Upcoming Events
There are currently no Upcoming Events.
Past Events
Due to the state of emergency in Massachusetts regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus) and out of an abundance of caution, the MHS is CLOSED until further notice. Library staff will monitor e-mails and…
In order to function during the War of Independence, armies and navies needed multiple sources of energy—food, firewood, work animals (which also needed food), ammunition, and more. How did…
During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Boston was both a colonial capital and the third most important port in the British empire. Boston was also an independent entity that articulated…
The History and Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society Tour is a 90-minute docent-led walk through our public rooms. The tour is free, open to the public, with no need for…
The story of the Boston Massacre is familiar to generations. But from the very beginning, most accounts have obscured a fascinating truth: the Massacre arose…
On March 22, 1621, Wampanoag sachem Massasoit agreed to a pact of mutual sovereignty and defense with Plymouth. At the same time, Massasoit promised to send his people who injured Englishmen to…
This project explores the ways through which New England merchants, ship captains, sailors, and missionaries who were living and working throughout the Pacific’s oceanic space from 1784 to 1861…
Ben Railton argues that throughout our history two competing yet interconnected concepts have battled to define our national identity and community:…
This project makes transnational comparisons of early enslavement of Native Americans by European colonists in the Atlantic world. Specifically, this project examines early New England, the French…
Many scholars have argued that though the enfranchisement of women was laudable, not much changed after women got the vote: the suffrage coalition splintered, women’s voter turnout was low, and…
The History and Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society Tour is a 90-minute docent-led walk through our public rooms. The tour is free, open to the public, with no need for…
Amanda Norton of the Adams Papers will walk visitors through our exhibition of the Boston Massacre, which explores and reinterprets the events of March 5, 1770 and the courtroom drama that…
This event has been postponed and will take place in the fall of 2020.
1864. A ship leaves its New England port carrying a USCT regiment to fight Confederates on the Louisiana front.…
Pregnancy, birth and the encounter with an infant: how have these experiences changed over time and cultures? Blending memoir and history, feminist Sarah…
In the mid-twentieth century, the American Medical Association opposed attempts to create a national health program in this country, through lobbying and public outreach about the dangers of…
The MHS is CLOSED in observance of Presidents' Day.
The History and Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society Tour is a 90-minute docent-led walk through our public rooms. The tour is free, open to the public, with no need for…
In 1772 Samuel Adams and the Boston Town Meeting famously created a correspondence network to resist imperial policies. If we move away from that familiar scene, though, we find that the committee…