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“The Bone has much good natured Witt, contains many painfull facts, & Shows in a strong light what manner of Spirit actuates the pretended Patriots. The writer has in some places taken, a poetical Licence I have not offerd it where I am. Society and Interest and dissapointed ambition will have their influence upon most minds—be assured I am remarkably cautious upon the Subject of Politicks. I am satisfied mine would essentially clash with any one, who could call the Peace System, a milk & water System.
A Full Account of the Proceedings In Relation to Capt. Kidd. In Two Letters

On 23 May 1701 notorious sea captain and convicted pirate, William Kidd was executed. This printed account in the form of two letters tells one side of the story, the side that was convinced Kidd was a pirate. Kidd was commissioned by the Earl of Bellemont, then the Governor of New York, a colony known as having a safe harbor for pirates, to be a privateer, or a private individual that engages in maritime warfare under a commission. Bellemont provided a ship and allowed Kidd to pick his own crew.

Capt. Kidd remained loyal to his commission, passing up ships that were easy targets, and ones that his crew adamantly wanted to attack. Although they did attack several ships, the crew was unsatisfied and pushed Kidd into attacking an Indian-owned ship, under command of an Englishman, who had a French commission with papers to prove it. This attack should have been valid; however it was the main reason Kidd was eventually convicted of piracy.

After this attack, Kidd learned that he had been named a pirate and took steps to protect himself. He kept the papers showing the commission of the ship under French protection, hid treasure on an island, and took circuitous routes into Oyster Bay, New York to escape capture.

Bellemont was in Boston at the time and wrote to Kidd, promising him clemency if he came to see him. Kidd went to Boston and was arrested. He was sent to England a year later and tried as a pirate. The papers he kept to defend himself were not brought forward during the trial, and he was surprised that he was also charged with the murder of one of his crew members who he had died during a physical punishment. He was found guilty of murder and five counts of piracy and hanged.

Part Two of Our Favorite Things Exhibition Now Open

With millions of letters, diaries, photographs, and objects in our holdings, the stories we can tell at the MHS are countless. Our Favorite Things connects a selection of compelling, captivating, and amusing items from our collection to the backgrounds, interests, and memories of the MHS staff.

Part two of this year-long exhibition explores the call of liberty and the complex nature of American freedom and unfreedom. Visitors can read how Abraham Lincoln grappled with the horrors of slavery, witness an especially dark moment from World War II through 1943 paintings of a Japanese American internment camp in Wyoming, and be inspired by a portrait of Elizabeth Freeman, an enslaved person who successfully sued for her freedom. Phillis Wheatley’s desk is on display allowing visitors to imagine her writing her way into the American literary canon. They can also picture Mary Smith Cranch pulling letters from her pocket to relay the political news of the day or African Society members drafting laws of governance, both declaring that they, too, claim a place in the American republic.

Visit the exhibition to see why MHS Director of the Library Elaine Heavey “gets goosebumps” when she reads Abraham Lincoln’s letter, or why Adams Papers Editor in Chief Sara Martin says a letter from Mary Smith Cranch “centers women as political actors.”

Gallery Hours at 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, MA
Monday, and Wednesday through Friday, from 10:00 AM to 4:45 PM
Tuesday from 10:00 AM to 7:45 PM
Saturday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Please note: the last admission will be 45 minutes prior to closing. Check our online calendar for building closures.

May events will be virtual. June events will be a mix of virtual and hybrid. Please be sure to register which way you will attend.
Film Club: The Friends of Eddie Coyle

On Tuesday, 24 May, at 6:00 PM, Ty Burr, Ty Burr’s Watchlist, presents Film Club: The Friends of Eddie Coyle.

Join film critic Ty Burr, as we discuss 1973’s Friends of Eddie Coyle, starring Robert Mitchum and Peter Boyle. It is the film adaptation of the 1970 novel by George V. Higgins, and tells the story of Eddie Coyle’s career in Bostons Irish Mob. Watch the film at home and discuss your thoughts with us! Friends of Eddie Coyle is available through Hulu, Amazon Video, Google Video, Starz, HBO Max, and other streaming sites.

This is a virtual event.

Confronting Racial Injustice: Rising Asian American Voices

On Thursday, 26 May, at 6:00 PM, Paul Lee, Retired Partner, Goodwin Procter LLP; Phil Tajitsu Nash, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund; Representative Tram Nguyen; and moderated by the Honorable Catherine Ham, Associate Justice, Massachusetts Superior Court, present Confronting Racial Injustice: Rising Asian American Voices, with prerecorded remarks by Mayor Michelle Wu.

Anti-Asian violence is not new. Join us for a conversation about the history of racial violence against Asian Americans and the recent rise of Asian American voices.

This is a virtual event.

Visit www.masshist.org/events for updates, cancellations, and to register.

On Wednesday, 1 June, at 6:00 PM, Wendy Rouse, San Jose State University, presents Public Faces, Secret Lies: A Queer History of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. This is a virtual event.

On Monday, 6 June, at 6:00 PM, Danny Harris, Elite’s Gay Club; Jackson Davidow, Tufts University; Georden West, Emerson College; and Indee Mitchell, co-director, Last Call, present Hidden in Plain Sight: Remembering Queer Nightlife. This is a hybrid event.

On Thursday, 9 June, at 6:00 PM, Karen Weintraub, USA Today, and Michael Kuchta, Harvard University, present Born in Cambridge: 400 Years of Ideas and Innovators. This is a hybrid event.

On Saturday, 11 June, at 2:00 PM, Anthea Hartig, Smithsonians National Museum of American History; Louise Mirrer, New York Historical Society; and Catherine Allgor, MHS, present Annual Fiori Lecture: Old Institutions, New Things. This is a hybrid event.

On Monday, 13 June, at 6:00 PM, Laura F. Edwards, Princeton University, presents Only the Clothes on Her Back: Clothing & the Hidden History of Power in the 19th Century. This is a hybrid event.

On Tuesday, 14 June, at 6:00 PM, Mark Arsenault presents The Imposter’s War: The Press, Propaganda and the Newsman Who Battled for the Minds of America. This is a hybrid event.

On Monday, 20 June, at 6:00 PM, Robert Gross, University of Connecticut; John Brooke, Ohio State University; David Waldstreicher, City University of New York; and Christine Heyrman, University of Delaware, present Reflecting on the Work of Robert Gross. This is a hybrid event.

On Wednesday, 22 June, at 6:00 PM, Peter Drummey, MHS, presents Film Club: The Thomas Crown Affair. This is a virtual event.

On Wednesday, 29 June, at 6:00 PM, Tripp Evans, Wheaton College; Heather White, Harvard Divinity School; and Jen Manion, Amherst College, present Hidden in Plain Sight: Documenting Queer Stories in Archives. This is a hybrid event.

2022 Conrad E. Wright Conference
From 14 to 16 July, Underrepresented Voices of the American Revolution. Registration now open!
Interested in Viewing Past Programs?
If you missed a program or would like to revisit the material presented, please visit www.masshist.org/video or our YouTube channel. A selection of past programs is just a click away.

Monday, and Wednesday through Friday, from 10:00 AM to 4:45 PM
Tuesday from 10:00 AM to 7:45 PM
Saturday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Please note that the last admission for exhibition visitors will be 45 minutes prior to closing.

An advanced appointment is strongly encouraged for all researchers. Please visit our Appointment Request Form to select your preferred visit dates.

Please check our calendar for hours, building closings, and other events.
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