Massachusetts Historical Society

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Massachusetts Historical Society

Founded in 1791, the Massachusetts Historical Society is an independent research library and an invaluable resource for American history, life, and culture.

www.masshist.org

08/28/2026

The MHS does our own version the Water Lily Weigh Off! But instead of placing weight on giant lily pads, we weigh water lily-themed items from the MHS collections.

How did we do, ?

08/26/2026

Today, August 26, is Susan B. Anthony Day in Massachusetts!

Born in Adams, Mass., Anthony (1820-1906) was a prominent abolitionist and tireless advocate for women’s suffrage. Although she died fourteen years before the 19th Amendment was ratified, she was instrumental in guaranteeing women's' legal right to vote.

Featured in this graphic:

Susan B. Anthony’s visiting card, with her signature on the front. On the back, a handwritten inscription reading, "Dear Sir, We have a petition with 7000 signatures, asking for a 16th amendment, will you come for a moment.”

Medal of Susan B. Anthony’s profile by Leila Usher for the National American Woman Suffrage Association, ca. 1920. On the back is the quote by Anthony, “Failure is Impossible,” surrounded by oak branches.

08/25/2026

Here are even more Massachusetts amusement park postcards from the MHS collection – this time, from your comments!

These postcards (ca. 1905-1938) depict Whalom Park in Fitchberg, Mountain Park in Holyoke, and Salem Willows in Salem, Mass.

If you’d like to see these postcards in person (or just to check to see if we have your favorite Massachusetts amusement park somewhere in our collection), make a research appointment at the MHS today! Learn more: https://www.masshist.org/library

08/24/2026

Which of these historical amusement parks would you rather go to for some end of summer break fun?🍦🎢🌞

These postcards (ca. 1905-1938) from the MHS collection include amusement parks in Revere, Nahant, Hull, Worcester, and Salisbury, Massachusetts. Do you remember any of them?

To see more gems like this from the MHS collection, make your research appointment today – it's free and open to the public! Start at the link in our bio.

08/20/2026

You may know the story of Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold’s capture of Fort Ticonderoga in May 1775 . . . but what happened in the aftermath?

On this bonus episode of The Object of History, Dr. Matthew Keagle, Curator at Fort Ticonderoga, tells the MHS about Allen and Arnold’s capture of the Fort, Henry Knox’s departure to Boston with seized artillery for the Continental Army, and how Fort Ticonderoga played a role in the remainder of the Revolution.

Listen to the latest episode of The Object of History on the MHS website: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-5-bonus-episode-Ticonderoga or find us on your favorite streaming platform.

Graphic:
"Capture of Fort Ticonderoga," Alonzo Chappel, ca. 1850s. From the Fort Ticonderoga Museum Collection.

" A Survey of Lake Champlain . . .” by William Brasi. From Atlas des colonies Angloises en Amerique, ca. 1756. From the MHS collection.

Page from Henry Knox diary, ca. 20 November 1775 - 13 January 1776. From the MHS collection.

08/19/2026

In this episode of Historians & Their Histories, we speak with Megan Baker (recipient of the Andrew Oliver Research Fellowship from the MHS) about her dissertation, "Crayon Rebellion: The Material Politics of North American Pastels, 1758-1814.”

Baker explores how artists sourced their materials through Atlantic trade networks, how pastel portraiture materialized ideas about race, and how the medium was eventually used in early natural history illustration before giving way to more durable printed media.

Stream the latest episode of Historians & Their Histories: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-39-Baker

Learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply: https://www.masshist.org/research/fellowships...

08/18/2026

Can you survive a Haunted Nantucket Summer?

Take a journey with us through this Nantucket travel scrapbook (ca. 1891-1924) and imagine all the creepy possibilities that the rest of your summer can hold . . .

Make your research appointment today to see more gems like this scrapbook from the MHS collection: https://www.masshist.org/library

08/14/2026

Phoebe Bridger’s first album in six years has a song called “Liberty Tree”? We've been summoned. 🪐

The MHS collection holds fragments of the roots of the Liberty Tree, which stood along Orange Street (now Washington Street) in Boston until it was cut down by British soldiers in 1775.

(Okay, okay, we know she’s talking about Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers, Mass., and the not the actual Liberty Tree. . . but let us dream!)

Want to learn more about the Liberty Tree, namesake of the Danvers mall and Phoebe Bridger's new song? Listen to the Object of History podcast episode all about the Liberty Tree and the roots at the MHS: https://www.masshist.org/.../season-2-episode-9-roots...

08/13/2026

How are you beating the heat this summer? Take some inspiration from Sarah Gooll Putnam; 160 years ago, she and her family journeyed to the icy French Alps!

Describing her family’s descent of the famous valley glacier, Mer de Glace, Putnam wrote on August 8, 1866:

“The path was winding, and went zigzag down the side of the cliff, or whatever you call it. It made us all laugh, to see Mother coming down, she came so slowly. All at last safely landed on the Icy field, and accompanied by a man to help us if we needed him, and another with an axe, to cut steps in the ice for us, that we might not tumble into any crevasses 😊.”

If you’re interested in uncovering more gems like this from the Sarah Gooll Putnam diaries, sign up to become a volunteer transcriber! Transcribing diaries from Putnam and other everyday people from our nation’s history helps make MHS collections accessible to researchers around the world.

The MHS Digital Volunteers website features helpful resources on how to get started: https://www.masshist.org/mymhs/

08/12/2026

In this episode of Historians & Their Histories, Chloe Kauffman (recipient of the Alyson R. Miller Fellowship from the MHS) discusses her dissertation research on how young, unmarried women in the Anglo-Atlantic world acquired and shared knowledge about sexuality between 1690 and 1820, with a particular focus on women-to-women relationships and mentorship.

Each week, the Historians & Their Histories podcast sits down with scholars who have received fellowship support from the MHS to learn about the historians behind the histories.

Stream the latest episode of Historians & Their Histories: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-38-Kauffman

Learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply: https://www.masshist.org/research/fellowships...

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1154 Boylston Street
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02215

Telephone

+16176460500

Website

http://www.masshist.org/

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