SPRING-SUMMER CALENDAR
2019
Wednesday, June 5 5:00 pm Sponsor VIP Reception
6:00 pm Cocktails and Dinner Program Fairmont Copley Plaza 138 St. James Avenue, Boston
Featuring David McCullough in conversation with NPR’s Meghna Chakrabarti David McCullough has been acclaimed as a “master of the art of narrative history.” He is twice winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. David’s new book, The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West, will be released in May 2019. Tickets:
www.masshist.org/gala 2
Cover: Poems by Emily Dickinson; edited by Mabel Loomis and T.W. Higginson, Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1891, 1890. [5th ed.] with 26 watercolor illustrations, each signed “Ellen Robbins, 1891.”
RSVP Information
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Spring-Summer Programs at a Glance
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Program Descriptions, Month by Month
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Hours Exhibition Galleries Mon., Wed., Thu., Fri., and Sat.: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Tue.: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
SPRING-SUMMER Programs
Each season, the MHS offers an engaging roster of special events, brown-bag lunches, seminars, author talks, and Members-only programs. For a complete schedule, visit www.masshist.org/events.
Library Mon., Wed., Thu., and Fri.: 9:00 am to 4:45 pm Tue.: 9:00 am to 7:45 pm Sat.: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Please visit www.masshist.org for building closings. Generous support provided by
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RSVP Information Visit www.masshist.org/events for additional event information, updates, and cancellations. Special Events, Author Talks, & Series For more information or to register for a program, visit www.masshist.org/events or call 617-646-0578.
May 1
Wednesday |
12:00
| Brown-Bag
Shinbone & Beefsteak: Meat, Science, & the Labor Question Molly S. Laas, University of Göttingen Medical School
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11:30 to 1:00
Saturday |
| Program
Workshops To register for a workshop, call 617-646-0588 or visit www.masshist.org/events. For more information, visit www.masshist.org/teaching-history.
Preserving Family Papers MHS staff: Kathy Griffin, Susan Martin, Oona Beauchard, Laura Lowell, and Elaine Heavey
Brown-Bag Lunch Programs Brown-bags provide an informal opportunity for visiting researchers to discuss their work, field questions, and receive new ideas. These programs are free of charge and no RSVP is required. Feel free to bring a lunch.
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Seminars Seminars are free and open to the public; there is a subscription charge for advance access to any supporting materials. Many sessions consider a pre-circulated paper. Visit www.masshist.org/research/seminars for more information. Call 617-646-0579 or e-mail seminars@masshist.org to register. EBT Card to Culture The MHS is part of the EBT Card to Culture program offered by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. EBT cardholders receive free admission to public programs with a registration fee as indicated in this calendar. Admission to the library and exhibitions is always free and open to the public.
Become a Member The MHS welcomes Members from near and far to join its community of history lovers. Members enjoy invitations to Members-only events, free admission to select programs, and subscriptions to Miscellany. 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.
Registration is limited to 20 participants.
4:00/4:30
Saturday |
| Reception/Program
The Problem of Democracy: The Presidents Adams Confront the Cult of Personality Nancy Isenberg and Andrew Burstein There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
6
Monday |
7
Tuesday |
2:00
| Pop-Up Display Talk
Abigail Adams: Nature & Nurture MHS Adams Papers editor
5:15
| seminar
After the Fighting: The Struggle for Revolutionary Settlement Eliga Gould, University of New Hampshire; Katherine Grandjean, Wellesley College; Stephen Marini, Wellesley College; Brendan McConville, Boston University Moderator: Alan Rogers, Boston College
8
Wednesday |
12:00
| Brown-Bag
Odor & Power in the Americas: Olfactory Racism & the Atlantic World Andrew Kettler, University of Toronto
9
Thursday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
Massachusetts in WWI Theodore Sedgwick There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
11
Saturday |
9:00 to 4:00
| Workshop
“Shall the Tail Wag the Dog?” The Fight For & Against the Right to Vote This workshop is open to all K–12 educators. There is a $25 per person fee.
4
Tuesday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
Boston Women Designers: Then & Now Co-sponsored by Fenway Alliance and Boston Preservation Alliance There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members, Fenway Alliance and Boston Preservation Alliance members, or EBT cardholders).
15
Wednesday |
12:00
| Brown-Bag
Beyond the Boundaries of Childhood: Black Children’s Cultural & Political Resistance Crystal Webster, University of Texas at San Antonio
16
Thursday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
Fenway Fans Richard Flavin, Bill Nowlin, and Larry Ruttman There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
22
Wednesday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
American States of Nature: The Origins of Independence, 1761–1775 Mark Somos There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
29
Wednesday |
12:00
| Brown-Bag
3
Monday |
12:00
| Tour
Tour of Fenway Park with Gordon Edes Location: Fenway Park There is a $25 per person fee ($10 for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
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6:00
Wednesday |
| Special Event
Making History Gala David McCullough Location: Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston Tickets are $500 per person.
10
Monday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait? Alice Paul, Woodrow Wilson, & the Fight for the Right to Vote Tina Cassidy There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
12
Wednesday |
5:00
| Special Event
MHS Fellows Annual Meeting & Reception This event is open only to MHS Fellows.
13
5:30/6:00
Thursday |
| Reception/TAlk
The Presidents: Noted Historians on the Lives & Leadership of America’s Best—& Worst—Chief Executives Brian Lamb, Susan Swain, and James Traub
The Right to Hail an Officer at Night: Contests of Authority in Occupied Boston Nicole Breault, University of Connecticut
Moderator: Peter Drummey, MHS
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15
Saturday |
18
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
Oliver Wendell Holmes: A Life in War, Law, & Ideas Stephen Budiansky
There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
12:00 to 4:00
| Special Event
Fenway Porchfest
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote Susan Ware
June 1
There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
Saturday |
2:00/3:00
| REception/Panel
Curse of the Bambino: The Sale of Babe Ruth & the 86-Year Drought for the Red Sox Gordon Edes with Jane Leavy, Leigh Montville, John Thorn, and Sarah Coffin There is a $25 per person fee ($10 for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
20
Thursday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
The Sound of Glass Shattering Eleanor G. Shore, Harvard Medical School; Miles F. Shore, Harvard Medical School
SPRING-SUMMER Programs AT A GLANCE
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There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). 5
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2:00
Friday |
| Gallery Talk
Can She Do It? Gallery Talk Allison Lange, Wentworth Institute of Technology
26
Wednesday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
The Peculiar Institution: Abigail Adams & Slavery Edith Gelles, Stanford University There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
28
Friday |
2:00
| Pop-Up Display Talk
Abigail Adams: Nature & Nurture MHS Adams Papers editor
29
Saturday |
2:00
| Gallery Talk
Can She Do It? Gallery Talk Allison Lange, Wentworth Institute of Technology
July 2
5:30/6:00
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
Host: Anita Walker, Mass Cultural Council
19
Friday |
2:00
| Pop-Up Display Talk
Abigail Adams: Independence & Ideals MHS Adams Papers editor
22
Monday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/Panel
The Legacy of the China Trade: The Emergence of a Global Boston Gwenn Miller, College of the Holy Cross; Dael Norwood, University of Delaware Moderator: Tunney Lee, MIT There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
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Thursday to Friday |
9:00 to 4:00
LGBTQ+ Rights & the U.S. Courts This workshop is open to all K–12 educators.
30 | Reception/TAlk
Isaac Allerton: Mayflower, Magistrate, & Merchant David Furlow and Lisa Pennington There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Tuesday |
ThursDay |
Boston Historical Reception
There is a $40 per person fee.
Tuesday |
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5:30/6:00
Tuesday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/Panel
The Legacy of the China Trade: Families, Fortunes, & Foreign Luxuries Caroline Frank, Brown University; Dane Morrison, Salem State University Moderator: Gwenn Miller, College of the Holy Cross There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
| Reception/Panel
August 7 9
The Legacy of the China Trade: Art, Artifacts, & Manuscripts in New England Collections to Wednesday to Friday | 9:00 to 4:00 Layla Bermeo, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Reconstruction Era: History & Legacy and Karina Corrigan, Peabody Essex MuThis workshop is open to all K–12 educators. seum Moderator: Peter Drummey, MHS
There is a $50 per person fee.
There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
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This workshop is open to all K–12 educators.
to
Thursday to Friday |
9:00 to 4:00
Education: Equality & Access This workshop is open to all K–12 educators. There is a $40 per person fee.
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to
Thursday to Friday |
9:00 to 4:00
Immigration Policy in American History There is a $40 per person fee.
Massachusetts Debates a Woman’s Right to Vote Sponsored by
Through September 21 Mon., Wed., Thu., Fri., and Sat.: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Tue.: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Join guest curator Allison Lange, Wentworth Institute of Technology professor, for a guided tour of the exhibition. Gallery talks will take place on:
SPRING-SUMMER Programs AT A GLANCE
“Can She Do It?”
Friday, June 21 at 2:00 PM Saturday, June 29 at 2:00 PM Image: Cartoon by Jud Wright, The Remonstrance, date unknown, loose page 5.
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The MHS is a center of learning dedicated to a deeper understanding of the American experience. Through its essential collections, scholarly pursuits, and public programs, the Society seeks to nurture a greater appreciation for American history and for the ideas, values, successes, and failures that bind us together as a nation. May
1
Wednesday |
12:00
| Brown-Bag
Shinbone & Beefsteak: Meat, Science, & the Labor Question Molly S. Laas, University of Göttingen Medical School Could better nutrition help shore up U.S. democracy in an era of mass inequality? This talk explores the early years of nutrition science in the late 19th century by examining the science’s use as a tool for cultural and political change. By looking at how scientists understood the relationship between wages, the cost of living, and better nutrition, my paper will shed light on the political life of scientific ideas. May
4
Saturday |
11:30 to 1:00
| Program
Preserving Family Papers MHS staff: Kathy Griffin, Susan Martin, Oona Beauchard, Laura Lowell, and Elaine Heavey Registration is limited to 20 participants. Do you have boxes full of family papers and photographs sitting in your closet, basement, or attic? Are you wondering how to best preserve those precious memories for generations to come? Let the experts at the MHS teach you simple steps you can take to preserve your paper-based materials. This workshop concludes with a behind-the-scenes tour including our conservation lab and library stacks. To reserve: Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. May
4
Saturday |
4:00/4:30
| Reception/TAlk
The Problem of Democracy: The Presidents Adams Confront the Cult of Personality Nancy Isenberg and Andrew Burstein
John and John Quincy Adams were brilliant, prickly politicians and arguably the most independently minded among leaders of the founding generation. Distrustful of blind allegiance to a political party, they brought skepticism of a brand-new system of government to the country’s first 50 years. Join Isenberg and Burstein as they boldly recast the historical role of the Adamses and reflect on how father and son understood the inherent weaknesses in American democracy. To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. 8
6
Monday |
2:00
| Pop-up Display Talk
Abigail Adams: Nature & Nurture MHS Adams Papers editor
Join an Adams Papers editor for an in-depth look at the display. May
7
Tuesday |
5:15
| seminar
After the Fighting: The Struggle for Revolutionary Settlement Eliga Gould, University of New Hampshire; Katherine Grandjean, Wellesley College; Stephen Marini, Wellesley College; Brendan McConville, Boston University Moderator: Alan Rogers, Boston College In the 10 years after the American victory at Yorktown in 1781, the nation faced myriad problems and challenges. This panel examines how the Revolutionary generation confronted issues of diplomacy, governance, and economic growth, and how the legacies of warfare and political convulsion shaped spiritual and social behaviors in those troubled years. To reserve: Please call 617-646-0579 or e-mail seminars@masshist.org. May
8
Wednesday |
12:00
| Brown-Bag
Odor & Power in the Americas: Olfactory Racism & the Atlantic World Andrew Kettler, University of Toronto This talk shows that capitalism incentivized discourses of African pungency applied by intellectuals throughout the Atlantic World to justify racial dominance. Born of English literature, and agitated during the late Enlightenment, the idea that African bodies smelled persists into modernity as a discourse of embodied racism. May
9
Thursday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
Massachusetts in WWI Theodore Sedgwick On February 24, 1919, Pres. Woodrow Wilson arrived in Boston after completing the negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I. He was met by a thunderous crowd; the Boston Evening Globe wrote “it seemed that every noise-making instrument in Boston had been set in motion.� The Yankee Division of the Massachusetts National Guard had been one of the first U.S. units deployed in the war. Bay State residents were some of the most active in the war, both on the front lines and in shipyards outfitting navy ships; however, somehow the Great War is often forgotten. This program will explore the history of Massachusetts in WWI as well as why the forgotten war should be remembered.
SPRING-SUMMER Program Descriptions
May
To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. 9
Look for this icon! It denotes the Remember Abigail programs in the calendar. Image: Abigail Adams (Mrs. John Adams), by Benjamin Blyth, c. 1766.
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Upcoming programs include: May 4 at 4:00 PM:
The Problem of Democracy: The Presidents Adams Confront the Cult of Personality with Nancy Isenberg and Andrew Burstein
June 26 at 6:00 PM: The Peculiar Institution: Abigail Adams & Slavery with Edith Gelles, Stanford University
Pop-up Dsplays:
Abigail Adams: Nature &Nurture April 29 to June 28
May 6 and June 28 at 2:00 PM: Join an Adams Papers editor for an in-depth look at the display.
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“The Earth is putting on a new Suit,” Abigail Adams wrote, savoring the arrival of spring amid the tumult of national politics in 1800. Tending her kitchen garden and nurturing the new republic with equal care, Abigail delighted in learning about the natural landscape and sharing that knowledge with her family and friends.
Abigail Adams: Independence & Ideals July 1 to September 21
July 19 and September 13 at 2:00 PM: Join an Adams Papers editor for an in-depth look at the display.
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Never “an uninterested Spectator” when it came to the American political landscape, Abigail Adams leveraged a wide network of correspondents to discuss her vision of the emerging nation.
SPRING-SUMMER Program Descriptions
The MHS and more than a dozen other cultural institutions have put together creative educational and public programming that explores the life and legacy of Abigail Adams. Learn more at www.rememberabigail.org.
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May
11
Saturday |
9:00 to 4:00
| Workshop
“Shall the Tail Wag the Dog?” The Fight For & Against Women’s Suffrage This program is open to all K–12 educators. Teachers can earn 22.5 Professional Development Points and 1 graduate credit (for an additional fee). Massachusetts citizens played a central role in the suffrage movement; Worcester hosted the first national women’s rights convention in 1850, and Bostonians, led by Lucy Stone, headed a national suffrage organization and edited a long-running women’s rights newspaper. In response to these influential reformers, activists formed the first anti-suffrage organizations in Massachusetts as well. Drawing on MHS collections and our new suffrage exhibition, we will explore letters, newspapers, political cartoons, visual propaganda, and other sources that illuminate the history and motivations of women on both sides of the campaign for the vote. To reserve: There is a $25 per person fee. Please register online at www.masshist.org /teaching-history/workshops.
May
14
Tuesday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
Boston Women Designers: Then & Now Co-sponsored by Fenway Alliance and Boston Preservation Alliance
Join us for a conversation with women working in architecture, design, and planning. They will explore social and political landscapes for women designers in Boston today and when they got started, some challenges they overcame to get to where they are today, how Boston compares with other cities on the topic of gender equity, and if Boston is receptive to women in leadership roles. To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members, Fenway Alliance and Boston Preservation Alliance members, or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events.
May
15
Wednesday |
12:00
| Brown-Bag
Beyond the Boundaries of Childhood: Black Children’s Cultural & Political Resistance Crystal Webster, University of Texas at San Antonio This talk examines the lives of African American children in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston during the late 18th to early 20th centuries by focusing on Black children’s labor, play, and schooling. It argues that northern Black children intersected shifting constructions of race and childhood, as a group upon which society experimented with treatments of the newly recognized social category of the child, and came to terms with the social and economic place of the nascent free Black community.
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For the past 100 years women’s roles in American society have been changing. While the Me Too movement certainly highlights the continued challenges faced by women in America, there have been victories, and barriers have been toppled. In keeping with our “Can She Do It?” exhibition, we will explore the changing roles for women in 20th-century America. Programs are scheduled for: May 14: Boston Women Designers: Then & Now June 10: Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait? with Tina Cassidy June 18: Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote with Susan Ware June 20: The Sound of Glass Shattering with Eleanor G. Shore, Harvard Medical School; Miles F. Shore, Harvard Medical School Each program begins with a reception at 5:30 PM. The panel discussions begin at 6:00 PM. There is a $10 fee for each program (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. Look for this icon! It denotes the Changing Role of Women programs in the calendar.
Image: Detail from Votes For Women: “Let the People Rule,” broadside by Berryman, New York: National American Woman Suffrage Organization, [c. 1913].
SPRING-SUMMER Program Descriptions
Changing Roles of Women
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May
16
Thursday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
Fenway Fans Richard Flavin, Bill Nowlin, and Larry Ruttman Red Sox poet laureate Dick Flavin, author Bill Nowlin, and chronicler of Red Sox history Larry Ruttman will gather to share stories and reminisce about some of the highs and lows in the thousands of Red Sox games they have attended. With the joy of winning the World Series fresh in our memory, these stalwart fans and prolific scribes will tell of behind-the-scenes moments not often heard. Perhaps a mystery guest will be there! Bring your own story to tell. To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events.
May
22
Wednesday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
American States of Nature: The Origins of Independence, 1761–1775 Mark Somos In the British colonies, the phrase “state of nature,” or the condition of human beings before or without political association, appeared thousands of times in juridical, theological, medical, political, economic, and other texts from 1630 to 1810. But by the 1760s, a distinctively American state-of-nature discourse started to emerge. In laws, resolutions, petitions, sermons, broadsides, pamphlets, letters, and diaries, the American states of nature came to justify independence at least as much as colonial formulations of liberty, property, and individual rights did. The founding generation transformed this flexible concept into a powerful theme that shapes their legacy to this day. No constitutional history of the Revolution can be written without it. To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events.
May
29
Wednesday |
12:00
| Brown-Bag
The Right to Hail an Officer at Night: Contests of Authority in Occupied Boston Nicole Breault, University of Connecticut Who had authority in occupied Boston? The arrival of British regulars and the encounters that followed raised such questions for Boston’s night watch. Using official reports and complaints filed by the night watchmen in November 1768, this talk explores the logistical and emotional dimensions of occupation at street level.
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29
Wednesday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
Oliver Wendell Holmes: A Life in War, Law, & Ideas Stephen Budiansky Oliver Wendell Holmes twice escaped death as a young Union officer in the Civil War. He lived ever after with moral courage, scorn for dogma, and an intellectual curiosity. Named to the Supreme Court, he served for nearly three decades, writing a series of famous, eloquent, and often dissenting opinions that would prove prophetic in securing freedom of speech, protecting the rights of criminal defendants, and ending the Court’s reactionary resistance to social and economic reforms. Budiansky will offer insight into this pivotal American figure. To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events June
1
Saturday |
2:00/3:00
| Reception/Panel
Sale of the Century: How the Red Sox Peddled Babe Ruth to the Yankees Gordon Edes, Boston Red Sox historian; Jane Leavy; Leigh Montville; and John Thorn, official historian of Major League Baseball At 24, Babe Ruth was already regarded as one of the best left-handed pitchers in baseball, having helped deliver three World Series titles to the Red Sox in just four seasons. In 1919, he was coming off a season in which he successfully transitioned to outfielder and shattered the Major League record for home runs in a season. Then, on December 26, 1919, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee agreed to sell Ruth to the Yankees for an astronomical sum. In pinstripes, Ruth became the most famous player in baseball history setting a course in which the Yankees won 40 American League pennants and 27 World Series titles. The Red Sox, however, went 86 years without winning a World Series. This drought became known as “The Curse of the Bambino.” Join us as our panel discusses the deal that altered the face of baseball history. A display of Ruth related artifacts will be part of the reception. To reserve: There is a $25 per person fee ($10 for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. June
3
Monday |
12:00
| Tour
Tour of Fenway Park Gordon Edes, Red Sox Historian Location: Fenway Park Join Gordon Edes for a private tour of Fenway Park, with opportunities to take photos on the field and see team artifacts.
SPRING-SUMMER Program Descriptions
May
To reserve: There is a $25 per person fee ($10 for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. 15
June
5
Wednesday |
5:00/6:00
| Sponsor VIP reception/cocktails and Dinner
Making History Gala Featuring David McCullough with NPR’s Meghna Chakrabarti Location: Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston Make history with the MHS! Join us for a riveting conversation with acclaimed author David McCullough and Meghna Chakrabarti, co-host and editor of On Point on NPR and WBUR. They will unpack the story behind David’s new book, The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West, to be released in May 2019. Proceeds support the MHS and its educational initiatives through the Center for the Teaching of History and Massachusetts History Day. To reserve: Tickets are $500 per person. Visit www.masshist.org/gala to purchase.
June
10
Monday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait? Alice Paul, Woodrow Wilson, & the Fight for the Right to Vote Tina Cassidy
In 1913, on the eve of his presidential oath of office, Woodrow Wilson landed in Washington, D.C., to witness 8,000 protesting suffragists, led by Alice Paul. From solitary confinement, hunger strikes, and mental institutions to sitting right across from President Wilson, this narrative reveals the inspiring near-death journey, spearheaded in no small part by Paul’s leadership, it took to grant women the right to vote in America. To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events.
Boston Pride In celebration of the Boston Pride Parade, we will display materials from the collection of the MHS that have connections to the LGBTQ+ community and supporters of equality and freedom.
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June 6 to June 11
12
Wednesday |
4:30/5:00
| Fellows Program/Annual Meeting
MHS Fellows Annual Meeting & Reception This program is open only to MHS Fellows. MHS Fellows are invited to a special program followed by the Society’s annual business meeting. A reception will follow the meeting. To reserve: Please contact Katie Finn at 617-646-0513 or kfinn@masshist.org.
June
13
Thursday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
The Presidents: Noted Historians on the Lives & Leadership of America’s Best—& Worst—Chief Executives Brian Lamb, Susan Swain, and James Traub Moderated by Peter Drummey Over a period of decades, C-SPAN has surveyed leading historians on the best and worst of America’s presidents across a variety of categories—their ability to persuade the public, their leadership skills, their moral authority, and more. The crucible of the presidency has forged some of the very best and very worst leaders, along with much |in between. Brian Lamb and Susan Swain will discuss presidential leadership qualities with historian James Traub, who is featured in the book, and Peter Drummey, MHS. To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. June
15
Saturday |
12:00 to 4:00
| Special Event
Fenway Porchfest Join us at the MHS for the grassroots style music festival that takes place on the porches and stoops of the Fenway. The event is a collaboration of the Fenway Alliance, Fenway Civic Association, and Fenway CDC. For more information, visit fenwayporchfest.org.
Juneteenth This year marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved people in America. To explore this tragedy and commemorate the end of slavery in the United States, we will display materials from the collection of the MHS that touch on the experiences of enslaved people and the celebrations of the Emancipation Proclamation.
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June 17 to June 21
SPRING-SUMMER Program Descriptions
June
17
June
18
Tuesday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote Susan Ware
The history of how American women won the right to vote has been told as the tale of a few iconic leaders, all white and native born. But there is a much broader and more diverse story waiting to be told. This talk is a tribute to the many activists who worked tirelessly out of the spotlight in communities across the nation, protesting, petitioning, and insisting on their right to full citizenship. To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. June
20
Thursday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
The Sound of Glass Shattering Eleanor G. Shore, Harvard Medical School; Miles F. Shore, Harvard Medical School
One hundred years have passed since Harvard Medical School appointed Dr. Alice Hamilton as assistant professor of Industrial Medicine, making her the first female faculty member in the history of Harvard University. Hamilton’s legacy as a leader in the field of toxicology and occupational medicine, as a women’s rights activist, and as an international pacifist and outspoken advocate of progressive social reforms marks her as one of the great barrier-breaking women of the 20th century. To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. June
21
Friday |
2:00
| Gallery Talk
“Can She Do It?” Allison Lange, Wentworth Institute of Technology Join guest curator, Allison Lange, Wentworth Institute of Technology professor, for a guided tour and highlights from our current exhibition. June
26
Wednesday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
The Peculiar Institution: Abigail Adams & Slavery Edith Gelles, Stanford University
Edith Gelles, a senior scholar with the Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University, is an award-winning historian and author of Abigail & John: Portrait of a Marriage and Portia: The World of Abigail Adams. Gelles will discuss her current research on Abigail’s thoughts and experiences with slavery and race. 18
June
28
Friday |
2:00
| Pop-up Display Talk
2018–2019
Abigail Adams: Nature & Nurture MHS Adams Papers editor
Join an Adams Papers editor for an in-depth look at the display.
June
29
Saturday |
2:00
| Gallery Talk
“Can She Do It?” Allison Lange, Wentworth Institute of Technology Join guest curator, Allison Lange, Wentworth Institute of Technology professor, for a guided tour and highlights from our current exhibition. To reserve: Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. July
2
Tuesday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
Isaac Allerton: Mayflower, Magistrate, & Merchant David Furlow and Lisa Pennington Isaac Allerton, a tailor born in 1586, went from Suffolk to London, Leiden to America. Through the Mayflower Compact, his service as Plymouth’s first Assistant to the Governor, and the Remonstrance of the Eight Men of Manhattan, Allerton wove representative government, popular elections, law, and commerce into the fabric of American society. David Furlow, editor of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society Journal, and Lisa Pennington, a descendant, tell Allerton’s story. To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. July
9
Tuesday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/Panel
The Legacy of the China Trade in Massachusetts: Program 1 Art, Artifacts, & Manuscripts in Local Collections Layla Bermeo, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Karina Corrigan, Peabody Essex Museum
SPRING-SUMMER Program Descriptions
To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events.
Moderator: Peter Drummey, MHS
Paintings, documents, decorative arts, and objects can weave together a more complete story of early America’s relationship with China in the 18th and 19th centuries. The inter19
The Legacy of the China Trade in Massachusetts The MHS boasts an impressive collection of manuscripts, art, and objects from the beginnings of America’s trading relationship with China. This early trade helped define Massachusetts as an international power, enriched its citizens, and built institutional stature, but not without consequences at home and abroad. Local scholars will explore multiple dimensions of the Bay State’s early trading relationship with China through a series of panel discussions. A temporary exhibition of pieces from the period will be on view from July 8 to July 31. Programs are scheduled for: July 9: Art, Artifacts, & Manuscripts in Local Collections with Layla Bermeo, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Karina Corrigan, Peabody Essex Museum; moderated by Peter Drummey, MHS July 22: The Emergence of a Global Boston with Gwenn Miller, College of the Holy Cross; Dael Norwood, University of Delaware; moderated by Tunney Lee, MIT July 30: Families, Fortunes, & Foreign Luxuries with Caroline Frank, Brown University; Dane Morrison, Salem State University; moderated by Gwenn Miller, College of the Holy Cross Each program begins with a reception at 5:30 PM. The panel discussions begin at 6:00 PM. There is a $10 fee for each program (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. Look for this icon! It denotes the China Trade programs in the calendar.
20
Image: Harbor at Hong Kong, attributed to Lam Qua, [1830s-early 1840s]
To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. July
11 12 to
Thursday to Friday |
9:00 to 4:00
| Workshop
Education: Equality & Access This workshop is open to all K–12 educators. Teachers can earn 45 Professional Development Points and 2 graduate credits (for an additional fee). This program will investigate the history of education access in Massachusetts and the United States, with a particular focus on access to education for African American students. Participants will learn more about Massachusetts residents who influenced national education policies, Massachusetts court cases that changed the course of national education policy, and the legacy of segregation and desegregation practices that impact Massachusetts schools to this day. To reserve: There is a $40 per person fee. Please register online at www.masshist.org /teaching-history/workshops.
July
13
Saturday |
10:00 to 3:00
| Special Event
Transcribe-a-thon Help the MHS celebrate John Quincy Adams’s birthday by joining our annual transcribe-a-thon. Immerse yourself in JQA’s diary and help the Adams Papers Editorial Project make more of his 15,000-page diary available online. Lunch and light refreshments will be provided. To reserve: Registration is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Gwen Fries at gfries@masshist.org or 617-646-0556. July
18
Thursday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/TAlk
Boston Historical Reception Anita Walker, Mass Cultural Council There is no “Boston Historical Society,” but the metro area does have a wealth of history organizations. Boston and surrounding towns are steeped in local history and the inhabitants are proud of their local identity. The MHS is pleased to hold the fifth annual reception for history buffs and representatives of local organizations to mingle, share recent accomplishments, and talk about the great projects on which they are working.
SPRING-SUMMER Program Descriptions
sections found in prominent collecting institutions in Massachusetts will be the subject of this discussion, which will feature highlights from the holdings of the MHS, MFA, and Peabody Essex Museum, and will describe the journey of these important objects and manuscripts from private hands to public collections.
To reserve: Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. 21
July
19
Friday |
2:00
| Pop-up Display Talk
Abigail Adams: Independence & Ideals MHS Adams Papers editor
Join an Adams Papers editor for an in-depth look at the display. July
22
Monday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/Panel
The Legacy of the China Trade in Massachusetts: Program 2 The Emergence of a Global Boston Gwenn Miller, College of the Holy Cross; Dael Norwood, University of Delaware
Moderator: Tunney Lee, MIT Trade with China began in earnest in the peaceful years following the Revolution, with ports in Salem and Boston emerging as some of the most dynamic sites of economic activity in the early American landscape. This cross-cultural exposure and influence helped cast Boston’s strong regional identity and marked the city as an international force in its own right. This discussion will explore the breadth of Boston’s early global reach and how reflections of this past are still felt today. To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. July
25 26 to
Thursday to Friday |
9:00 to 4:00
| Workshop
LGBTQ+ Rights & the U.S. Courts This workshop is open to all K–12 educators. Teachers can earn 45 Professional Development Points and 2 graduate credits (for an additional fee). This workshop explores LGBTQ+ rights through pivotal U.S. court cases, with a particular focus on the 2003 Lawrence v. Texas case that decriminalized homosexuality. The program is offered in partnership with History UnErased, an organization that helps teachers incorporate LGBTQ+ history in their classroom and curriculum. To reserve: There is a $40 per person fee. Please register online at www.masshist.org /teaching-history/workshops.
22
30
Tuesday |
5:30/6:00
| Reception/Panel
The Legacy of the China Trade in Massachusetts: Program 3 Families, Fortunes, & Foreign Luxuries Caroline Frank, Brown University; Dane Morrison, Salem State University Moderator: Gwenn Miller, College of the Holy Cross We live in a society where Chinese-made commodities are a part of everyday life. But dependence on foreign goods is not a modern American phenomenon. The economic, political, and social dimensions of early trade with China were felt on the domestic and individual levels, as reliance on tea, silks, and other materials sourced from China became staples in early American households. Massachusetts merchant families were able to capitalize on a hunger for these goods to shape the city as well as their own fortunes. To reserve: There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders). Please call 617-646-0578 or register online at www.masshist.org/events. August
7 9 to
Wednesday to Friday |
9:00 to 4:00
| Workshop
The Reconstruction Era: History & Legacy This program is open to all K–12 educators. Teachers can earn 67.5 Professional Development Points and 2 graduate credits (for an additional fee). This workshop will explore the era and legacy of Reconstruction in American history and society, from the aftermath of the war to the role it plays in current issues today. We will discuss the effects of Reconstruction on African American and Native American communities, its civic and legal legacies, memory of the period and of the violence that followed, and local heroes who fought for civil rights in the wake of the Civil War. To reserve: There is a $50 per person fee. Please register online at www.masshist.org /teaching-history/workshops. August
22 23 to
Thursday to Friday |
9:00 to 4:00
| Workshop
Immigration Policy in American History This workshop is open to all K–12 educators. Teachers can earn 45 Professional Development Points and 2 graduate credits (for an additional fee). This workshop will explore the long history of immigration policy in the United States and its legacy in politics today. Our discussions will cover the wave of Irish immigration to Boston in the mid 19th century, along with the parallel Know-Nothing anti-immigration movement, and debates over immigration restriction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well Progressive Era efforts to “Americanize” immigrants. This workshop will draw on items from the Society’s rich holdings to help put contemporary debates in context.
SPRING-SUMMER Program Descriptions
July
To reserve: There is a $40 per person fee. Please register online at www.masshist.org /teaching-history/workshops. 23
24
Massachusetts Historical Society 1154 Boylston Street Boston MA 02215
