Stay engaged with the MHS this year!
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“I hope it is for best good both to yor selfe & to
the place you are in, we here are full of loosenes & prophanes
debauchery & what not cryinge Synns. aboundinge & little restraint the mouths. of good men. restrained chariotts & horsemen laide aside malligned & dispised for the good they have done or would continue to doe lycentiousnes much more pleasing to ye Generality of people then a strict holy course of Liveinge I doe not question but greatly hope but yor acquaintance wth God is much & that yor Lives is very holy & pleasing to him.”
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Buff Coat Belonging to John Leverett
John Leverett (1616–1679) immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony from England in 1633 with his parents, and they settled in Boston. Although he was a merchant by trade, he spent much of his time in the military and in politics. From the 1640s to 1660s Leverett traveled back and forth between England and America serving as a cavalry officer, eventually becoming a major general. In the 1650s he was elected to the Massachusetts General Court, in 1662 he became speaker of the legislature , and in 1673 he was elected governor of Massachusetts, a post he kept until his death.
This coat that he wore as a soldier was made in the 1640s and was called a buff coat, mainly used as body armor along with traditional metal armor. It is made of 14 separate quarter-inch-thick pieces of sturdy ox hide, and could have been used by both cavalry and foot soldiers. Signs of its heavy use include cuts and bloodstains.
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The Object of History Podcast
Bonus Episode
In this bonus episode you will be introduced to another object in the MHS collections related to the Salem Witch Trials—the so-called Witch’s Bureau. You’ll hear from Chief Historian Peter Drummey and MHS Curator Anne Bentley as they explain how the bureau came to the MHS, the documents that link the piece to the 1692 trials, and the clue that led them to unravel the bureau’s mysterious origins.
Be sure to listen to episode 6, “A Petition for Rebecca Nurse,” before you listen to this bonus piece! Both episodes are available on the MHS website here, or anywhere you regularly listen to podcasts.
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All remaining events in January will be virtual and are held on the video conference platform Zoom. Registrants will receive an e-mail with a link to join the program.
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Earthquakes in New England, 1600–1800: Extraordinary Natural Events and Timekeeping Practices in Early America
New England is more seismically active than most would expect. Several notable earthquakes shook the northeast in the past, including those in 1638, 1663, 1727, 1755, and 1783. In early America, earthquakes were rare enough to be perceived as unusual events that contemporaries remarked upon them in their diaries, almanacks, sermons, and newspapers. Although clocks were rare in the 17th and 18th centuries, diarists often gave a precise time when an earthquake struck. However, these times often varied—sometimes drastically—from one observer to another. This allows for questions on how reliably time was kept.
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Lost on the Freedom Trail: The National Park Service and Urban Renewal in Postwar Boston
Boston National Historical Park is one of America’s most popular heritage destinations, drawing in millions of visitors annually. Tourists flock to see the site of the Boston Massacre, to relive Paul Revere’s midnight ride, and to board Old Ironsides—all of these bound together by the iconic Freedom Trail, which traces the city’s revolutionary saga. Seth C. Bruggeman will discuss the Freedom Trail’s role in tourism, how it was devised to lure affluent white Americans into downtown revival schemes, and how its success hinged on a narrow vision of the city’s history run through with old stories about heroic white men. When Congress pressured the National Park Service to create this historical park for the nation’s bicentennial celebration in 1976, these ideas seeped into its organizational logic, precluding the possibility that history might prevail over gentrification and profit. Professor Bruggeman will present his book and then be joined by experts with knowledge of the Freedom Trail today and from the past.
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In the Shadow of World War: Revisiting W. E. B. Du Bois's Black Reconstruction
Black Reconstruction by W. E. B. Du Bois stands as one of the most groundbreaking books in American history. Scholars have acknowledged how the book, published in 1935, and Du Bois’s arguments in it, pioneered the study of Reconstruction today. This paper explores the genesis and conceptual roots of Black Reconstruction by placing them in conversation with Du Bois’s connection to World War I. The full meaning of Black Reconstruction is incomplete without an understanding of the impact of World War I on Du Bois’s political evolution and approach to history.
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The MHS offers both virtual and hybrid programs. For hybrid events, please be sure to register how you will attend. Visit https://www.masshist.org/events for updates, cancellations, and to register.
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On Tuesday, 1 February, at 5:15 PM, Katie Moore, University of California, Santa Barbara, and Ann Daly, Mississippi State University, present The American Funding, with comment by Simon Middletown, The College of William & Mary, a Pauline Maier Early American History Seminar.
On Thursday, 10 February, at 6:00 PM, Sara Martin, current Editor in Chief of the Adams Papers, and Jim Taylor, former Editor in Chief of the Adams Papers, present Film Club: Amistad.
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Interested in Viewing Past Programs?
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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.
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Visiting the MHS during COVID-19
Please note that all guests are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the building. Learn more about our COVID-19 protocols.
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