This Week @ MHS

It's all about Tuesday this week at the Society. First up that day, 21 October, is an author talk taking place at noon. Join local historian and author Barbara Berenson for "Civil War Boston" as she narrates a thrilling and memorable journey through the Hub in the Civil War. Black and white abolitionists dedicated to ending slavery, the Fugitive Slave Act and its repurcussions, soldiers marching to war, and women fighting to end slavery and realize their own desire to be full citizens of the Union are all included in the story. Berenson is the author of Walking Tours of Civil War Boston: Hub of Abolitionism (2011, 2nd ed. 2014) and co-editor of Breaking Barriers: The Unfinished Story of Women Lawyers and Judges in Massachusetts (2012). A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Barbara works as a senior attorney at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. This event is free and open to the public. 

Later that evening, beginning at 5:15PM, is "Popular U.S. Enthusiasm for Latin American Independence, 1810-1825," the latest installment in our Early American History seminar series. Presented by Caitlin A. Fitz of Northwestern University, this paper explores the reactions of those in the United States to the independence movements of Latin American nations in the 1800s. In general, U.S. observers were overjoyed by these movements; however, Massachusetts citizens were less thrilled. This presentation will analyze the national trend and the commonwealth’s deviation from it. Comment provided by John Bezis-Selfa of Wheaton College. Seminars are free and open to the public; RSVP required.

Finally, on Saturday, 25 October, come by the Society at 10:00AM for "The History and Collections of the MHS," a 90-minute docent-led tour of the MHS building which touches on the art, architecture, history, and collections of the MHS. While here you will also have the opportunity to view our current exhibition, "Letters and Photographs from the Battle Country: Massachusetts Women in World War I." Both the tour and the exhibition are free and open to the public. Parties of 8 or more, please contact Curator of Art Anne Bentley in advance at 617-646-0508 or abentley@masshist.org.

This Week @ MHS

We have another busy week ahead here at the Society, starting with a holiday event. Please note that the library of the MHS is closed on Monday, 13 October, in observance of Columbus Day. However, the building will remain open as part of Opening Our Doors, Boston's largest single day of free arts and cultural events. The galleries are open 10:00AM-3:00PM. Stop by to view Letters and Photographs from the Battle Country: Massachusetts Women in the First World War. This event is free and open to the public.

On Tuesday, 14 October, drop by the MHS at 5:15PM for an Environmental History seminar. In "Finding Meaning and Debating Value in a Historical Landscape," David Benac of Western Michigan University looks at the competing interpretations of landscape as a resource or as a haven. Adding nuance to the debate, Benac employs a third category: historical significance. Victoria Cain, Northeastern University, provides comment. Seminars are free and open to the public; RSVP required. Subscribe to receive advance copies of the seminar papers. 

There are two events on Wednesday, 15 October, that are open to the public. First, beginning at noon, stop by with  a lunch to hear Rachael Abbiss of the University of Chester present "The Role of the Military within Imerpial Security Policy, 1685-1689." This Brown Bag talk highlights a project which examines the army and military policy in the Dominion of New England between 1686 and 1689. This event is free and open to the public. Then, beginning at 6:00PM, join us for a talk given by J. Kevin Graffagnino of the William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan. "Rebels in Vermont!: The St. Albans Raid" details the events of the 1864 attack on St. Alban's, VT by a band of 22 Confederate soldiers. There is  apre-talk reception that begins at 5:30PM. This event is open to the public with a fee of $10 (no charge for Fellows and Members). RSVP required. Please call 617-646-0560 or click here to register.

Beginning on Friday, 17 October, is a two-day teacher workshop titled "Massachusetts Women and the First World War." The workshop explores the activities of Massachusetts women involved in the Great War, beginning before the official involvement of the U.S. in 1917. The events feature material from collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society and the Fort Devens Museum. There is a registration fee of $75 and includes lunch both days, materials, and admission to the Fort Devens Museum. Day one (17 October) takes place in Devens and day two (18 October) at the MHS. This workshop is open to all K-12 educators as well as history enthusiasts. To register complete this Registration Form and send it with your payment to: Kathleen Barker, Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02215. Contact education@masshist.org for more information.

Finally, on Saturday, 18 October, there is a public tour at the Society. Beginning at 10:00AM, "The History and Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society" is a 90-minute docent-led walk through our public rooms. The tour is free, open to the public, with no need for reservations. If you would like to bring a larger party (8 or more), please contact Curator of Art Anne Bentley at 617-646-0508 or abentley@masshist.org. While you're here you will also have the opportunity to view our current exhibition, "Letters and Photographs from the Battle Country: Massachusetts Women in World War I."

This Week @ MHS

First up this week on the list of events here at the MHS is "Katherine, Grace, and Mary: Archaeological Revelations of 17th and 18th Century Women from Boston's Big Dig." Beginning at 6:00PM on Monday, 6 October, join us as Joe Bagley, Boston City Archaeologist, discusses the uncovering of mountains of historical data during the archaeological surveys conducted prior to the start of the Big Dig. The talk focuses primarily on three sites where evidence of the lives of three women - the late 17th century site of Katherine Nanny Naylor, the early 18th century site of Mary Long, and the mid-18th century site of Grace Parker - came to light. There is a $10 fee (no charge for Fellows and Members). Please call 617- 646-0560 or click here to register. A pre-talk reception begins at 5:30PM. 

On Tuesday, 7 October, come by at 5:15PM for an Early American History seminar given by David Konig of Washington University in St. Louis. "Thomas Jefferson, Lawyer: Property and Personhood in the Law of Slavery" examines the complex relationship between Thomas Jefferson's legal career and his ownership of slaves. Comment provided by Malick Ghachem of MIT. Seminars are free and open to the public; RSVP required. Subscribe to receive advance copies of the seminar papers.

Then, on Wednesday, 8 October, there is a special member event at the Society starting at 6:00PM. Members and Fellows are invited to hear John W. Tyler, editor of The Correspondence of Thomas Hutchinson: 1740-1766 (2014), as he presents "History Revealed: Thomas Hutchinson and the Stamp Act Riots." The evening will feature a reception at 6:00PM and remarks by Mr. Tyler at 6:30PM followed by a presentation of items from the Society's collections. Registration is required at no cost. THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT. If you would like to be placed on the waiting list, please call 617-646-0518.

And on Thursday, 9 October, please join us for an author talk featuring Adam Hochschild of the University of California, Berkeley. "1914-1918: The War Within the War," Hochschild describes the battle between people who regarded the war as a noble and necessary crusade, and a brave minority who felt it was tragic madness and who refused to fight. In an illustrated talk, he focuses on the country where that tension was sharpest, Great Britain. Pre-talk reception begins at 5:30PM and the talk begins at 6:00PM. The talk is open to the public but registration is required. Please RSVP. 

This Week @ MHS

October arrives this week and with it comes a slew of public programs at the Society. Here is what is on tap this week: 

First, on Wednesday, 1 October, there is a Brown Bag talk starting at 12:00PM. Come by to hear Sean Moore of the University of New Hampshire present "Reading Locke on the Plantation." This examines the well-known paradox of early Americans asserting their desire for freedom while, at the same time, enslaving others. The project examines how the African diaspora underwrote the dissemination of British books of literature and philosophy while considering the political theory of Locke. This talk is free and open to the public. 

Also on Wednesday is "The Trials of Old New England Towns in a New Nation," an author talk featuring independent scholar Mary Babson Fuhrer. In this talk, Fuhrer will discuss the remarkable stories of conflict and transformation that reshaped local communities in the decades leading up to the Civil War. Her research with various diaries, letters, and account books form the basis of her recent book, Crisis of Community: Trials and Transformation of a New England Town, 1815-1848. This talk is open to the public with a $10 fee (no charge for Fellows and Members). Please call 617- 646-0560 or click here to register. There is a pre-talk reception at 5:30PM and the program begins at 6:00PM.

On Thursday, 2 October, is this season's first edition of the History of Women and Gender seminar series: "Enslaved Women and the Politics of Self-Liberation in Revolutionary North America." This paper, presented by Barbara Krauthamer of University of Massachusetts, Amherst, examines enslaved women's strategies for gaining freedom through escape, focusing on their escape from bondage and their concomitant movements to various sites in the Americas. Comment is provided by Kate Masur, Northwestern University. This talk takes places at Harvard's Schlesinger Library, begins at 5:30PM, and is free and open to the public, RSVP required. Subscribe to receive advance copies of the seminar papers.

And on Saturday, 4 October, join us for a free tour through the public space in the Society's building at 1154 Boylston Street. The tour is free and open to the public and begins at 10:00AM. If you would like to bring a larger party (8 or more), please contact Curator of Art Anne Bentley at 617-646-0508 or abentley@masshist.org.