“
We are happier for receiving our Letters about this time. It adds greatly to our happiness when we can communicate it.
”
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Featured Item from the MHS Collection
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This 1776 Massachusetts Pine Tree copper penny was unearthed during an excavation in Boston's North End in the early 19th century. Since Massachusetts did not issue copper coins in 1776 (probably due to the scarcity of copper), this penny is the only known original and, as such, is the most often consulted item in the numismatics collection of the MHS. Paul Revere has been credited as the designer and engraver of the Massachusetts Pine Tree penny based upon stylistic similarities with a unique "Janus Head" half penny that was discovered with engravings and proofs of Revere's continental currency notes, as well as by comparison of lettering details on the coins with Revere's engraved 1775-1776 currency and securities printing plates. Additional confirmation comes from the fact that the die for the reverse of the penny sank during production—the result of Revere's inexperience as a die-maker.
Read more about the penny
.
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1774: The Long Year of Revolution
Mary Beth Norton will give us a preview of her new book, a narrative history of the “long year” of 1774, or the months from December 1773 to April 1775, which have tended to be overlooked by historians who focus instead on the war for independence. But John Adams, who lived through that era, declared that the true revolution took place in the minds of the people before a shot was fired at Lexington. The year 1774, Norton argues, was when that revolution occurred.
Register for the online program
.
Virtual Tour of Jackson Homestead and Museum
Join Clara Silverstein for an online tour of the Jackson Homestead and Museum, a federal-style house built in 1809 for Timothy Jackson and his family. Located in Newton, Mass., the Jackson Homestead and Museum is one of two historic house museums in Historic Newton and is now home to exhibitions on the history of food, farming, and family life; slavery and anti-slavery; and notable people and events in Newton. This tour will focus specifically on the complex legacy of slavery and abolitionism at the homestead, including its history as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Register for the online program
.
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A Look Ahead to Online Programs in July
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On
Thursday, 9 July, at 5:30 PM
, Ty Burr,
Boston Globe
, Robert Allison, Suffolk University, and others present
Boston in Film: From Eddie Coyle to Manchester by the Sea
. This is the first program in a series of three conversations in partnership with Brattle Theater and Emerson College.
On
Thursday, 23 July, at 5:30 PM
, Ned Hinkle,
Jim Vrabel,
Brattle Film Foundation, and more present
Boston in Film: Beyond the Oscars.
This is the second program in a series of three conversations in partnership with Brattle Theater and Emerson College.
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Share Your COVID-19 Experience(s)
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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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