“George is very well grows very tall and is so intolerably mischevous I hardly know what to do he destroys all Mrs. Hellens chickens drives the ducks to death gets down to the Wharf &. plays such pranks I am obliged to keep a person constantly running after him I am obliged to make him fear me he laughs at every body else and nobody can do any thing with him in fact he is one of the finest children I ever saw but much too clever or wise for his age—”
–Louisa Catherine Adams to John Quincy Adams, 29 May 1804
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Featured Item from the MHS Collection |
Gen. William H. Sumner described this chest of drawers as "the Witch Bureau, from the middle drawer of which one of the Witches jumped out who was hung on Gallows Hill, in Salem." It is similar in design and construction to a number of chests made in eastern Massachusetts, some of which are attributed to the Symonds workshop of Salem. The distinctive upper front molding of the chest is cut with diagonal lines, and the band below has gauged notches. The lower molding extends around the sides. Applied paired spindles are turned in columnar lengths appropriate to the varying drawer sizes, and are ebonized. The top couple of drawers and the middle large drawer have panel designs symmetric about central pairs of spindles, while the other drawers have three panels. All the drawer panels are edged with red molding in bold geometric patterns. Read more about the witch bureau.
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This Week's Online Programs |
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On Tuesday, 27 October, at 5:15 PM, Amanda Kleintop, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, presents Writing Uncompensated Emancipation into the Lost Cause with comment by Nina Silber, Boston University. After the US Civil War, white southerners claimed federal reimbursements for the value of freed slaves. Federal lawmakers rejected these claims in the Fourteenth Amendment. Yet, historians have long concluded that white southerners accepted uncompensated emancipation. Why did Americans forget these claims? This paper argues that white southerners abandoned them in the 1880s–1890s and rewrote history. They insisted that property in humans was “unprofitable,” and they did not need compensation after Confederate defeat. This narrative helped them reestablish political power and absolve themselves of four years of bloodshed and generations of enslavement. This seminar is part of the Dina G. Malgeri Modern American Society & Culture Seminar series. Seminars bring together a diverse group of scholars and interested members of the public to workshop a pre-circulated paper. Register for this online seminar.
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On Thursday, 29 October, at 5:30 PM, Peter Onuf, University of Virginia, and Annette Gordon-Reed, Harvard University, present Jefferson: Then & Now. The reputations of all of the founders have changed dramatically over the course of American history, none more than that of Thomas Jefferson. Historians Annette Gordon-Reed and Peter Onuf will discuss the implications of recent political and social developments for our image of the slave-owning author of the Declaration of Independence, emphasizing the importance of situating Jefferson in his own historical context for a better understanding of the history and future prospects of democracy in America. Register for the online program.
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Upcoming November Programs |
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On Monday, 9 November, at 5:30 PM, William Hosley, Terra Firma Northeast, presents What Is a House Museum? This is the first program in the series A Treasury of Massachusetts House Museums and Local History Orgs.
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On Tuesday, 17 November, beginning at 6:00 PM, enjoy a conversation between Pulitzer Prize– winning presidential historian Jon Meacham and GBH’s Emily Rooney at our virtual Making History Gala. The John Codman Ropes award will be presented to Governor Charlie Baker and Mayor Martin J. Walsh. Visit www.masshist.org/gala to purchase tickets and sponsorships.
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On Tuesday, 17 November, at 8:00 PM, embrace your inner nerd and join us at our first Young Patron Party! Hosted by Tori Bedford, reporter at GBH News and producer of the All Rev’d Up podcast, this virtual event will feature a variety of entertaining activities. Join Bully Boy Distillers and Edgar B. Herwick III, host of The Curiosity Desk at GBH News, for lively cocktail-making demonstrations and engage in conversations with peer young patrons. The inaugural Rising History Maker Award will be presented to Dr. Karilyn Crockett, the City of Boston's first Chief of Equity. Purchase “pay-your-age” tickets to receive advance cocktail recipes and automatic entry into door prize drawings.
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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.
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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.
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