SEPTEMBER CALENDAR
2021
Our mission is to promote understanding of the history of Massachusetts and the nation by collecting and communicating materials and resources that foster historical knowledge.
LOCATION 1154 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02215 CONTACT Tel: 617.536.1608 Fax: 617.859.0074 VISITOR INFORMATION Our building is temporarily closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Working remotely, we are offering an engaging selection of online programs, building a virtual community of scholars, delivering online resources to educators, providing access to our collection, and continuing to publish. While the library is closed to the public, members of our Reader Services team are working remotely and are available to assist you. Please visit www.masshist.org/library/reference for more information about the resources available to all researchers. SOCIAL AND WEB
@MHS1791 @MassachusettsHistoricalSociety
www.masshist.org 2
Cover Image: Page from the Sarah Gooll Putnam Diaries.
RSVP Information
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September Programs at a Glance
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Program Descriptions
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A Look Ahead: October Programs
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A Look Ahead: Disability History
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EARLY FALL PROGRAMS
The MHS offers an engaging roster of special events, author talks, panel discussions, brown-bag lunches, and seminars. For a complete schedule, visit www.masshist.org/events.
Generous support provided by
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RSVP Information
Past Programs
Visit www.masshist.org/events for additional event information, updates, cancellations, and registration.
If you missed a program, would like to revisit the material presented, or are interested in viewing past programs, visit www.masshist.org/video. A selection of past programs is just a click away.
EVENTS, AUTHOR TALKS & SERIES For more information or to register visit www. masshist.org/events. WORKSHOPS Visit www.masshist.org/teaching-history for more information. Register online at www.masshist.org/events. BROWN-BAG LUNCH PROGRAMS Brown-bags provide an informal opportunity for visiting researchers to discuss their work, field questions, and receive new ideas. Please visit www.masshist.org/events for more information or to register for an online brown-bag. SEMINARS Seminars bring together a diverse group of scholars and members of the public to workshop a pre-circulated paper. After brief remarks from the author and an assigned commentator, the discussion is opened to the floor. There is a subscription fee for advance access to supporting materials. For more information, please visit www.masshist.org/ research/seminars; register online at www. masshist.org/events.
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Become a Member The MHS welcomes Members from near and far to join its community of history lovers. Members enjoy invitations to enhanced Memberonly events; free or discounted admission to special programs; and access to publications such as our calendar of events, newsletter, and Annual Report. Join today or give the gift of membership to the history enthusiast, amateur historian, or history professional in your life. Join at www.masshist.org/support.
Please check the website for updates and, once registered, your e-mail before attending the program.
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TUESDAY |
5:15 |
VIRTUAL SEMINAR
African American Lives in Federalist New England: Scouring the Archives Cornelia Dayton, University of Connecticut; Additional Panelists TBA
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THURSDAY |
6:00 | VIRTUAL PRESENTATION
Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy Nathaniel Philbrick Co-hosted by American Ancestors/ NEHGS, the Boston Public Library, GBH Forum Network, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and Porter Square Books To register visit AmericanAncestors.org/ inspire
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THURSDAY |
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MONDAY |
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TUESDAY |
30
THURSDAY |
7:30 | VIRTUAL CONVERSATION
Writing History: An Extended Q & A with Nathaniel Philbrick Co-hosted by American Ancestors/ NEHGS, the Boston Public Library, GBH Froum Network, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and Porter Square Books Separate registration is required for this Zoom meeting which follows Philbrick’s 6 –7pm virtual book talk. Ticket cost of $50 includes Q &A link (non-transferable) and personalized signed book shipped priority mail.
5:30 | VIRTUAL PLAY
A Revolutionary Encounter in London A historically-based play written and directed by Debbie Weiss
3:30 | VIRTUAL GATHERING
Graduate Student Reception
5:30 | VIRTUAL CONVERSATION
The Nazis of Copley Square: The Forgotten Story of the Christian Front Charles R. Gallagher, S.J., Boston College
SEPTEMBER PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE
September
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VIRTUAL EXHIBITION
Our Favorite Things Objects that Fascinate, Interest & Inspire
Explore the virtual exhibition at
www.masshist.org/ourfavoritethings 6
SEPTEMBER
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TUESDAY |
5:15 | VIRTUAL SEMINAR
Pauline Maier Early American History Seminar African American Lives in Federalist New England: Scouring the Archives Cornelia Dayton, University of Connecticut; Additional Panelists TBA Keeping family members safe, acquiring skills in multiple vocations, nurturing friendship networks across state and national borders, pushing back against harassment and denial of rights: these are some of the important, quotidian aspects of Black lives in the late 18th century that are found in New England’s extensive documentary record. Panelists will discuss how following obscure clues and small details in a wide range of documents and artifacts can lead to surprising revelations. To reserve: This is an online program. Please register at www.masshist.org/events.
SEPTEMBER
23
THURSDAY |
6:00–7:00 | VIRTUAL PRESENTATION
Travels with George: In Search of Washington & His Legacy Nathaniel Philbrick Co-hosted by American Ancestors/NEHGS, the Boston Public Library, GBH Forum Network, the MHS, and Porter Square Books, this free online book talk with Nathaniel Philbrick will explore his new book Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy. In this book, Philbrick tackles the question “Does George Washington still matter?” He argues for Washington’s unique contribution to the forging of America by retracing his journey as a new president through all thirteen former colonies, which were then an unsure nation. In the fall of 2018, Philbrick embarked on his own journey into what Washington called “the infant woody country” to see for himself what America had become in the 229 years since. Writing in a thoughtful first-person voice about his own adventures with his wife, Melissa, and their dog, Dora, Philbrick follows Washington’s presidential excursions. The narrative moves smoothly between the 18th and 21st centuries as we see the country through both Washington’s and Philbrick’s eyes.
SEPTEMBER PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
Founded in 1791, the MHS is an invaluable resource for American history, life, and culture. Our extraordinary collections tell the story of America through millions of rare and unique documents, artifacts, and irreplaceable national treasures. Please check the website for updates and, once registered, your e-mail before attending the program.
To reserve: This is an online program. Please register at AmericanAncestors.org/Inspire.
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T I C K E T S N OW AVA I L A B L E !
NOVEMBER 16, 2021 featuring
H E AT H E R C OX R I C H A R D S O N in conversation with
J A R E D B OW E N, G B H FAIRMONT COPLEY PLAZA, BOSTON
festivities begin at 5:30
pm
honorary chairs Gove r n o r C h a r l i e Ba k e r & Fi r s t L a d y L a u re n Ba k e r H e n r y L o u i s G a t e s J r. Attorney General Maura Healey R e n é F. J o n e s & B r i g i d D o h e r t y
John Codman Ropes Award p re s e n t e d b y D i a n e & D e v a l Pa t r i c k Hon. Levin H. Campbell Huber t E. Jones attend
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donate
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sponsor
W W W. M A S S H I S T. O R G / G A L A 8
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THURSDAY |
7:30–8:15 | VIRTUAL CONVERSATION
Writing History: An Extended Q&A with Nathaniel Philbrick This online program is only for MHS Members and Fellows This program is co-sponsored by American Ancestors/NEHGS, the Boston Public Library, the GBH Forum Network, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and Porter Square Books. Ryan J. Woods, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of American Ancestor/ NEHGS, will be joined by Catherine Allgor, MHS President, for further Q&A with Nathaniel Philbrick. He will answer your questions about his inspirations, research, and process behind writing Travels with George and his other works of American history. To reserve: Separate registration is required for this program following Philbrick’s 6:00 PM virtual book talk. Tickets are $50 and include the event link (nontransferable) and a personalized signed book shipped priority mail. Please register at American Ancestors. org/Inspire.
SEPTEMBER
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MONDAY |
5:30 | VIRTUAL PLAY
A Revolutionary Encounter in London A historically-based play written and directed by Debbie Wiess On May 8, 1773 enslaved African American poet Phillis Wheatley left Boston to travel to London to promote her book of poetry Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, to be published there later that summer. During her six week stay Wheatley would have the opportunity to meet many notables, one of whom was American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. This play recounts the meeting of these two Colonial American icons. A special version of the full-length play will be presented as a staged reading. Local actors Cathryn Philippe and Steve Auger are featured in the roles of Miss Wheatley and Mr. Franklin. To reserve: This is an online program. Please register at www.masshist.org/events.
SEPTEMBER
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TUESDAY |
3:30 | VIRTUAL GATHERING
Graduate Student Reception Calling all graduate students and faculty! Please join us at our twelfth annual Graduate Student Reception for students in history, American studies, and related fields. This year we invite you to join a virtual gathering to learn about the resources the MHS offers to support your scholarship, from research fellowships to our seminar series.
SEPTEMBER PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
SEPTEMBER
To reserve: This is an online program. Please register at www.masshist.org/events
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SEPTEMBER
30
THURSDAY |
5:30 | VIRTUAL CONVERSATION
The Nazis of Copley Square: The Forgotten Story of the Christian Front Charles R. Gallagher, S.J., Boston College The Nazis of Copley Square provides a crucial missing chapter in the history of the American far right. The men of the Christian Front imagined themselves as crusaders fighting for the spiritual purification of the nation, under assault from godless Communism, and they were hardly alone in their beliefs. Gallagher chronicles the evolution of the Front, the transatlantic cloak-and-dagger intelligence operations that subverted it, and the mainstream political and religious leaders who shielded the Front’s activities from scrutiny. This grim tale of faith perverted to violent ends serves as a warning for those who hope to curb the spread of far-right ideologies today. To reserve: This is an online program. Please register at www.masshist.org/events.
Save the date! Saturday, 9 October | 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM Walking Tour of the Fenway Neighborhood Join us for a walking tour of the Fenway neighborhood as part of Opening Our Doors, a free art and cultural festival in the Fenway Cultural District.
Saturday, 23 October | 3:00 PM The American Revolution from Two Perspectives Join us for a debate with Gordon Wood, Brown University, and Woody Holton, University of Southern Carolina, moderated by Catherine Allgor, MHS.
Learn more and register for these programs at www.masshist.org/events. 10
Underrepresented Voices of the American Revolution
SEPTEMBER PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
Conrad E. Wright Research Conference
Save the date!
July 14 and 15, 2022 Visit www.masshist.org/conferences for more info. 11
Coming up in October
Disability & the American Past Join us and speakers from around the country for a multi-perspective examination of disability in the American past. Through panel conversations, presentations, and discussion, we will introduce the field of disability history; investigate some major research areas in the field such as activism, material culture, medical history, technology, citizenship; and provide a forum to examine new, emerging scholarship. Learn more and register for these programs at www.masshist.org/events. Thursday, 7 October | 5:30 PM | Panel Discussion An Introduction to Disability History Beth Linker, University of Pennsylvania; Kim E. Nielson, University of Toledo; Rabia Belt, Stanford Law School; moderated by Naomi Rogers, Yale School of Medicine Our panelists will present a brief overview of the field of disability history and examine the foundational and emerging scholarship through a moderated, roundtable discussion with our panelists. Tuesday, 12 October | 5:15 PM | Seminar “This milestone in their development as property”: Black Developmental Normalcy & White Developmental Disorder in Early Child Medicine, 1820– 1865, US Kelsey Henry, Yale University; commenter TBA This paper investigates “developmental asynchrony,” the mismatch be-tween a sexually overdeveloped body and an underdeveloped mind, as a sign of racial degeneration fueled by sexual disorder in early child medicine. This is part of the History of Women, Gender & Sexuality Seminar series. Saturday, 16 October | 1:00 PM | Seminar Her Socialist Smile: a Film Screening John Gianvito, Emerson College; Carolyn Forché, Georgetown University; and moderator Megan Marshall In his new film, John Gianvito meditates on a particular moment in early 20th-century history: when Helen Keller began speaking out on behalf of progressive causes. The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion and a reception. This is part of the New England Biography series. 12
Our panel will explore how disability functioned in early America from personal, political, and cultural perspectives. Tuesday, 19 October | 5:15 PM | Seminar Her Yet Unwritten History: Black Women & the Education of Students of Color with Disabilities in the New South Jennifer Barclay, University of Buffalo; comment TBA This essay will consider the critical work of Black women educators who represent just a handful of the many Black women who recognized the overlapping effects of racism and ableism in the lives of disabled students of color. This is part of the African American History Serminar series. Thursday, 28 October | 5:15 PM | Seminar “The Virus of Slavery and Injustice: Analogy & Disabled Life in African American Writings, 1856–1892 Vivian Delchamps, University of California, Los Angeles; Comment: Sari Altschuler, Northeastern University
A LOOK AHEAD DISABILITY HISTORY
Monday, 18 October | 5:30 PM | Panel Discussion Disability in Early America Sari Altschuler, Northeastern University; Nicole Belolan, Rutgers University; Laurel Daen, University of Notre Dame; and moderator Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai, MHS
The essay reads literature as a generative site for asserting ableism’s centrality to the legacy of racial violence, and explores the value of using diagnostic-like narrative methods to target systemic sources of mass debilitation. This is part of the Dina G. Malgeri Modern American Society & Culture Seminar series. Stay tuned for more information about Disability Activism, a panel discussion planned for November. Image: Sarah Gooll Putnam Diaries
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