of a ship with the english flag on the ocean

The Massachusett and other indigenous people were the first people to live on the land that we now call America. Long before Boston was a city, the Massachusett Tribe lived among the birds, ferns, and birch trees. They lived near fertile land so they could plant crops. They hunted animals such as deer and turkey. They fished and gathered clams from the sea. Their music, art, and dance traditions were important ways that Massachusett people celebrated the earth, animals, and their families.

Explorers and traders from Europe became interested in the land that the Massachusett Tribe called home.

Painting of the Massachusett leader, Chickataubut, who died in 1633

Around 1620, many people from England could not tolerate the harsh church rules in Europe. They decided it was time to migrate and start a better life in America.

The 1700s

When the Europeans arrived, they came with harmful germs and illness. The Massachusett people worked hard to protect their community from being hurt. However, many people became sick.

The European immigrants did not know how to survive on the new land. They wanted to learn, so they ordered some of the indigenous people to teach them about the land and to work for them. They forced the indigenous people to build sturdy homes, grow crops, and tend to their herds.

The Europeans also captured people living in African countries and in the Caribbean, and made them come to Boston to work. Native Americans and Africans used music, food, and other traditions to keep their customs alive. Soon there were many different cultures all living together.

A photo of a brick building, the African Meeting House, in Beacon Hill, Boston — The African Meeting House was built in 1806. It is the oldest standing church for African Americans in the United States. It is located in Beacon Hill in Boston.

The 1800s

A small community of free African Americans also made their home in Boston after escaping enslavement in the South. Some of the first neighborhoods they formed were in Copp’s Hill and Beacon Hill. People living in these free communities wanted to help others escape enslavement through the Underground Railroad. They also wanted to make laws to end enslavement.

A map with a circle around Ireland and an arrow from Ireland to Massachusetts, which is also circled

Soon, Boston was a whirl of activity, with people from many different places and cultures. A new influx of immigrants came from Europe in the 1800s. Many families left their homes in Ireland to escape famine and to start over in America.

A map of several Boston neighborhoods filled in with different colors based on immigrant groups — This map shows where immigrant groups lived in Boston during the early 1900s.

The city got bigger. Many people moved into neighborhoods with people from their home countries. Each group kept their traditions, music, and food alive in Boston. The city was bursting with excitement! Many Irish immigrants began to move to Charlestown and the South End. Chinese immigrants developed a neighborhood that is now called Chinatown. Caribbean immigrants formed neighborhoods with African Americans in Roxbury.

Image of the street corner of School Street and Tremont Street in the early 1900s — The Corner of School St. and Tremont St. in Boston in the 1900s

Some people did not stay in their immigrant groups. A number of immigrants and migrant groups gathered to live in the West End of the city. This part of the city turned into the most diverse part of Boston!

If you wandered through the city at that time, it was a blur of chatter, music, and food from many different cultures.

Talk about the Text

1. Why did many people from Europe migrate to Massachusetts?

2. What do we know about how the Massachusett people lived before Europeans came to this land?

3. Why do you think it is important for people to hold onto their traditions when they move to a new place?

About the Author and Illustrator

Dr. Hollee Freeman is a career educator with over 30 years of experience working in New York City, NY, Boston, MA and Richmond, VA. When she is not beekeeping in her apiary, you can find Hollee taking photographs of nature, gardening, and hiking. Hollee has written numerous book chapters and articles focused on educational reform, teaching, gender equity, and STEM. She has also written three children’s books.

Through writing, Hollee looks for connections between herself and the world. It is her sincere hope that you find joy and connection in the themes found in this (and other) books, that you ask questions and think of new ways of telling this story, other stories and of course, your OWN story.

Ariana Chariton is 24 years old and grew up in Walpole, Massachusetts. She currently lives in Grapevine, Texas. She went to college at Massachusetts College of Art and Design to be a fashion designer but instead became an illustrator.

When she was growing up, Ariana’s favorite place to go in Boston was the Museum of Science. When she got older and moved to the Roxbury/ Mission Hill neighborhood to go to college, she loved running to Jamaica Pond because it was so beautiful. She also loved going to Purple Cactus in Jamaica Plain for a burrito and a smoothie.

Ariana has always loved drawing and making art and still does. She hopes that if you enjoy drawing, you will draw your version of this story!

What's Next

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