This Week at the MHS

Filling in the Back Bay with Land

A mill dam was built along the Charles River in the Back Bay in 1821 to take advantage of the tidal power. By May 1855, this project failed in part because of sewage and wastewater build-up in the tidal basins caused by the processing in the mill. This build-up caused unpleasant smells that drifted all over the city. As a result, the Back Bay began to be filled in and developed. The color map shows Boston in 1890, after the land filling had been completed, and the black-and-white map from 1910 shows light gray areas where land fill has been completed and dark gray areas where more land fill was proposed.

View the color map from 1890 up close here and view the black-and-white map from 1910 here.

MHS News

Turning Points in History

The 2023–2024 National History Day (NHD) theme is Turning Points in History. Students in grades 6–12 will consider questions of time and place, cause and effect, change over time, and impact and significance. Click here for more information about NHD in Massachusetts.

Regional contests will take place on Saturday, March 2, in Foxborough and Stoneham, and on Sunday, March 10, in Leicester. The state contest will take place on Saturday, April 6, in Winchester. Save the dates and learn how to get involved as a volunteer judge!

Spilling the Tea: Causes & Consequences of the Boston Tea Party

Join us for a teacher workshop on Saturday, 4 November 2023, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, at the MHS. Dive into the causes and impacts of the Boston Tea Party and learn new ways to teach it with primary sources. Open to all who work with K–12 students. There is a $25 per person fee.

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, 10 October | 5:00 PM

El Teatro Campesino as Intellectual Forum: Farmworker-Actors in the Fight for Environmental Justice

Erik Wallenberg, Miami Center for Racial Justice, with comment by Sarah Kanouse, Northeastern University.

Wednesday, 11 October | 6:00 PM

Speculation Nation: Land Mania in the Revolutionary American Republic

Michael Blaakman, Princeton University.

Thursday, 12 October | 5:00 PM

Citizens First & Soldiers Second: The January 1946 Army Mutinies

Aaron Peterka, Northeastern University, with comment by Christopher Capozzola, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Tuesday, 17 October, 5:00 PM: American Dark Age: Racial Feudalism & the Rise of Black Liberalism with Keidrick J. Roy, Harvard University, with comment by Kellie Carter Jackson, Wellesley College.

Tuesday, 17 October, 6:00 PM: Writing History: Celebrated NPR Host & Author Steve Inskeep with Steve Inskeep, cohost of NPR's Morning Edition, Ryan Woods, American Ancestors Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, and Catherine Allgor, MHS President.

Tuesday, 24 October, 5:00 PM: The Battle-Axe Letter: The Sexual Politics of Abolitionism & the “Annihilation of the Family State” with Dan Joslyn, New York University, with comment by Holly Jackson, University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Wednesday, 25 October, 6:00 PM: Gay Community News at 50: Defining GCN with Loie Hayes, Gordon Gottlieb, and Russ Lopez, moderated by Richard Burns. Co-sponsored with The History Project.

Thursday, 26 October, 5:00 PM: Mecklenburgh Square, Radcliffe Yard & Beyond: A Conversation with Francesca Wade & Maggie Doherty on Writing Women’s Lives with Maggie Doherty, Harvard University, and Francesca Wade, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, moderated by Megan Marshall, Emerson College.

Monday, 30 October, 6:00 PM: Bringing Phillis to Life with Ade Solanke; David Waldstreicher, CUNY; and Tara Bynum, University of Iowa.

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.

Exhibition and Library Hours

Now Open! “The Dye is cast”: Interests & Ideals That Motivated the Boston Tea Party. The exhibition is open through 29 February 2024. Learn more about the exhibition and explore items from our collection related to the Tea Party.

Our galleries and library are open Monday and Wednesday through Friday, from 10:00 AM to 4:45 PM, and Tuesday from 10:00 AM to 7:45 PM (the galleries and library open at 12:00 PM the second Tuesday of the month). Please note that the last admission is 45 minutes prior to closing.

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

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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