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, THOUGHT-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 PRESIDENTS JOHN ADAMS, JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, AND THOMAS JEFFERSON. THROUGH ITS RESEARCH LIBRARY, ONLINE RESOURCES, PUBLICATIONS, EXHIBITIONS, AND PROGRAMS, THE MHS MAKES ITS HOLDINGS 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 ARE AMONG THE MANY ICONIC AMERICAN DOCUMENTS OF THE MHS. SPANNING FOUR CENTURIES, 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. 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 REPRODUCED 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. THROUGHOUT FISCAL YEAR 2023, VISITORS TO OUR BUILDING WERE ABLE TO ENJOY TWO EXHIBITIONS. PART 3 OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS: OBJECTS THAT FASCINATE, INTEREST & INSPIRE WAS OPEN FROM OCTOBER 10, 2022, THROUGH FEBRUARY 25, 2023. AMONG THE ECLECTIC CROSS SECTION OF VISUAL AND MATERIAL CULTURE ITEMS ON DISPLAY, VISITORS WERE ABLE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT A 1692 PETITION TO SPARE A WOMAN'S LIFE, A PORTRAIT OF A SOLDIER WHOSE IMAGE WAS PRESERVED BUT NOT HIS NAME, A BRONZE HOT DOG PRESENTED AS A CAMPAIGN GIFT IN THE 20TH CENTURY, AND A WOODEN SCREW USED TO MAKE A MAMMOTH CHEESE IN THE 18TH CENTURY. ON MAY 1, 2023, WE OPENED MASSART AT 150: TRADITION AND INNOVATION. THE EXHIBITION CELEBRATED THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF MASSART, THE FIRST INDEPENDENT PUBLICLY FUNDED ART AND DESIGN COLLEGE IN THE UNITED STATES. VISITORS WERE ABLE TO VIEW A RETROSPECTIVE OF STUDENT AND ALUMNI WORK CREATED IN RESPONSE TO A MASTERWORK PERFORMED BY HANDEL + HAYDN AND EXPLORE A SELECTION OF CLOTHING, EQUIPMENT, ADVERTISING, EVERYDAY HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, AND INNOVATIONS DESIGNED BY MASSART ALUMNI CURATED BY MASSART'S ARCHIVES DEPARTMENT.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 8,290 ATTENDEES AT PROGRAMS, SEMINAR SESSIONS, AND SPECIAL EVENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. A WIDE RANGE OF PROGRAMS WERE OFFERED IN FISCAL YEAR 2023 INCLUDING THE AASLH AWARD-WINNING SERIES ON DISABILITY IN THE AMERICAN PAST, OCTOBER 28, 2022; THE REVOLUTIONARY: SAMUEL ADAMS WITH STACY SCHIFF IN CONVERSATION WITH SARA GEORGINI; TEACHING WHITE SUPREMACY: AMERICA'S DEMOCRATIC ORDEAL AND THE FORGING OF OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY WITH DONALD YACOVONE IN CONVERSATION WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR.; AND LYDIA MARIA CHILD: A RADICAL AMERICAN LIFE WITH LYDIA MOLAND IN CONVERSATION WITH MEGAN MARSHALL. AS WELL, WE HOSTED PROGRAMS ON LOCAL LGBTQ+ HISTORY AND BOSTON'S LITTLE SYRIA NEIGHBORHOOD.RESEARCH 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 PUBLIC TALKS, TOURS, EXHIBITIONS, SCHOLARLY SEMINARS, CONFERENCES, AND ACCESS TO OUR COLLECTIONS THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AND LIBRARY. WE AWARDED 59 FELLOWSHIPS IN FISCAL YEAR 2023 INCLUDING MHS-NEH LONG-TERM, MHS SHORT-TERM, NERFC, TEACHER, AND STUDENT FELLOWSHIPS). EACH YEAR, THE MHS WELCOMES A WIDE VARIETY OF RESEARCHERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD FROM HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND FAMILY HISTORIANS TO PROFESSORS AND PULITZER PRIZEWINNING AUTHORS. THESE RESEARCHERS NETWORK, SHARE THEIR FINDINGS, AND EXCHANGE IDEAS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, THERE WERE 2,440 RESEARCH VISITS FROM 705 INDIVIDUAL RESEARCHERS FROM 35 STATES AND 13 COUNTRIES OUTSIDE OF THE US.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.