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FEATURED ITEM

Happy 260th Wedding Anniversary, Abigail & John

In a blog post about Abigail and Johns courtship, Gwen Fries writes: It was a fateful day in 1759 when the young lawyer John Adams accompanied his good friend Richard Cranch to meet the girl on whom his friend was so sweet. But it wasn’t Mary, the object of their five-mile journey, who would radically change John’s life—it was her younger sister with the dark eyes and rapier wit, Abigail.



Between their first extant letter written 4 October 1762 and their wedding on 25 October 1764, Abigail and John exchanged more than thirty flirtatious, teasing, and charming letters, all held in the MHS collection. Learn more and explore these letters in the Adams Family Papers.


View the portraits of Abigail Adams and John Adams up close.

“I am as for 35 / Years I have been J. A”

—John Adams to Abigail Adams, 25 October 1799

CALENDAR

Upcoming Events

SEMINAR

Tuesday, 22 October 5:00 PM

The Stroke of Midnight



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SEMINAR

Tuesday, 29 October 5:00 PM

The War for Liberty & Union

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SEMINAR

Wednesday, 30 October 5:00 PM

Digital Histories of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

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Wednesday, 13 November, 5:00 PM: Environmental Change in the 19th Century—A Panel Discussion with Hayden L. Nelson, University of Kansas, and Karl Nycklemoe, Stony Brook University, with comment by John William Nelson, Texas Tech University. This is a seminar.


Thursday, 14 November, 1:00 PM: Information Session on MHS Collections. This is a virtual program.


Monday, 18 November, 6:00 PM: William Hickling Prescott Award for Excellence in Historical Writing Presentation with award recipient Stacy Schiff, in conversation with Megan Marshall, Emerson College. This is a program.


Tuesday, 19 November, 5:00 PM: Race & Culture in Late 20th-Century Boston—A Panel Discussion with David Faflik, University of Rhode Island, and Jeffrey Melnick, University of Massachusetts, Boston, with comment by Robert W. Widell, Jr., University of Rhode Island. This is a seminar.


Thursday, 21 November, 5:00 PM: International Interests & Early American Ambition—A Panel Discussion with Susan Branson, Syracuse University, and Jessica Lepler, University of New Hampshire, with comment by Sven Beckert, Harvard 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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