Massachusetts Historical Society

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Massachusetts Historical Society

Founded in 1791, the Massachusetts Historical Society is an independent research library and an invaluable resource for American history, life, and culture.

www.masshist.org

09/01/2026

What’s in store this month at the Massachusetts Historical Society? We have a wide range of programs and seminars coming up in September!

Register for upcoming events and find our full events calendar at the link in bio.

08/31/2026

In this episode of Historians & Their Histories, we speak with Lydia Burleson (recipient of the Samuel Victor Constant Fellowship from the Society of Colonial Wars in Massachusetts, administered by the MHS). She discusses her research into the Massachusetts state seal, tracing how its Indigenous imagery has persisted and shifted since the colony's 1629 charter. She also explores what that change, and its reversal, reveals about how colonists used Indigenous imagery to construct an American identity, even as Native nations were largely excluded from the decision-making.

Stream the latest episode of Historians & Their Histories: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-40-Burleson

Learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply: https://www.masshist.org/research/fellowships...

08/28/2026

The MHS does our own version the Water Lily Weigh Off! But instead of placing weight on giant lily pads, we weigh water lily-themed items from the MHS collections.

How did we do, ?

08/26/2026

Today, August 26, is Susan B. Anthony Day in Massachusetts!

Born in Adams, Mass., Anthony (1820-1906) was a prominent abolitionist and tireless advocate for women’s suffrage. Although she died fourteen years before the 19th Amendment was ratified, she was instrumental in guaranteeing women's' legal right to vote.

Featured in this graphic:

Susan B. Anthony’s visiting card, with her signature on the front. On the back, a handwritten inscription reading, "Dear Sir, We have a petition with 7000 signatures, asking for a 16th amendment, will you come for a moment.”

Medal of Susan B. Anthony’s profile by Leila Usher for the National American Woman Suffrage Association, ca. 1920. On the back is the quote by Anthony, “Failure is Impossible,” surrounded by oak branches.

08/25/2026

Here are even more Massachusetts amusement park postcards from the MHS collection – this time, from your comments!

These postcards (ca. 1905-1938) depict Whalom Park in Fitchberg, Mountain Park in Holyoke, and Salem Willows in Salem, Mass.

If you’d like to see these postcards in person (or just to check to see if we have your favorite Massachusetts amusement park somewhere in our collection), make a research appointment at the MHS today! Learn more: https://www.masshist.org/library

08/24/2026

Which of these historical amusement parks would you rather go to for some end of summer break fun?🍦🎢🌞

These postcards (ca. 1905-1938) from the MHS collection include amusement parks in Revere, Nahant, Hull, Worcester, and Salisbury, Massachusetts. Do you remember any of them?

To see more gems like this from the MHS collection, make your research appointment today – it's free and open to the public! Start at the link in our bio.

08/20/2026

You may know the story of Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold’s capture of Fort Ticonderoga in May 1775 . . . but what happened in the aftermath?

On this bonus episode of The Object of History, Dr. Matthew Keagle, Curator at Fort Ticonderoga, tells the MHS about Allen and Arnold’s capture of the Fort, Henry Knox’s departure to Boston with seized artillery for the Continental Army, and how Fort Ticonderoga played a role in the remainder of the Revolution.

Listen to the latest episode of The Object of History on the MHS website: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-5-bonus-episode-Ticonderoga or find us on your favorite streaming platform.

Graphic:
"Capture of Fort Ticonderoga," Alonzo Chappel, ca. 1850s. From the Fort Ticonderoga Museum Collection.

" A Survey of Lake Champlain . . .” by William Brasi. From Atlas des colonies Angloises en Amerique, ca. 1756. From the MHS collection.

Page from Henry Knox diary, ca. 20 November 1775 - 13 January 1776. From the MHS collection.

08/19/2026

In this episode of Historians & Their Histories, we speak with Megan Baker (recipient of the Andrew Oliver Research Fellowship from the MHS) about her dissertation, "Crayon Rebellion: The Material Politics of North American Pastels, 1758-1814.”

Baker explores how artists sourced their materials through Atlantic trade networks, how pastel portraiture materialized ideas about race, and how the medium was eventually used in early natural history illustration before giving way to more durable printed media.

Stream the latest episode of Historians & Their Histories: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-39-Baker

Learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply: https://www.masshist.org/research/fellowships...

08/18/2026

Can you survive a Haunted Nantucket Summer?

Take a journey with us through this Nantucket travel scrapbook (ca. 1891-1924) and imagine all the creepy possibilities that the rest of your summer can hold . . .

Make your research appointment today to see more gems like this scrapbook from the MHS collection: https://www.masshist.org/library

08/14/2026

Phoebe Bridger’s first album in six years has a song called “Liberty Tree”? We've been summoned. 🪐

The MHS collection holds fragments of the roots of the Liberty Tree, which stood along Orange Street (now Washington Street) in Boston until it was cut down by British soldiers in 1775.

(Okay, okay, we know she’s talking about Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers, Mass., and the not the actual Liberty Tree. . . but let us dream!)

Want to learn more about the Liberty Tree, namesake of the Danvers mall and Phoebe Bridger's new song? Listen to the Object of History podcast episode all about the Liberty Tree and the roots at the MHS: https://www.masshist.org/.../season-2-episode-9-roots...

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1154 Boylston Street
Boston, MA
02215

Telephone

+16176460500

Website

http://www.masshist.org/

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