Welcome to the Massachusetts Historical Society

Mission Statement
The Massachusetts Historical Society is an independent research library that collects, preserves, makes accessible, and communicates manuscripts and other materials in order to promote the study of the history of Massachusetts and the nation-a mission it has pursued since 1791.


MHS Gallery: link to highlights from the collection Presenting:
the MHS Gallery

See highlightsfrom the Society's collections.


The Beehive: Official MHS Blog We've launched our official blog.

Read the latest from Assistant Reference Librarian Jeremy Dibbell and other authors.



The Adams Family

The MHS is home to one of the most significant collections of American family papers in existence anywhere. Learn more about the family of John and Abigail Adams and the many resources available at the MHS.




Object of the Month
Celebrating the Fourth in a Time of National Distress
Broadside, 1881

Conference:
John Adams & Thomas Jefferson: Libraries, Leadership, and Legacy
June 21-27, 2009



The Diaries of John Quincy Adams
A Digital Collection
Images of the Antislavery Movement in Massachusetts
Visual materials illustrating the role of Massachusetts in the national debate about slavery.



Contribute
You can now donate, become a member, or renew your membership online.
The Atkins Family in Cuba
Exploring the photographs of one of the most prominent families in the U.S.-Cuban sugar trade.






Announcements
HOLIDAY CLOSING: The MHS will be closed on 3 and 4 July, Friday and Saturday, for Independence Day.
Upcoming Events
Amber Moulton-Wiseman, Harvard University
      Brown-Bag
411 8 July 2009, Wednesday , 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
"Marriage Extraordinary: Interracial Marriage and the Politics and Family in Antebellum Massachusetts"

Linda Palmer
      Brown-Bag
404 17 July 2009, Friday , 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
"Dissent Among the Puritans"

Kathryn Shively Meier, University of Virginia
      Brown-Bag
413 22 July 2009, Wednesday , 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
"'Under the Surge of the Blue': Environmental Effects on Civil War Soldier Mental and Physical Health in Virginia, 1862"


Complete Calendar...
Latest from the Beehive
"with renewed enthusiasm": Celebrating the Fourth

This Week in Massachusetts History
3 July 1775
George Washington takes command of the Continental Army (Cambridge)

4th of July
Independence Day   More...

4 July 1804
Author Nathaniel Hawthorne born (Salem)

4 July 1835
Opening of the Boston & Worcester Railroad

8 July 1783
Massachusetts Supreme Court declares slavery unconstitutional in Commonwealth V. Jennison

9 July 1819
Inventor Elias Howe born (Spencer)



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Fax: 617.859.0074
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