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134:, taking most of the buildings along the way, and reached the South artillery battery. A panic arose over the presence of a large deposit of gunpowder near the battery, but most of the store was hurriedly removed just before the fire reached the area. The remaining powder was ignited by the blaze, however, causing a huge explosion which was heard from as far away as
204:
In order to prevent a similar disaster from occurring in the future, the
Massachusetts legislature passed new laws and acts that improved fire safety standards in Boston. Any new building more than seven feet high that was made of wood would result in a fine, and a committee was appointed to re-lay
111:). The blaze was prevented from spreading much to the north or south, but it aggressively made its way to the east to Oliver's Dock on the harbor, destroying most of the structures in its path. A veer in the wind caused the fire to change direction toward King Street (now
162:. 174 houses and 175 warehouses, shops, and other buildings were destroyed in the blaze, leaving more than a thousand people homeless, and the total estimated losses of £53,334 hit especially hard in a town that had already "borne the extraordinary Expence" of the
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The town of Boston was repeatedly damaged by fire in its colonial history, with serious conflagrations taking place in 1653, 1676, 1679, 1682, 1691, 1711, and 1753. The term "Great Fire" had previously been reserved for the
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The 1760 fire was described by one contemporary writer as "the most terrible Fire that has happened" in Boston up to that time, although it was subsequently eclipsed by the
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the narrow streets of the burnt district. As a result of the new regulations, the homes that were rebuilt in the area were made of brick or slate instead of wood.
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on
Griffin's Wharf and soon spread to a quantity of gunpowder and weapons, causing an explosion that destroyed the building and wounded four or five men.
173:
colonial legislature advanced £3,000 to Boston for relief assistance. Over the following months, the town received several donations from throughout the
72:
465:
The
History and Antiquities of Boston, the Capital of Massachusetts and Metropolis of New England, From its Settlement in 1630 to the Year 1770
440:
A Complete
History of the Boston Fire Department, Including the Fire-Alarm Service and the Protective Department, From 1630 to 1888, Part One
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166:. The human toll of the conflagration, however, was relatively light, with none reported dead and only a few wounded.
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Boston suffered from a series of large fires in March 1760. On March 17, a blaze damaged several buildings in the
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Penack, William (1979). "The Social
Structure of Revolutionary Boston: Evidence from the Great Fire of 1760".
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At about 2 a.m. on March 20, a fire of unknown cause broke out at a dwelling in
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a significant amount of money was raised for the town, and individuals from as far away as
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sent contributions. A petition for assistance was also sent to either King
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Map of Boston in 1760, showing the extent of the Great Fire (dotted area)
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The People's
Welfare: Law & Regulation in Nineteenth-Century America
75:. On the following day, a fire broke out in a building occupied by the
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32:
201:, but what action was taken by the monarchy as a result is unknown.
71:, including the wooden meeting house which stood on the site of the
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39:. The fire destroyed 349 buildings in the area between the modern
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On its southeastern side, the fire expanded from Water Street to
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was a major conflagration that occurred on March 20, 1760, in
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History of the Great Fire in Boston, November 9 and 10, 1872
16:
Fire which destroyed much of downtown Boston, Massachusetts
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Massachusetts Call
Volunteer Firefighters' Association
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479:. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
319:. Vol. 4. C. Scribner's sons. 1878. p. 75
177:as news of the disaster spread. The Assemblies of
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119:tavern and damaging the warehouses toward the
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197:(who died that same year) or
37:Province of Massachusetts Bay
568:Congress Street Fire Station
448:Conwell, Russell H. (1873).
152:Connecticut General Assembly
599:2014 Boston Brownstone fire
594:2007 Boston Mooninite panic
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473:Novak, William J. (1996).
60:, which had destroyed the
650:Boston Society of Vulcans
629:Paramount Hotel explosion
619:Great Boston Fire of 1872
614:Great Boston fire of 1760
468:. Boston: Luther Stevens.
160:Great Boston Fire of 1872
29:Great Boston fire of 1760
454:. Boston: B. B. Russell.
316:Encyclopaedia Britannica
589:1982 Boston arson spree
97:Old South Meeting House
708:18th century in Boston
634:Pickwick Club collapse
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187:Nova Scotia
128:Milk Street
702:Categories
675:71°03′30″W
672:42°21′27″N
561:Facilities
431:References
418:Drake 1856
402:Drake 1856
386:Drake 1856
370:Drake 1856
354:Drake 1856
338:Drake 1856
313:"Boston".
297:Drake 1856
281:Drake 1856
265:Drake 1856
249:Drake 1856
233:Drake 1856
221:Novak 1996
199:George III
121:Long Wharf
51:Background
195:George II
142:Aftermath
132:Fort Hill
109:Pie Alley
45:Fort Hill
462:(1856).
323:19 March
183:New York
69:West End
35:in the
582:Events
516:203337
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483:
191:London
33:Boston
512:JSTOR
209:Notes
481:ISBN
325:2019
181:and
43:and
27:The
504:doi
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
