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This Day in History: March 24

On this day in 1765, Parliament passed the Quartering Act, which detailed conditions and locations in which British soldiers were to garner room and board in the American colonies. The Quartering Act of 1765 required the colonies to house British soldiers in barracks provided by the colonies. If the barracks were too small to house all the soldiers, then localities were to accommodate the soldiers in livery stables, ale houses, local inns, victualing houses, and the homes of sellers of wine. Should there still be soldiers without accommodation after all such public houses were filled, the colonies were then required to utilize uninhabited houses, outhouses, barns, or other buildings for said purpose. As the language of the act specifies, the popular image of Redcoats tossing colonists from their bedchambers in order to move in themselves was not the intent of the law; neither was it the practice. However, the New York colonial assembly disliked being exhorted to provide quarter f...

19 Fun Facts About Boston

Few cities (if any) cities in the United States are as charming and rich in history as Boston. The capital and largest city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts boasts everything from Fenway Park, and Copley Square to Faneuil Hall and many of the country's most respected universities. Here are 19 fun facts about the city dubbed the Bay State, many of which: The city proper encompasses 48 square miles with an estimated population of 655,884 in 2014, making it the largest city in New England and the 24th largest city in the United States. The city is the cultural and economic hub of a considerably larger metropolitan area called Greater Boston, home to nearly 5 million people. Boston was founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan settlers from England. It was the scene of several pivotal events of the American Revolution, including the Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston. Boston is home to the United States' old...