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Stay engaged with the MHS this year.

“Permit me yet to point fair freedom's charms ׀ For her the Continent shines bright in arms ׀ By thy high will, celestial prize she came -- ׀ For her we combat on the feild of fame ׀ Without her presence vice maintains full sway ׀ And social love and virtue wing their way ׀ O still propitious be thy guardian care ׀ And lead Columbia thro' the toils of war. ׀ With thine own hand conduct them and defend ׀ And bring the dreadful contest to an end -- ׀ For ever grateful let them live to thee ׀ And keep them ever Virtuous, brave, and free....”
Pen used by Abraham Lincoln to sign the
Emancipation Proclamation

On 1 January 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the enslaved people of the Confederate states. He signed the document with this pen, which he then presented to Massachusetts abolitionist George Livermore. Livermore's son Col. William R. Livermore gave it to the Massachusetts Historical Society in 1911.

This pen is part of the exhibit Celebrating Juneteenth.


Celebrating Juneteenth

In commemoration of the legal end of enslavement in the United States, we invite you to explore a selection of materials from the collection of the MHS that relate to the abolitionist movement, the struggle for emancipation, and those who fought for freedom.

View the exhibit on the MHS website.

Also on view is an exhibit featuring 15 student projects from the 20202021 National History Day in MA competition that explores topics related to African American history and culture. The projects adhere to this years NHD theme, Communication in History: A Key to Understanding, and include all five project categories: websites, documentaries, exhibits, performances, and papers. Student research includes the history of hair braiding, the US Jazz Ambassadors Program, Madam C.J. Walker, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and much more. 

Headshot of a woman smiling at the camera.
2021 National Contest Awards Ceremony

National History Day has concluded another successful season, and we are so proud of the hard work of our students and teachers this year! Here are some highlights from the award ceremony, held virtually on Saturday, 19 June 2021:
 
  • Suzanne Zmijewski Lim, an eighth grade teacher at Winthrop L. Chenery Middle School in Belmont, Massachusetts, won the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award for the Junior division (grades 68) of the 2021 National History Day Contest. Suzanne is the first teacher from Massachusetts to win this award!

 
  • Brigitte Worstell, Gianna Randazzo, and Maggie Firicano of Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School were awarded Outstanding Massachusetts Entry for the Senior division for their documentary, The Greensboro Sit-Ins: Standing Up by Sitting Down.                                                             
MHS’s online programs are held on the video conference platform Zoom. Registrants will receive an e-mail with a link to join the program.
On Wednesday, 30 June, at 5:30 PM, Jeff Shesol presents Mercury Rising: John Glenn, John Kennedy, and the New Battleground of the Cold War, in conversation with E.J. Dionne.

On Thursday, 8 July, at 5:30 PM, Crystal Lynn Webster, University of Texas at San Antonio, presents Beyond the Boundaries of Childhood: African American Children in the Antebellum North, in conversation with Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai, MHS.

On Tuesday, 13 July, at 6:00 PM, Kellie Carter Jackson, Wellesley College, presents Force and Freedom: Black Abolitionists and the Politics of Violence. This program is free for MHS Members and Fellows. Please register through the Boston Athenaeum.

On Thursday, 15 July, at 5:30 PM, Barbara F. Berenson presents the film Borderland: The Life and Times of Blanche Ames Ames.

On Tuesday, 20 July, at 5:30 PM, Stephen Kendrick presents Nine Days: The Race to Save Martin Luther King Jr.'s Life and Win the 1960 Election, in conversation with Larry Tye.

On Thursday, 29 July at 5:30 PM, Jon Grinspan, National Museum of American History presents Age of Acrimony: How Americans Fought to Fix Their Democracy, 1865–1915.

Visit www.masshist.org/events for more information and to register for programs.
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.
Share Your COVID-19 Experience(s)

The MHS invites you to contribute your COVID-19 experience(s) to our collection. Record your experiences on a daily, weekly, or intermittent basis. You can contribute your thoughts and images online. Visit our COVID-19 web display to learn more and to share your thoughts. Or you can keep a journal and donate it to the MHS. Contact collections@masshist.org for more information.  
 
Thank you to everyone who has shared so far. If you have not yet done so or would like to contribute again, please visit www.masshist.org/projects/covid/index.php. You can also read what others have shared.

Our Members are the heart of the MHS community and an integral part of the MHS story. Become a Member to help make possible the Society’s mission to promote the study of American history. Receive benefits including invitations to enhanced Member-only events; free or discounted admission to special programs; and access to publications such as our calendar of events, newsletter, and Annual Report.
Learn more at www.masshist.org/members.