1775-1776: Revolution & Independence
The MHS is commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution with exhibitions, programs, educational resources, digital content, and more.
The MHS is commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution with exhibitions, programs, educational resources, digital content, and more.
1776: Declaring Idependence
March 6, 2026, through December 19, 2026 @ Massachusetts Historical Society
Trace the Declaration of Independence’s complex legacy as a national beacon for celebration and protest
The Road to Revolution: Massachusetts and the Independence Movement
February 10, 2026, through January 3, 2027 @ Location: Old State House
Explore major Massachusetts events in the first year of the American Revolution through notable letters, diary accounts, and treasured artifacts from the MHS collection
Declaration of Independence
Coming soon!
1775: Rebels, Rights & Revolution
Explore digital features from our 1775 exhibition
![A Plan of Boston in New England with its Environs, including Milton, Dorchester, Roxbury, Brooklin [sic], Cambridge, Medford, Charlestown, Parts of Malden and Chelsea, with the Military Works Constructed in those Places in the Years 1775 and 1776 Facsimile map](/database/images36/5005_map_trans_work_ref.jpg "A Plan of Boston in New England with its Environs, including Milton, Dorchester, Roxbury, Brooklin [sic], Cambridge, Medford, Charlestown, Parts of Malden and Chelsea, with the Military Works Constructed in those Places in the Years 1775 and 1776 Facsimile map")
Tensions were high between Great Britain and the American colonies in the decade leading up to the “shot heard round the world” fired on April 19, 1775. Following Britain’s victory in the Seven Years’ War in 1763, Parliament was left with a huge debt to pay. They decided to share the burden with the colonies by establishing various taxes. This led to years of unrest and uprisings in Massachusetts, igniting the flame of revolution.1764: Parliament passes the Sugar Act, setting off a debate on colonial rights and taxation.
Take a look at our related web presentations
The Coming of the American Revolution: 1764 to 1776
Investigate the lives and events recorded in newspapers, official documents and personal correspondence from our collection from 1764 to 1776.
Revolutionary-Era Art and Artifacts
Revolutionary-era portraits and artifacts; a compelling visual resources to history enthusiasts.
The Battle of Bunker Hill
Personal accounts of the Battle of Bunker Hill, along with contemporary maps, drawings, and more either preserved by the participants or found on the battlefield.
Siege of Boston
The Siege of Boston was the eleven-month period from 19 April 1775 to 17 March 1776 when American militiamen effecctively contained British troops within Boston, and after the Battle of Bunker Hill, to the peninsula of Charlestown.
Boston Tea Party
On 16 December 1773, a group of Bostonians disguised as Native Americans boarded three ships docked in the harbor and destroyed hundreds of chests of East India tea. View tangible connections to the past and convey the historical context of this significant event.
Perspectives on the Boston Massacre
Newspaper accounts, broadsides, letters, diary entries, pamphlets, printed depositions, orations, trial notes, and even bullets recovered from the site, all relating to this significant event in America's early history.
Boston by Manuscript
This primary sources was compiled for a program with Boston By Foot docents and offer details and perspectives that complement the existing knowledge base Boston experts have regarding the events and history of the city.
Correspondence of Mercy Otis Warren and Hannah Winthrop
The letters exchanged between Mercy Otis Warren (1728-1814) and Hannah Winthrop (baptized 1727-1790) provide a remarkable window into the daily lives of families living through the challenges of revolution and nation building.
Annotated Newspapers of Harbottle Dorr
A complete four volume set of Revolutionary-era Boston newspapers and pamphlets collected, annotated, and indexed by Harbottle Dorr, Jr., a shopkeeper in Boston.
Adams Papers
Previously printed volumes of the Adams Papers, a long-standing documentary digital edition prepared at the Massachusetts Historical Society
MHS Digital Volunteers
Our crowd sourcing project; transcribe letters, diaries and other documents to can help to make stories discoverable and more useful to students, teachers, and researchers.
History Source
Drawn from MHS collections, our primary source sets promote learning in U.S. history and civics and are supported by teaching activities and guiding questions.