Boston. People. Ethnic groups. Social problems

English Puritans and their descendants made up almost the entire population of Boston for over 200 years after the city was founded in 1630. Some rich Puritan families produced outstanding business leaders, educators, and writers. These families were known as the Boston Brahmins. The name came from the Brahmins, or Brahmans, who make up the highest castes (social classes) of the Hindu religion. Members of many of these families still live in the area.

But Boston has been a city of immigrants since the 1840's, when wave upon wave of Europeans began to pour into the city. Even today, Boston has a higher percentage of people born in other countries than do many other large U.S. cities.

Boston has one of the largest Roman Catholic communities in the country. The Unitarian-Universalist Association, an organization of Protestant churches, and the Church of Christ, Scientist, have headquarters in Boston.

Ethnic groups. Many of Boston's people are of Irish and Italian descent. African Americans make up one fourth of the population. The city's ethnic groups also include people of Hispanic and Asian ancestry.

People of Irish ancestry began to pour into Boston by the thousands from 1845 to 1847 to escape starvation caused by the failure of Ireland's potato crop. In time, descendants of Irish immigrants gained political control in Boston. The Irish became one of the city's most prosperous and powerful ethnic groups.

Many people of Italian ancestry arrived in Boston from 1880 to 1914. During that period, cheap steamship service linked the city with eastern and southern Europe. The low fares attracted thousands of poor Italians, as well as many Lithuanians and Poles, to Boston. Most of the Italians settled in the North End.

African Americans from the Southern States began to move to the North in ever-increasing numbers after World War I ended in 1918. But Boston's depressed economy at that time could offer few jobs to the unemployed. Thus, fewer African Americans moved to Boston than to such cities as Chicago and Detroit, where factories were hiring many unskilled workers.

Education. Boston is the birthplace of public education in the United States. The Boston Latin School, the first public school in the Western Hemisphere, opened in 1635. Today, the Boston School Committee governs the city's public school system. The committee consists of seven members appointed by the mayor. The city also has many private schools.

Greater Boston is one of the nation's leading centers of learning. It has many well-known colleges and universities. Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, both in Cambridge, have worldwide reputations for excellence.

Other famous schools in Greater Boston include Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Brandeis University in Waltham, Tufts University in Medford, and Wellesley College in Wellesley. Institutions of higher education within the city of Boston include the Boston Architectural Center, Boston University, Massachusetts College of Art, Northeastern University, St. John's Seminary, and a branch of the University of Massachusetts. Boston also has a number of medical schools and junior colleges.

Social problems. Poverty and unemployment have been serious problems in Boston. Many kinds of jobs available in the city—in business, government, and scientific research—require highly educated workers. Many other people cannot find work because most of Greater Boston's factories have moved to suburban areas. Other problems include crumbling housing in poor neighborhoods and a severe housing shortage.