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“It is the Glory of the British Soldier, that he is the Defender, not the Destroyer, of the Civil and Religious Rights of the People. The English Soldiery are immortalized in History, for their Attachment to the Religion and Liberties of their Country.”

—An Old Soldier, unidentified printer, ca. 1775

Bunker Hill & an Appeal to British Soldiers

This handbill—small, printed sheet, often an advertisement, and distributed by hand—might be the only surviving copy of the kind of psychological warfare used by the Americans during the Revolutionary War. It is a satiric comparison of living conditions for soldiers on both sides of the lines during the Siege of Boston, 1775–1776, printed to encourage British soldiers to desert. On the back of the sheet, a separate appeal to British soldiers about to embark for America not to support the war effort is printed. Read the appeal.


View the handbill and read the transcription.

MHS News

Object of History Podcast The Mortal & Everlasting Life of Frederic Augustus James, Now Available


The Object of History podcast Season 3, Episode 7, The Mortal & Everlasting Life of Frederic Augustus James: Enduring Life behind the Deadline of a Civil War POW Camp focuses on the prisoner-of-war experience of James and other Civil War prisoners like him. In this episode, the MHS Director of the Library, Elaine Heavey, introduces James’s diary and letters held by the MHS, historian and author of Living by Inches: The Smells, Sounds, Tastes, and Feeling of Captivity in Civil War Prisons, Evan Kutzler, explains more about the prisoner of war experience, and the MHS Curator of Art & Artifacts Emerita, Anne Bentley, who describes a few objects in the MHS collection created by prisoners of war or taken from prisons during the Civil War.


Listen to the episode.

Upcoming Events

PROGRAM

Thursday, 20 June | 3:00 PM

Boston School Desegregation and Busing 50th Anniversary of Tallulah Morgan v. James Hennigan (1974)


Register to attend in person.

CONFERENCE

Thursday, 11 July | 3:00–5:45 PM and Friday, 12 July | 9:00 AM–4:15 PM

Conrad E. Wright Research Conference on Citizenship


Register to attend Davy 1 in person.


Register to attend Day 1 online.


Register to attend Day 2 in person.

TEACHER WORKSHOP

Saturday, 13 July | 9:00 AM–5:00 PM

Citizenship & Belonging in US History


Register to attend in person.

See full calendar.

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 views 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.

Looking for More?

Registration and Events

 

Visit www.masshist.org/events for more information and to register.


Interested in Past Programs?

 

If you missed a program or would like to revisit the material presented, please visit www.masshist.org/video.

The MHS Library


An advance appointment is strongly encouraged. Please log in to your Portal1791 account to select your preferred visit dates.

 

Set up an appointment via Zoom or live chat with a member of our reference staff. 

 

Learn more at www.masshist.org/library.

The MHS Fund and Membership

Our Members make it possible for us to offer an array of complimentary services including admission to our exhibition galleries and library, online access to our collections and digital editions, and onsite and remote reference services for all. 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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