Although this volume tells the story of a city, it is not a conventional urban history. Rather than examining the internal development of Boston proper, Peterson re-frames colonial Boston and its New England hinterland as a highly integrated and largely autonomous city-state defined by free trade, private property, self-rule, and a common religious culture. Boston would fight successfully throughout the colonial period to maintain its autonomy, only to lose it during the national period along with some of the city’s most admirable characteristics. Peterson /portrays this transition as a story of loss, encouraging readers to reconsider the value of city-states in a world now defined by nations. Simultaneously urban history, regional history, and more, The City-State of Boston represents a refreshing new take on one of America’s most storied cities.
The volume is divided into three books. Book I covers the founding of Boston, the spread of its population and...