Boston is the capital and largest city of Massachusetts, located on the Atlantic coast in New England. Founded in 1630 by Puritan settlers, Boston became one of America's most important colonial cities and played a central role in the American Revolution. The Boston Tea Party of 1773, when colonists dumped British tea into the harbor to protest unfair taxes, helped spark the Revolutionary War. The battles of Lexington and Concord, which started the war, took place in nearby towns just outside the city in 1775.

Today Boston is known for its world-class universities, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), its passionate sports fans (especially for the Red Sox baseball team), and its blend of colonial history with modern innovation. The city pioneered America's first public school, one of the first subway systems in the United States, and one of the first public parks. Its harbor, once crucial for trade and shipbuilding, remains an active port.

People from Boston are called Bostonians, and the city has a distinctive accent that drops the “r” sound: they might say “pahk the cah” instead of “park the car.” Boston baked beans, Boston cream pie, and clam chowder are all foods associated with the city, though you can find them in restaurants across the United States today.