The Town of Sharon was first settled as part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637 and was deemed the 2nd precinct of Stoughton in 1740.

During the American Revolution, the townspeople of Sharon made cannonballs and cannons for the Continental Army at a local foundry.

After the war, she married Benjamin Gannett, a farmer, and lived in Sharon until the end of her life.

Sampson began a campaign in 1790 to secure a pension from her time in the Revolutionary War, which earned the support of well known public figures, including Paul Revere.

"[4] Sampson was placed on the United States pension list a year later, and awarded an annual payment.

The recipient of letters from across the United States in Stanley Milgram's small-world experiment lived in Sharon.

In 2004, Sharon's Third Historic District was approved by Town Meeting and accepted by the Commonwealth.

This includes Lake Massapoag, which is one of the town's most prominent features and a popular recreational site for swimming and boating.

Sharon is located in a continental climate, like most of New England and most of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States.

According to the 2014 American Community Survey,[21] 97.6% of adults in Sharon are high school graduates, and 72.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher.

[23] Sharon has a large number of scenic trails due to the high percentage of conservation land within the town's borders.

[26] There are a number of trails at Borderland State Park and at Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary.

Sharon currently has an Open Town Meeting form of government, with three Selectmen.

In 2008, a commission was elected to prepare a charter document specifying the executive, legislative, and administrative structure of town government.

There was a debate, whether the town has outgrown Open Town Meeting, where decisions are made only by those attending (who must be present to vote) or whether direct-vote government works well because residents who choose to attend are particularly interested in and informed on the issues.

In the 2012 presidential election, Barack Obama carried Sharon with 63% of the vote, while Mitt Romney received 35%.

Commuter rail service from Boston's South Station is provided by the MBTA with a stop in Sharon on its Providence/Stoughton Line.

The Boston and Providence Railroad started full operations between the two cities in June 1835, including a station at the modern location in Sharon.