“If you display the doctor’s skill / To feel the pulse, prescribe the pill, / The Lord we pray to bless your physic, / And bring to health whoever is sick…”
|
|
Featured Item from the MHS Collection |
In this letter to Joseph Story Fay, Minda Campbell, an African-American woman living in Savannah, Georgia, lists the names of the Campbell children and grandchildren that Fay had “in his care.” Campbell’s children were apparently slaves owned by Fay, and this letter documents her ongoing efforts to free the members of her family held in bondage. The letter, written on 28 August 1860 in response to an inquiry from Fay, is part of the Fay-Mixter family papers at the MHS. Read more about Joseph Story Fay and Minda Campbell.
|
|
Registration is Now Open for the Conrad E. Wright Research Conference |
12–16 October 2020
The year 2020 marks the anniversaries of two critical amendments to the United States Constitution. Spaced fifty years apart, the Fifteenth and Nineteenth Amendments, ratified in 1870 and 1920, respectively, prohibited the use of race or sex to deny American citizens the franchise. This virtual conference bridges these two periods to revisit the long journey to secure voting rights for African Americans and women in United States history. Visit http://www.masshist.org/conferences to download the full conference schedule and to register.
As a result of ongoing public health concerns, the MHS has altered its original plan for an in-person conference. Rather than meeting for two days of sessions, we will host the conference panels online between Monday, 12 October and Friday, 16 October 2020. The originally scheduled keynote panel will be postponed until it is safe to hold the event in person at the MHS.
|
|
On Thursday, 27 August, at 12:00 PM, Evan Turiano, CUNY, presents Running toward Abolition: Fugitive Slaves, Legal Rights, & the Coming of the Civil War. This talk tells the story of the long political fight over the legal rights of accused fugitive slaves in the United States. That conflict—fought as often in Congress as before local judges—revealed fundamental weaknesses in the Constitution’s ability to keep peace in a half-slave, half-free nation. Abolitionists saw this opportunity and thrust the fight into electoral politics. It was central to the long- and short-term origins of the American Civil War. Register for this online brown-bag program.
|
|
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.
|
|
To initiate a chat, click the “Ask a Librarian” bubble on our Virtual Reference and Chat Services webpage. Chat service is currently available Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and on Tuesday, from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM, excluding holidays when the library is closed.
|
|
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/support/members.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
