During the 1630s, the Common was used by many families as a cow pasture. The Granary Burying Ground located at the southern edge of the Common was established in 1660. Boston Common took over from the gibbet outside the gate of Boston Neck as the town execution grounds and was used for public hangings until 1817. Most of these executions were carried out from the limb of a large oak, which was replaced with a gallows in 1769. he Common's status as a civic property led to its use as a public speaking grounds, frequently used by evangelists such as George Whitefield.

On May 19, 1713, 200 citizens rioted on the Common in the Boston Bread Riot in reaction to a serious food shortage in the city. Also referred to as a "trayning field," over 1000 Redcoats made camp on the Common during the British occupation of Boston in 1775. It was from here that three brigades of Redcoats embarked to make the fateful trip to Lexington and Concord.

John Hancock's mansion overlooked Boston Common, and as the Governor’s wife, Dorothy Quincy Hancock was obliged to entertain 300 naval officers during a visit from Admiral D’Estaing’s French fleet in 1778. Facing a shortage of milk, she improvised and sent servants to the Common to milk the community cows. If the Hancocks felt free to take from Boston Common, it was because they also added to it. Hancock provided a large cask of Madeira wine and a fireworks display for the celebration held on the Common in 1765 for the repeal of the Stamp Act, and built a bandstand on the Common in 1771.