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FEATURED ITEM

Abigail Adams’s Birthday

The second First Lady, Abigail Adams, will turn 280 on 22 November 2024. She is known today as a prolific letter writer, expressing her cares, worries, and frank opinions to her friends, family, and her husband, John.

John’s protracted absences from their home in Quincy, Mass., often left Abigail with five children to raise, a farm to manage, the household and tenants to supervise, and extended family and friends to care for—even while the Revolution in Boston unfolded on her doorstep.


Her many letters, housed at the MHS, reveal an extraordinary view of everyday life in 18th-century New England from her unique perspective.


View her portrait up close.

“When I reflect upon the advantages which the people of America possess, over the most polished of other Nations, the ease with which property is obtaind, the plenty which is so equally distributed, their personal Liberty, and Security of Life and property, I feel gratefull to Heaven, who marked out my Lot in that happy land.”

—Abigail Adams to Elizabeth Shaw, 12 October 1787

CALENDAR

Upcoming Events

PROGRAM

Monday, 18 November | 6:00 PM

William Hickling Prescott Award for Excellence in Historical Writing Presentation

Register

SEMINAR

Tuesday, 19 November | 5:00 PM

Race & Culture in Late 20th-Century Boston—A Panel Discussion

Register

TEACHER WORKSHOP

Thursday, 21 November | 1:00 PM

Workshop: Uncovering Untold Stories of the Revolutionary Era through Primary Sources

Register

SEMINAR

Thursday, 21 November | 5:00 PM

International Interests & Early American Ambition—A Panel Discussion

Register


Tuesday, 3 December, 5:00 PM: The Great Tribadism Controversy of 1895 & the Invention of Sexual Deviance with Jen Manion, Amherst College, with comment by Benjamin Kahan, Louisiana State University. This is a seminar.


Tuesday, 3 December, 5:30 PM: Boston’s Parks & Public Spaces. This is a program.


Wednesday, 4 December, 6:00 PM: A Revolutionary Woman: Elizabeth Freeman & the Abolition of Slavery in the North with Donna Tesiero. This is a program.


Thursday, 5 December, 5:00 PM: Family Romance: John Singer Sargent & The Wertheimers with Jean Strouse, biographer, in conversation with Natalie Dykstra, Hope College. This is a seminar.


Tuesday, 10 December, 5:00 PM: The Atlantic Manor: A Comparative Perspective on the Manor in Colonial New York with BJ Lillis, Princeton University, with comment by Allan Greer, McGill University. This is a seminar.


See full calendar.

EXHIBITION

On View

Boston Views: Through the Lens of Arthur A. Shurcliff


Arthur A. Shurcliff (1870–1957), a landscape architect, created a collection of 1,295 glass lantern slides that depict cityscapes and buildings in Boston and other locations during the first decades of the 20th century. View a selection of Boston scenes reproduced at large scale and learn more about Shurcliff.


Learn more about the collection of glass lantern slides by reading this blog post. Visit our hours and admissions page for gallery hours.

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Our Members Are a Vital Resource


Support from MHS Members makes it possible for us to fulfill our mission and expand access to historical knowledge. Thanks to our Members, we offer free admission to our research library and exhibitions; provide history and civics education resources to students and teachers; support leading historical research fellowships and publications; and more. Membership begins with a fully tax-deductible contribution of $250 or more to the MHS Fund. All Members enjoy a full year of social, cultural, and educational experiences, including invitations to our annual Holiday Party, FREE program registration, and Member Week perks. Learn more and join today!

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