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. All programs are virtual unless otherwise noted. JUNE
1
TUESDAY |
5:00 | VIRTUAL CONVERSATION
From the River to the Sea: The Untold Story of the Railroad that Made the West John Sedgwick in conversation with John Larson, Purdue University In 1869, the first transcontinental railroad had made history by linking East and West. Relying heavily on federal grants, it left an opening for two brash new railroad men, the Civil War hero behind the Rio Grande and the corporate chieftain of the Santa Fe, to build the first transcontinental to make money, bringing to life such out-of-the-way places as San Diego, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Denver, and Los Angeles. Remarkably, it transformed Boston, too. An early railroad hub, Boston was a major financial hub for Western expansion. Backers of that first transcontinental, the Union Pacific, Bostonians also back the Santa Fe in its quest to be the second. Its corporate headquarters were on Boston’s Dvonshire Street, and its board drawn from the city’s moneyed elite, providing a local angle to this epic story of the greatest railroad war of all time. To reserve: This is an online program. Please register at www.masshist.org/events. JUNE
3
THURSDAY |
5:30 | VIRTUAL PANEL
In Print: Boston’s LGBT Publications during the Gay Rights & Gay Liberation Era Dallas Denny and Amy Hoffman Moderator: Russ Lopez, The History Project This program is co-sponsored by The History Project. This panel will look at the grassroots LGBT periodicals that originated in Boston during the modern gay liberation era and evolved to become critical resources for LGBT communities all over the country. How did these magazines, journals, and newsletters influence and inform self-identity, politics, and activism nation-wide? What kind of ideological debates played out in the pages of these publications? We will try to understand why Boston was a particularly good incubator for this particular type of activist media, while also examining how these periodicals worked to amplify the unique concerns and demands of LGBT communities nationally. To reserve: This is an online program. Please register at www.masshist.org/events. 6
