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South Boston, MassachusettsSouth Boston is a heavily populated Irish neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, located south of the Fort Point Channel and abutting Dorchester Bay. It was formerly known as Dorchester Neck and today is refered to as "Southie" by its residents. It was here, on Dorchester Heights, during the American Revolutionary War that George Washington placed his cannon and forced the evacuation of the British troops from Boston on March 17, 1776. The British evacuated Boston for Halifax, Nova Scotia and the fortification, today known as Castle Island, fell to the American forces. During the 1970s South Boston received national attention for its opposition to court mandated school integration by busing students to different neighborhoods (forced busing). In the 1990s, South Boston became the focus for a Supreme Court case on the right of gay and lesbian groups to participate in the Saint Patrick's Day parade. The case was decided in favor of the sponsors of the parade. "Southie" is home to the first memorial for Viet Nam Veterans in the United States. It was dedicated on September 13, 1981 and is located at Independance Square, which is more commonly called "M Street Park." While South Boston was traditionally called an Irish-American neighborhood, it always had a number of Lithuanian, Polish and Italian citizens. The City Point area of South Boston has seen a major increase in property values due to it's close proximity to downtown Boston and gentrification. Poorer areas around Andrew Square and the Lower End face a lot of the same problems found in many city neighborhoods including drug addiction and street crime. South Boston has produced its share of both notable and ignoble citizens. Among them are: - John W. McCormack, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
- Raymond Flynn, United States Ambassador to the Vatican and Mayor of Boston.
- Richard Cushing, Cardinal Arch-Bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston.
- William Bulger, President of the Massachusetts Senate, President of the University of Massachusetts.
- James "Whitey" Bulger, alleged leader of the "Winter Hill Gang", head of Boston's organized crime, and high-level FBI informant. Currently a federal fugitive on the FBI's Most Wanted List. Brother of William Bulger.
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