1851 337,990 187,947,000 1,358,296 30,508,417 10,198,153 187,680,000 1,244,626 31,958,192 13,588,512 375,803 206,514,200 1,614,446 39,300,912 18,094,683 444,382 227,013,200 2,125,222 45,988,545 19,751,916 491,062 162,629 241,932,200 1,910,280 48,256,279 26,641,660 541,644 248,721,100 2,039,051 The population of Boston increased very slowly during the whole of the last century. Indeed, it may scarcely be said to have increased at all. The place was frequently ravaged by the small pox. In 1702, 300 persons died of it; in 1722, 844 died of it, and the place was nearly depopulated. Numbers were drawn for defence, and at times were driven away by yellow fever. In 1776, the population is said to have fallen to 2,719 souls. On the restoration of peace the prosperity of Boston may be said to have commenced. The first century and a half of its existence was marked by imperial oppression, Indian wars, pestilent diseases, bills of credit for circulation, and musket balls for coin, passing each for one farthing. There was no fertile back country which could furnish agricultural resources to commerce, and if Massachusetts has since laid claims to agriculture, it is because her "winter crop is ice, and her summer crop is granite." She had not then sent the Fresh Pond on its travels to the Ganges, the Thames, and the Orinoco. New England lakes did not then cool the mint juleps of the London "shades," or the sherbert of the Indian jungles, or ice the wines of Paris; nor were its rugged hills, that afforded no shelter for the Pilgrims, transformed into graceful palaces for distant cities. Evils of all sorts beset the colony, and educated that indomitable energy, far-reaching sagacity, and moral firmness, which has so indelibly marked the New England character. Although the original Boston contained but 600 acres, its surface has been greatly increased by reclamations from the ocean and by annexation. Thus, the old city contains 565 acres; the second portion embraces made land on either side of the neck, and has an area of 520 acres; South Boston, annexed to the city in 1814, has an area of 600 acres; East Boston has 700 acres― making together 2,385 acres settled by the present population; but it is to be borne in mind that the surrounding towns, although not officially annexed, yet, containing the dwellings of those whose daily avocations are in Boston, form really a part of the city. The operation of railroads, particularly the city lines, has greatly extended the area of dwellings, whose focus is State-street. Hence, the figures in the table by no means show the actual increase of Boston. The following shows the population of the adjoining towns: A remarkable feature in the population of Boston proper is the increase of the foreign element. The birth places were as follows: So rapidly has the foreign element in the city proper displaced the American. The latter has, for the most part, sought dwellings in the adjoining towns, and the result is an evidence of the growing wealth of the New England metropolis. Numbers have also gone to California. Indeed, every country, and almost every city of the world, has Boston represented by some active individual, while the capital and activity of the place naturally attract those who seek to better their fortunes. Boston compared with New York in this respect, as follows, in 1855:— With the increase of numbers and trade, the taxable valuation of the colony did not increase much. The valuation of 1638, is based upon the payment made to Blackstone, to whom had been awarded fifty acres of land in consideration of his rights as the first European settler of the peninsular. This was one-twelfth of the surface, and the town bought it back for £30, which gave a value of £360 for the whole of Boston. The amount of tax levied, up to the Revolution, was the State charge upon Boston. The fisheries and the West India trade furnished the most ready sources of profit to the people. This trade grew, and subsequently extended itself all over the world. The Northwest Coast, China, and India, as well as the trading voyages of Europe and South America, brought large profits into Boston, under the direction of the sagacious merchants whose intelligent enterprise made their names famous in China as in California, long years before the gold diggings were thought of. This business was separately cut up, however, first by the jealousy of the mother country, next by the Revolution, the oppression of neutrals in the English war against Bonaparte, the embargo, and the war of 1812. Nevertheless, the profits had been large in spite of these interruptions; and with the return of peace, a large capital had accumulated, which sought manufacture as a more permanent investment than commerce, which, up to that time, had been so persecuted. At the same time, also, the developing resources of the South offered new freights to Boston ships, and a forward stride was taken in both directions-manufacture as well as commerce; and from 1820, when the town became a city, to 1840, the city's progress was more rapid than ever before. In 1830, steam, in the shape of locomotives, had added a new element to Boston enterprise. Her capitalists took hold of it vigorously, seeing that iron rails would give Boston that interual connection with the fertile West, that New York and New Orleans had naturally by water. The valuation of Boston property, which had received a great impulse by the speculation of 1836, did not suffer so much by the revulsion, because it was supported by railroads, affording a genuine basis to much of the enterprise of the period. The returns of bankruptcies under the general law of 1841, (see page 414, volume xvi., of Merchants' Magazine,) shows Massachusetts to have been the least affected by the revulsion of any of the States. Thus we may compare the figures with New York, and with all the others, as follows: 17,069,453 Total..... 33,739 1,049,603 $440,934,615 $43,697,307 Thus the property of the Massachusetts debtors was equal to 60 per cent of the debts, while those of New York were less than 1 per cent, and all the rest of the Union nearly 10 per cent. In 1841-2, the new tariffs imparted renewed vigor to manufacturing enterprise, supported by increasing railroad business; and the returns for 1845 show a great rise in population, imports, and valuation, as well as tonnage, and that impulse was continued until the discovery of gold in 1849 gave fresh vigor to the movement. The establishment of the Liverpool steamers on the one hand, and the railroads on the other, have produced effects very visible in the table. The imports of goods into Boston have doubled in value, while the exports have tripled, including specie, but have doubled, exclusive of the metals. The tonnage registered at Boston has given a still more marked progress, the Australia and California trade calling into being a new class of vessels, which have made lucrative freights. The local manufactures of the city in the time here embraced, has been as follows, according to the State census: PRODUCTS OF BOSTON INDUSTRY-CAPITAL AND VALUE. The aggregate of the totals shows as follows: Capital.... Males employed. Females employed. Value of products... $11,070,576 $4,016,573 $10,648,153 $51,935,028 These returns are seemingly very imperfect, and the result may be varied by the withdrawal of some important branches to the neighboring towns for greater convenience of operations. The welfare of the operators is marked in the returns of the savings institutions, which have been as follows: In 1829, one in nine of the population deposited; in 1852, one in 4.75. The deposits, in proportion to the population, rather more than doubled. In 1827, the deposits were $15 for each of the population; in 1852, $10 per head. In addition to these, two five-cent savings banks have been started. The results show the welfare of the working classes in the State, as well as their thrift. The sum of $7,158,284, or, with the five-cent savings, fully $8,000,000, is disposable for the further employment of industry, and accumulates in a compound ratio. With the increase of business in Boston, a greater demand for banking facilities has manifested itself, and the amount of capital which is there divided between shipping, railroads, manufactories, insurance companies, and banks, has given a full share to the last mentioned. The demand for bank facilities naturally manifests itself in the profits of existing institutions, prompting to the erection of new ones, and the amount of capital so employed has been as follows:— Capital. Dividends. Per c't. 1858 32,607,950 53,396,741 The capital and amount of dividends for many years have been as follows: 1845.. $17,480,000 $1,112,100 6.36 1852.. 1846.. 18,180,000 1,196,000 6.57 1853.. 24,100,000 1,887,750 7.87 27,610,610 2,341,000 8.00 31,691,268 2,494,000 7.86 The capital here given is the amount which earned dividends in the year; thus, in 1854, the capital increased to $31,018,610, but the amount which operated in the year was $27,610,610. |