It Took 200 Years For Boston To Elect A Woman Mayor. How Long Is That In Boston Time?

Emily Schario is a producer in the WGBH Studio at the Boston Public Library, where she produces radio and digital broadcasts about the Boston community and beyond. Before joining WGBH, Emily was the news editor for her college newspaper and interned at WBUR’s On Point Radio. She has a degree in mediated communication and English literature from Stonehill College.

November 03, 2021

After nearly 200 years of white men holding the city's top job, Michelle Wu made history last night as the first woman and person of color to be elected as mayor of Boston.

Here's a look at how long two hundred years really is — by Boston measurements — to put this historic election into perspective:

In 200 years' time, the Red Sox were cursed by the Bambino in 1918, and managed to reverse the curse 96 years later by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series.
The city went from having no cars; to creating the Tremont Street subway, North America's first subway tunnel; to starting and finishing the Big Dig; to having some of the worst traffic in the United States.
Remember when the North End was flooded with molasses in 1919? That was also more than 200 years ago.

All that is to say, a lot has happened in 200 years. While Boston's storied history may be eclectic, each of these moments occurred under the leadership of a white man...until now.