Massachusetts Historical Society

THE MHS SEEKS TO MAKE AMERICAN HISTORY RELEVANT AND ACCESSIBLE TO ANYONE.

AS THE NATIONS' FIRST HISTORICAL SOCIETY, THE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY (MHS) STRIVES TO ENHANCE THE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR NATION'S PAST AND ITS CONNECTION TO THE PRESENT, DEMONSTRATING THAT HISTORY IS NOT JUST A SERIES OF EVENTS THAT HAPPENED TO INDIVIDUALS LONG AGO BUT IS INTEGRAL TO THE FABRIC OF OUR DAILY LIVES. ITS COLLECTIONS ARE ACCESSIBLE TO ANYONE WITH AN INTEREST IN AMERICAN HISTORY. BEYOND RESEARCH, THE MHS OFFERS MANY WAYS FOR THE PUBLIC TO ENJOY ITS COLLECTIONS INCLUDING ENGAGING PROGRAMS, THROUGH-PROVOKING EXHIBITIONS, PUBLICATIONS, SEMINARS, AND TEACHER WORKSHOPS.PLEASE SEE SCH. O FOR ADDITIONAL PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS & DESCRIPTIONS.COLLECTIONS - THE SOCIETY'S EXTRAORDINARY COLLECTIONS TELL THE STORY OF AMERICA THROUGH MILLIONS OF RARE AND UNIQUE DOCUMENTS, ARTIFACTS, AND NATIONAL TREASURES, INCLUDING THE PERSONAL PAPERS OF THREE PRESIDENTSJOHN ADAMS, JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, AND THOMAS JEFFERSON. THROUGH ITS RESEARCH LIBRARY, ONLINE RESOURCES, PUBLICATIONS, EXHIBITIONS, ANDPROGRAMS, THE MHS MAKES ITS HOLDING ACCESSIBLE TO ANYONE WITH AN INTEREST IN THE PEOPLE AND EVENTS THAT SHAPED OUR COUNTRY. PAUL REVERE'S HANDWRITTEN ACCOUNT OF HIS FAMOUS RIDE, THOMAS JEFFERSON'S AND JOHN ADAM'S MANUSCRIPT COPIES OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND ELBRIDGE GERRY'S ANNOTATED COPY OF THE CONSTITUTION. THESE ARE AMONG THE MANY ICONIC AMERICAN DOCUMENTS OF THE MHS. SPANNING FOUR CENTURIES, THE SOCIETY'S COLLECTIONS-THE LETTERS, DIARIES, AND OTHER PERSONAL PAPERS OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES, AS WELL AS THEIR BOOKS, PHOTOGRAPHS, MAPS, NEWSPAPERS, ARTIFACTS, AND WORKS OF ART-HAVE BECOME ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SOURCES FOR THE STUDY AND UNDERSTANDING OF AMERICAN HISTORY. THE LIBRARY IS FREE AND OPEN TO RESEARCHERS OF ALL AGES AND LEVELS OF INTEREST IN OUR COLLECTIONS SIX DAYS A WEEK. THE LIBRARY DOES NOT LEND MATERIALS, BUT ANY PERSON INTERESTED IN USING THE COLLECTION CAN REGISTER AS A RESEARCHER AND USE MATERIALS IN THE LIBRARY. IN MANY CASES SELECTED MATERIALS CAN BE PRODUCED AND SENT TO INDIVIDUALS WHO CANNOT VISIT LIBRARY IN PERSON.EXHIBITIONS - THE SOCIETY'S EXHIBITIONS CELEBRATE THE PERSPECTIVE AMERICAN HISTORY BRINGS TO OUR OWN TIME AND ILLUSTRATE HOW IT SUSTAINS OUR REPUBLIC AND GUIDES OUR FUTURE. AS A MAJOR HISTORY PRESENTATION VENUE FOR THE REGION, THE MHS PRODUCES EXHIBITIONS THAT ARE THEMATIC, TELL STORIES, AND EXPLORE HOW TURNING POINTS IN THE PAST ARE REFLECTED IN CULTURE TODAY. THOUGH OUR DOORS REMAINED CLOSED TO IN-PERSON VISITORS, OUR COMMUNITY WAS ABLE TO EXPLORE THREE VIRTUAL EXHIBITIONS CREATED THROUGHOUT FISCAL YEAR 2021: WHO COUNTS: A LOOK AT VOTER RIGHTS THROUGH POLITICAL CARTOONS ILLUSTRATES HOW CARTOONISTS HELPED TO TELL THE STORY OF VOTING RIGHTS IN THE UNITED STATES THROUGH EXAMPLES OF PUBLISHED CARTOONS FROM THE MHS COLLECTION AS WELL AS OTHER LIBRARIES AND FOUNDATIONS. THOMAS NAST: A LIFE IN CARTOONS HIGHLIGHTS NAST'S REMARKABLE IMPACT THROUGH A CARTOON BIOGRAPHY CREATED BY LOCAL ARTISTS. OUR FAVORITE THINGS: OBJECTS THAT FASCINATE, INTEREST & INSPIRE HIGHLIGHTS A SELECTION OF COMPELLING, CAPTIVATING, AND AMUSING ITEMS SELECTED BY THE MHS STAFF, THOSE WHO KNOW OUR COLLECTION BEST.EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS - CONTINUING TO DEVELOP A VIBRANT SELECTION OF PUBLIC AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ENABLES THE MHS TO HELP ENHANCE THE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR NATION'S PAST AND ITS CONNECTION TO THE PRESENT. WHERE OPINIONS VARY, THE MHS PROVIDES A FORUM FOR DEBATE. PROGRAMMING DESIGNED FOR BOTH GENERAL AND SCHOLARLY AUDIENCES ATTRACTED MORE THAN 14,250 ATTENDEES AT 61 PROGRAMS, 12 BROWN-BAG LUNCHES, AND 29 SEMINAR SESSIONS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR (THIS INCLUDES OUR SHIFT TO VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC). THE SOCIETY SUPPORTS THE WORK OF HISTORIANS AT ALL POINTS OF THEIR CAREERS AS WELL AS THE CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT OF THE HISTORICAL NARRATIVE. IN OCTOBER 2020, WE HELD THE INAUGURAL AND VIRTUAL CONRAD E. WRIGHT RESEARCH CONFERENCE WHICH EXPLORED THE LATEST SCHOLARSHIP ON THE 15TH AND 19TH AMENDMENTS AND WELCOMED MORE THAN 500 ATTENDEES FROM AROUND THE WORLD.UNABLE TO HOLD IN-PERSON TEACHER WORKSHOPS AND STUDENT PROGRAMS IN FY2021, THE MHS FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING ONLINE RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS. WE PRODUCED A CURATED LIST OF MHS RESOURCES THAT ALIGN WITH THE CIVIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS ISSUED IN 2018 TO ASSIST TEACHERS AS THEY INTRODUCE NEW CIVIC EDUCATION PROJECTS IN THE CLASSROOM. IN COLLABORATION WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE MASSACHUSETTS CIVIC LEARNING COALITION (MCLC), THE MHS CONTRIBUTED MANY OF ITS MOST POPULAR DIGITAL RESOURCES TO THE MCLC WEB PORTAL. AND VIRTUAL TOOLKITS WERE DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE EDUCATORS WITH EASY TO ACCESS ONLINE RESOURCES AND MHS COLLECTIONS. THE MHS IS THE STATE SPONSOR OF NATIONAL HISTORY DAY IN MASSACHUSETTS. IN FY2021, 2,500 STUDENTS FROM CITIES AND TOWNS ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM. DUE TO THE ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE STATEWIDE COMPETITION WAS HELD VIRTUALLY AGAIN. THERE WERE 388 STUDENTS FROM 43 SCHOOLS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE STATEWIDE CONTEST. IN CELEBRATION OF JUNETEENTH, THE MHS LAUNCHED A SPECIAL WEB DISPLAY HIGHLIGHTING MHS COLLECTIONS AS WELL AS 15 STUDENT PROJECTS FROM THE 2020/2021 NATIONAL HISTORY DAY IN MASSACHUSETTS (NHD) COMPETITION. OF THOSE STUDENT PROJECTS, A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT IDA B. WELLS, WAS SELECTED BY THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE IN D.C. AND FEATURED IN A DIGITAL SHOWCASE IN JUNE 2021RESEARCH - THE SOCIETY STRIVES TO FOSTER A RESEARCH COMMUNITY THAT ACTIVELY PROMOTES THE STUDY OF THE HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS AND THE NATION. WE OFFER AN EXCEPTIONAL RANGE OF RESOURCES FOR MAKING AND SHARING HISTORICAL DISCOVERIES INCLUDING MORE THAN 30 RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS IN FOUR ANNUAL COMPETITIONS. RESEARCHERS CAN ENJOY PUBLIC TALKS, TOURS, EXHIBITIONS, SCHOLARLY SEMINARS, BROWN-BAG LUNCHES, AND CONFERENCES AS WELL AS GAIN ACCESS TO OUR UNPARALLELED COLLECTIONS THROUGH OUR RESEARCH LIBRARY AND WEBSITE. THOUGH THE MHS REMAINED CLOSED TO ONSITE VISITORS IN FY2021, WE WERE ABLE TO SERVE MORE THAN 1,500 RESEARCHERS VIA E-MAIL, LIVE VIRTUAL REFERENCE INTERACTIONS, PHONE CALLS, AND REPRODUCTION REQUESTS. EACH YEAR, THE MHS WELCOMES A WIDE VARIETY OF RESEARCHERSFROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLDFROM HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND FAMILY HISTORIANS TO PROFESSORS AND PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING AUTHORS. THESE RESEARCHERS NETWORK, SHARE THEIR FINDINGS, AND EXCHANGE IDEAS. PUBLICATION AND DOCUMENTARY EDITING INCLUDING THE ADAMS PAPERS -THE MHS BEGAN PUBLISHING BOOKS IN 1792 AND IS ONE OF THE OLDEST, CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING PUBLISHERS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND MAKES AVAILABLE PRINTED BOOKS, ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS, A NEWSLETTER, AND SCHOLARLY JOURNAL. THE MHS PUBLISHES PRINT AND ELECTRONIC WORKS THAT PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT AND MAKE AVAILABLE THE CONTENT OF SOME OF ITS MOST SIGNIFICANT COLLECTIONS AND THE PEOPLE WHO CREATED THEM. AS PART OF ITS MISSION, THE MHS MAINTAINS ITS OWN PUBLISHING PROGRAM AND HOSTS THE OFFICES OF THE ADAMS PAPERS EDITORIAL PROJECT. FOUNDED IN 1954, THE PROJECT PREPARES A COMPREHENSIVE EDITION, IN PRINT AND DIGITAL FORMATS, OF THE MANUSCRIPTS WRITTEN AND RECEIVED BY THREE GENERATION OF THE ADAMS FAMILY OF BRAINTREE AND QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS. THE ADAMS FAMILY PAPERS MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION AT THE MHS FORMS THE NUCLEUS OF THE PROJECT, ALTHOUGH THE EDITORS HAVE GATHERED MORE THAN 30,000 COPIES OF ADDITIONAL ADAMS WRITINGS FROM HUNDREDS OF LIBRARIES, INSTITUTIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD. TO DATE, NEARLY 60 PRINT VOLUMES HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED BY HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS, MOST OF WHICH ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AS PART OF THE ADAMS PAPERS DIGITAL EDITION.