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“Success to the Crooked but interesting Town of Boston.”

—Earthenware pitcher, between 1790 and 1800

Bostons Crooked Streets

While modern readers might assume the motto on this jug refers to Bostons politicians, it actually refers to Boston’s streets, notoriously winding and difficult as the 1664 report by the Royal Commissioners attested: “Their houses are generally wooden, their streets crooked with little decency and no uniformity,” from A History of Boston by Caleb H. Snow, 1828.


View the jug up close.

MHS News

National History Day Documentary Wins Inaugural Ted Landsmark “Good Trouble” Prize for an Outstanding Project in Civil Rights History


Three Neeham High School students created a 10-minute documentary on the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and were awarded the inaugural Ted Landsmark “Good Trouble” Prize for an Outstanding Project in Civil Rights. The students won their high school competition and were also medalists at regional and state events. They will compete at the national competition in June along with 70 other students from across the Commonwealth. On 8 May, the award-winning team screened their film at Northeastern and met Ted Landsmark. Read an article about their visit.

Upcoming Events

PROGRAM

Wednesday, 15 May | 6:00 PM

Annual Fiori Lecture: Curating Controversy: Exhibiting Difficult Objects in Museums


Erica Lome, Historic New England, and Karina Corrigan, Peabody Essex Museum, moderated by Catherine Allgor, MHS


Register to attend in person.


Register to attend online.

SEMINAR

Thursday, 16 May | 5:00 PM

Digital History Seminar on Projects Related to Public History and Documentary Editing


Tru Leverette Hall, Clayton McCarl, Maya Blackin, and Janaya Ferrer, from the University of North Florida; Laura Pietro, Suffolk University; and Marta Crilly, Boston College


Register to attend online.

PROGRAM

Thursday, 23 May | 6:00 PM

A Civil Right: 20 Years of Marriage Equality in Massachusetts


The Honorable Margaret Marshall, former Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, and Nancy Cott, Harvard University, in conversation with Catherine Allgor, MHS


Register to attend in person.


Register to attend online.

Tuesday, 28 May, 6:00 PM: Our Voices: AAPI History at the MHS with Rakashi Chand, Reading Room Supervisor, and Peter Drummey, Chief Historian & Stephen T. Riley Librarian. This is a program.


Thursday, 6 June, 5:30 PM: Making History Gala with featured guest Doris Kearns Goodwin. This is a special event.


Thursday, 11 July–Friday 12 July: Conrad E. Wright Research Conference. This is a conference.


See full calendar.

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.

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.

2024 Making History Gala


Join us for an unforgettable evening on 6 June 2024, with featured speaker Doris Kearns Goodwin at the iconic Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. Visit www.masshist.org/gala to purchase tickets.  

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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