The Beehive: the official blog of the Massachusetts Historical Society

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
June is arrived, and with it come brown bags and conversations at the MHS.  On Monday, 1 June, stop by at noon for a Brown Bag lunch talk given by Kristina Garvin of Ohio State University. "The Cultural Work of the Serial in U.S. Literature, 1786-1815" gives an overview [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Sunday, 31 May, 2015, 8:57 AM

Untangling North Atlantic Fishing, 1764-1910, Part 4: The Halifax Fisheries Commission, 1877

Series: From the Reading Room
By Andrea Cronin, Reader Services
The United States abrogated the Reciprocity Treaty of 1854 regarding free trade and inshore fishing on 17 March 1866, as discussed in a prior post. The fishery arrangements then reverted back to the Treaty of 1818 agreement that secured the 3-nautical mile coastal area for [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Friday, 29 May, 2015, 10:30 AM

The More Things Change....

Series: From Our Collections
By Susan Martin, Collection Services
Today’s media commentators like to decry political polarization and incivility in the United States. It’s become a well-worn cliché: Why can’t we all just get along? Some will even claim that this polarization is worse now than ever before. (Of course, [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 27 May, 2015, 8:00 AM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
It is a shortened week here at the Society with a couple of early closures and a long weekend.  Please note that the Library closes early on Tuesday, 19 May, at 3:45PM, and on Wednesday, 20 May, at 3:30PM.  On Tuesday, 19 May, there is an Early American History [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Saturday, 16 May, 2015, 3:22 PM

"Covered with Egyptian Darkness": New England's Dark Day of 1780

Series: From Our Collections
By Amanda A. Mathews
While the weather in Massachusetts was sunny and beautiful over Mothers' Day weekend, many other places in the country experienced extreme and severe weather ranging from hail and tornadoes to flooding and blizzards. On 19 May 1780, Massachusetts, along with the rest of [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Wednesday, 13 May, 2015, 10:00 AM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
It is a quiet week here at the Society with just two items on the calendar.  First, on Wednesday, 15 May, there is an author talk beginning at 6:00PM. Join us as Zach Hutchins, Assistant Professor of English at Colorado State University presents "Puritan Paradise: [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Saturday, 9 May, 2015, 2:07 PM

"A Second Mother"

Series: From Our Collections
By Susan Martin, Collection Services
In this post, I’d like to introduce you to a remarkable person from one of our manuscript collections: Frances Elizabeth Gray. Elizabeth, as she was called, was born on 2 July 1811, the oldest child of Henry and Frances (Pierce) Gray, and spent most of her life [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Thursday, 7 May, 2015, 1:00 AM

This Week @ MHS

Series: Today @MHS
By Dan Hinchen
It feels as if spring is finally here to stay. Why not take advantage of the warming and stop by the Society for some public programs? On Tuesday, 5 May, there is an Early American History seminar beginning at 5:15PM. "'All Manner of Slavery Servitude Labor Service Bondage [...] read more

comments: 0 | permalink | Published: Saturday, 2 May, 2015, 3:14 PM