A City So Grand: The Rise of an American Metropolis, Boston 1850-1900

Between 1850 and 1900, Boston underwent a stunning metamorphosis from an insulated New England town into one of the world s great metropolises one that achieved worldwide prominence in politics, medicine, education, science, social activism, literature, commerce, and transportation.

In A City So Grand, Stephen Puleo chronicles this remarkable period in Boston s history. He takes readers through the ferocity of the abolitionist movement of the 1850s, the thirty-five-year engineering and city-planning feat of the Back Bay project, Boston s explosion in size through immigration and annexation, the devastating Great Fire of 1872, and the glorious opening of America s first subway station in 1897. This lively journey paints a portrait of a half century of progress, leadership, and influence.