MA250

Opera on Tour: Daughter of the Regiment
2026-02-19 15:30 - 16:15 (America/New_York) | Boston Public Library: West Roxbury Branch, Centre Street 1961, Boston, Massachusetts, 02132, United States
Opera on Tour: Bringing Opera to Your Neighborhood
Join Boston Lyric Opera for Opera on Tour: Daughter of the Regiment – a one-act English-language adaptation of Donizetti’s beloved comic opera about a girl who grows up in a military regiment. Three performers and a pianist will engage audiences through singing, staging, and narration in this interactive introduction to opera. Opera on Tour: Daughter of the Regiment runs for approximately 45 minutes. Opera on Tour is friendly for all ages, but best for children aged 5-12. Join us and experience how an opera comes to life through music, acting, and movement!
Voices of Revolution
A Citywide Opera Initiative for America’s 250th
Join Boston Lyric Opera in celebrating America’s 250th anniversary through music and storytelling. Voices of Revolution invites Boston to rediscover the stories of our nation’s beginnings—lifting iconic and overlooked voices to celebrate who we were, reflect on who we are, and imagine who we can become.
This initiative is part of BLO’s 50th Anniversary season and features performances, talks, and community programs across Boston as part of the statewide MA250 commemoration.

Revolutionary Harbor Lectures: The Siege and Boston Harbor Communities
2026-02-19 18:00 - 19:30 | Atlantic Wharf (Fort Point Room), 290 Congress Street, Boston, 02210, United States
Come learn about the siege and its impacts on the harbor front communities of Boston!
250 Years Later; The Siege and Its Impacts on Boston’s Harbor Front Communities
Following the battles at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, Boston became the center of a quickly developing war between rebelling colonists and the forces of the British government. Colonial militia from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island formed an Army of New England to surround and contain the British forces occupying Boston. Over the course of the next 11 months, both sides engaged in what became known as the Siege of Boston. Join the National Park Service’s Savannah Rose as she explores the impact of the Siege on Boston’s harbor front communities and the city’s collective memory and memorialization of those historic months.
This program is presented by the National Park Service and Boston Harbor Now as a part of our three-part Revolutionary Harbor lecture series.

Opera on Tour: Daughter of the Regiment
2026-02-20 15:30 - 16:15 | Boston Public Library: North End Branch, Parmenter Street 25, Boston, Massachusetts, 02113, United States

Opera on Tour: Daughter of the Regiment
2026-02-20 15:30 - 16:15 | Boston Public Library: East Boston Branch, Bremen Street 365, Boston, Massachusetts, 02128, United States

Revolutionary War Transcription Event
2026-02-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Upton Community Center, 9 Milford St, Upton, Upton, 01568, United States
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence, the National Archives and the National Park Service are collaborating on a special project to transcribe Revolutionary War Pension Files of more than 80,000 of America’s first veterans, containing more than 2 million documents. These records may contain valuable details about Revolutionary War veterans and their families. Become a citizen archivist and unlock the details and stories found within these rich records!
Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park and the Upton Historical Society will be co-hosting the transcription event on:
February 20, 2026, 6-8pm @ Upton Community Center (9 Milford Street, Upton, MA)
Participants will learn about the value of wartime pensions and hear service stories about patriots from the Blackstone Valley. Rangers will provide training on how to access pensions and transcribe these vital records online. Are you ready to join us and contribute to the nation’s 250th anniversary?
Please email uptonmahistoricalsociety@gmail.com if you are interested in attending.
Capacity is limited.

The Barzillai Lew Project - A Duke Ellington Concert
2026-02-20 19:30 - 21:30 | Richard and Nancy Donahue Family Academic Arts Center, Central Street 240, Lowell, MA, 01852, United States
The Forgotten Hero Who Inspired Duke Ellington.
In 1942, the renown Duke Ellington composed a piano piece in Barzillai Lew’s honor, likely inspired by stories Ellington encountered while studying with the pioneering historian Carter G. Woodson.
The musical score of this work, first retrieved and digitized from the Smithsonian American History Museum for this project, is the basis for a modern adaptation of that composition.
Join us at 7:30pm on February 20, 2026, Ellington’s work will be presented in a concert along with several original compositions at the Richard and Nancy Donahue Family Academic Arts Center, Middlesex Community College, 240 Central Street in Lowell.
Barzillai Lew
Barzillai Lew was born a free Black person on November 5th, 1743, in Groton, Massachusetts, the son of Primus Lew and Margaret [Lew]. Like his father, Barzillai became a renown fifer in the colonial regiment of Captain Thomas Farrington.
After serving in the French and Indian War, he purchased the freedom of Dinah Bowman (1744–1837) and married her in 1768. Dinah was a pianist who had been enslaved in Lexington. She may very well have been the first African-American woman pianist in American history.
In May of 1775, Barzillai Lew enlisted in Captain John Ford’s Company, the 27th Regiment, out of Chelmsford. Lew, along with about 3 dozen other ethnic Africans, fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775.
With wages earned from his military service, the Lew family purchased a large tract of farmland in Dracut, which is now part of Lowell. They built a house near Varnum Avenue and Zeal Road (named for Barzillai,) now called Totman Road. After the war, Lew returned to his farm in Pawtucketville, where they raised 13 children, the most famous being the abolitionist, Lucy Lew. His great grandson is Harry ‘Bucky’ Lew, the first African American Basketball player

African American Patriots® Tour
2026-02-21 10:45 - 12:30, 2026-02-22 10:45 - 12:30, 2026-02-28 10:45 - 12:30 | Boston, Tremont Street 139, Boston, MA, 02111, United States
Freedom Trail® Foundation’s acclaimed African American Patriots® Tours celebrate the African American patriots that played a vital role in the start of the American Revolution in Boston and in the formation of our country. Led by 18th-century costumed guides, tour-goers can view history through the eyes of these courageous men and women throughout Black History Month in February.
African American Patriots® Tours return on Sunday, February 1 and are held on select Saturdays and Sundays in February departing at 10:45 a.m. from the Boston Common Visitor Information Center. Revolutionary figures such as Crispus Attucks, Phillis Wheatley, Prince Hall, Peter Salem, and others come to life during these 90-minute walking tours while zigzagging through the Freedom Trail – Boston’s iconic 2.5-mile brick trail leading to 16 nationally significant historic sites. African American Patriots Tours invite visitors and residents alike to discover the immense contributions of Black Bostonians during the American Revolution and beyond, as the stories unfold along Boston’s historic red-lined path. Hear about the sacrifices these patriots made, the battles they fought, and the legacies they left behind, as well as the stories of significant abolitionists and civil rights activists in Boston’s history.
The tours are ideal for groups, schools, residents and those visiting the city. Public tour tickets may be purchased at the Boston Common Visitor Information Center at $17 for adults, $15 for seniors and students, and $8 for children under 12 years old. Tickets may also be purchased online at TheFreedomTrail.org. The African American Patriots® Tours are also available on June 19, select Saturdays in July and August, and year-round for groups as private tours.
Other events and programs celebrating Black History Month are held at official Freedom Trail sites. For information regarding Freedom Trail events and programs, tickets, reservations, group rates or questions, please call (617) 357-8300 or visit TheFreedomTrail.org.

Opera on Tour: Daughter of the Regiment
2026-02-21 15:30 - 16:15 | Boston Public Library: Copley Square Branch, Boylston Street 700, Boston, Massachusetts, 02116, United States

A Journey to Find an Ancestor and Honor His Faith in Diversity
2026-02-22 14:00 - 15:30 | Bedford Old Town Hall, Great Room (3rd Floor), South Road 16, Bedford, Massachusetts, 01730, United States
While researching her Revolutionary War ancestor, General John Glover, Jane Woolsey Gropp of Lexington learned about the Marbleheaders, a group of fishermen and sailors from the coastal town of Marblehead who played a crucial role in several key military operations during the war. They were a diverse group, including free African Americans and Native Americans, and were the first integrated institution in America.
Gropp’s intention to have a painting depict General Glover, who commanded the Marbleheaders, led instead to a painting honoring both her ancestor, a somewhat forgotten hero, and the Black Patriots, who were mostly unknown heroes of the American Revolution.
In recognition of Black History Month, Gropp will describe her journey that led her to commission the painting called “An Appeal to Heaven,” the interrelationships among the people in the painting (Washington, one of his enslaved men, others), and the Black Patriots who fought and secured a freedom that was not yet theirs.
Doors open at 2 PM for a social period and refreshments
2:15 PM – Brief Society announcements followed by the Guest Speaker

Teaching 250 Years of Immigration
2026-02-25 16:30 - 17:30 | Virtual Program, North Washington Square 19 1/2, Salem, MA, 01970, United States
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this webinar, co-hosted by The Immigration Learning Center and the Institute for Immigration Research at George Mason University, invites educators to examine how immigration has shaped the nation from the Revolutionary era to the present day.
Learn about contributions of revolutionaries abroad who worked to expand the Declaration’s ideals via their independence movements. Discover what information exists about immigration in the United States across history and learn how to evaluate data critically. Explore ways to integrate immigration history into existing curricula.
Join us for this webinar on Wednesday, February 25 from 4:30-5:30 PM ET. Designed for K–12 educators, this session blends historical content, data literacy and classroom practice to support inclusive and inquiry-based teaching in the lead-up to America’s semiquincentennial.
During this webinar, you’ll learn how to:
Explain how revolutionaries abroad expanded the ideals of the Declaration of Independence through their own independence movements
Identify and evaluate immigration-related data over time
Apply classroom-tested strategies and ready-to-use resources to teach immigration as a core part of the American story across grade levels

ArtsThursdays: Revolutionary Teas
2026-02-26 17:00 - 20:00 | Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Divinity Avenue 11, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Free In-Person Special Event
ArtsThursdays: Revolutionary Teas
Thursday, February 26, 5:00–9:00 pm RSVPs encouraged
Enter at Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge
Join us for a free, fun evening at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology—perfect for a date night, a friends’ outing, or meeting new people.
This special edition of ArtsThursdays explores the revolutionary era in the United States through one of its defining symbols and flashpoints: tea.
From 6:00 to 7:00 pm, tea historian Bruce Richardson will present the illustrated talk, “Five Teas that Launched a Revolution.” The presentation will trace the history of five Chinese teas that were tossed into Boston Harbor in 1773—teas that came from the very same East India Company warehouses that supplied the tea caddies of fashionable homes in London and Bath.
While the world knows how Britain’s love of tea has inspired countless “tea things,” Richardson will remind us that residents of colonial Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Charleston shared a similar passion for fine furniture, silver, and porcelain devoted to their own tea rituals. Their daily cup became a ceremony—a gathering that helped spark a party, a revolution, and the birth of a nation. All this commotion over a simple cup of tea!
During the evening, visitors can:
Sample historic teas enjoyed in 1773 Boston.
Purchase copies of A Social History of Tea (Benjamin Press, 2013) by Bruce Richardson and participate in a book signing.
Enter a free raffle to win museum gifts and membership.
Explore the Peabody Museum galleries from 5:00 to 9:00 pm, including Resetting the Table, an exhibition about food, power, status, and cultural identity.
Free and open to the public. Let us know you are coming! RSVPs are encouraged, but walk-in visitors are always welcome. Free event parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage 4:30–9:30 pm.
Presented by the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology and the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture.
ArtsThursdays is a university-wide initiative supported by Harvard University Committee on the Arts.
This event is presented to mark the 250th Anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.

ArtsThursdays: Revolutionary Teas
2026-02-26 17:00 - 21:00 | Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Divinity Avenue 11, Cambridge, MA, 02138, United States
Join us for a free, fun evening at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology—perfect for a date night, a friends’ outing, or meeting new people.
This special edition of ArtsThursdays explores the revolutionary era in the United States through one of its defining symbols and flashpoints: tea.
From 6:00 to 7:00 pm, tea historian Bruce Richardson will present the illustrated talk, “Five Teas that Launched a Revolution.” The presentation will trace the history of five Chinese teas that were tossed into Boston Harbor in 1773—teas that came from the very same East India Company warehouses that supplied the tea caddies of fashionable homes in London and Bath.
While the world knows how Britain’s love of tea has inspired countless “tea things,” Richardson will remind us that residents of colonial Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Charleston shared a similar passion for fine furniture, silver, and porcelain devoted to their own tea rituals. Their daily cup became a ceremony—a gathering that helped spark a party, a revolution, and the birth of a nation. All this commotion over a simple cup of tea!
During the evening, visitors can:
Sample historic teas enjoyed in 1773 Boston.
Purchase copies of A Social History of Tea (Benjamin Press, 2013) by Bruce Richardson and participate in a book signing.
Enter a free raffle to win museum gifts and membership.
Explore the Peabody Museum galleries from 5:00 to 9:00 pm, including Resetting the Table, an exhibition about food, power, status, and cultural identity.
Free and open to the public. Let us know you are coming! RSVPs are encouraged, but walk-in visitors are always welcome. Free event parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage 4:30–9:30 pm.
Presented by the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology and the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture.
ArtsThursdays is a university-wide initiative supported by Harvard University Committee on the Arts.
This event is presented to mark the 250th Anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Indigenous Identity, Diplomacy & Sovereignty in the American Revolution
2026-02-26 18:00 - 19:00 | Massachusetts Historical Society, Boylston Street 1154, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
This is a virtual event free to attend.
Please visit here to register: https://www.masshist.org/events/indigenous-identity
The American Revolution reverberated across New England, touching the lives of the many Indigenous peoples living there. The Northeastern tribal nations reacted to the conflict in support of their sovereign interests; some chose to fight, while others engaged in diplomatic conversations with British and American leaders. Join us for a discussion centered around roles that Indigenous individuals and nations played in the American Revolution and the effects the war had on them. Lorén Spears will discuss the experiences of the Narragansett people, unfreedom, sovereignty and Indigenous service in the 1st Rhode Island Regiment. Christine DeLucia will reflect on how Indigenous communities in Revolutionary-era New England lived, labored, resisted, and organized.

Henry Knox’s Trek from Ticonderoga: Myths, Realities, and Results for Boston with J. L. Bell
2026-02-26 19:00 - 20:30 | Acton Town Hall, Main Street 472, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
Thursday, February 26th 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Acton Town Hall, 472 Main Street, Room 204
In early 1776, the young Continental Army colonel Henry Knox moved dozens of heavy cannons and mortars from Lake Champlain to the siege lines around Boston; one of the most famous stories from the Revolutionary War. And like many famous stories, it embodies a fair amount of legend and lore. This talk sorts out what we know, what we only think we know, and what we should know about how Knox brought this “noble train of artillery” that helped to make all of Massachusetts independent.
J. L. Bell maintains the Boston1775.net website, offering daily helpings of history, analysis, and unabashed gossip about Revolutionary New England. He is the author of “The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War.” John is working on a new book about the difficult first year of the Continental artillery force.
Remote Participation: You can watch live on YouTube at Acton TV http://tinyurl.com/Acton-TV. Recordings will be available at Acton TV https://actontv.org/ and on our website https://www.actonma.gov/250 where you’ll find all programming information and a link to our commemorative store.

Knox Trail 250 – Cambridge
2026-02-28 14:00 - 16:00 | Cambridge Public Library, Broadway 449, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
On July 4, 2026, our nation will celebrate the semiquincentennial anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Leading up to this historic birthday Revolution 250 was created. In keeping with this celebratory campaign, it is with great enthusiasm that we present the momentous commemoration of this country’s founding, Knox Trail 250. This sequenced program is designed to represent the Henry Knox Noble Train of Artillery of 1776, the catalyst for what we now recognize in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as Evacuation Day.
In Massachusetts, starting in Great Barrington, going through over 33 towns, a simulation of the journey will be celebrated in designated hubs.
This sequenced parade of regional recognition will incorporate the invitation and participation of town managers, local historians, celebrating the commemoration and respective connections in the Noble Trail of Artillery.
CAMBRIDGE
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Cambridge Public Library
ROXBURY
Saturday, March 7, 2026
First Church in Roxbury
BOSTON
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Dorchester Heights

Hybrid lecture: Benjamin Franklin, Frankenstein, and the Age of Revolution
2026-03-05 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-05 18:00 - 19:00 | Geological Lecture Hall, Oxford Street 24, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
Speaker: Joyce E. Chaplin, James Duncan Phillips Professor of Early American History, Harvard University
Ask anyone why Benjamin Franklin is famous and they will likely mention his role in the American Revolution. Yet Franklin’s celebrity began with his science. Decades before independence, Immanuel Kant hailed him as “the Modern Prometheus,” a bold defier of nature whose scientific experiments made him an international star and helped launch his political career. In this lecture, Joyce Chaplin, author of The Franklin Stove: An Unintended American Revolution (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025), traces Franklin’s scientific pursuits, showing the central role of science in Franklin’s life—and in the revolutionary era more broadly. She will also discuss how Franklin’s reputation lived on in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818), a powerful meditation on the rewards and risks of scientific ambition.
Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA. Free admission. Free event parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage starting at 5:00 pm. Presented by the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, and the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture. This lecture is presented to mark the 250th Anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Boston Massacre Anniversary
2026-03-05 17:30 - 18:30 | Faneuil Hall, Faneuil Hall Square 1, Boston, MA, 02109, United States
The morning of March 5, 1776, on the sixth anniversary of the Boston Massacre, British troops discovered that Patriot forces fortified Dorchester Heights overnight. The date had not been chosen by accident. Every anniversary of the Boston Massacre, Patriot leaders remembered the event with orations and public commemorations.
This year, for the two hundred and fifty sixth anniversary of the Boston Massacre, join us as we recreate a historic Faneuil Hall Town Meeting debating the fate of the British soldiers who fired into the crowd on King Street. Was it a plot to commit murder or self-defense? Should the people of Boston extract vengeance against the soldiers or call for law and order above all else?
Have your voice be heard in a Town Meeting debate and help decide: vengeance or justice?
Free and open to the public.

Newburyport's Road to Independence III: Loyalists, Prisoners, and the Homefront
2026-03-06 19:00 - 20:30 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 166 High Street, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Step into wartime Newburyport with Alex Cain as loyalists face persecution, prices soar, and fear hangs heavy as we move to independence.
In 1776, as war raged across the American colonies, the clash of armies echoed far beyond the battlefield into everyday life in Newburyport. Historian and fan favorite Alex Cain invites you to step into a time where loyalists were persecuted, British prisoners were confined, and families struggled with soaring prices, shortages, and the constant shadow of loss from combat. At the same time, privateer prizes poured into the harbor, flooding the port with captured riches and stirring hope of fantastic opportunities. Through hardship and adversity alike, Newburyport pressed on in its determined drive toward independence.
Funded, in part, by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism.

Evacuation Day Cruise - Revelry and Revolution
2026-03-07 13:00 - 15:00 | Boston Harbor, Long Wharf 66, Boston, Massachusetts, 02110, United States
Join us for a two-hour Evacuation Day Cruise through Boston Harbor to explore the story of the Siege of Boston from the water (June 1775 to March 1776). As we navigate the same channels used by the British fleet to evacuate the town, Park Rangers will provide historical narration highlighting the key events, people, landmarks, and moments that led to the evacuation.
Departing from Long Wharf, the cruise passes by the Charlestown Navy Yard with views of the Bunker Hill Monument, Fort Independence (known as Fortress William in 1776) and Dorchester Heights, as well as several harbor islands including Little Brewster, home to Boston Light. As the ship swings around Little Brewster back towards Boston, enjoy musical entertainment by the duo Tobias Tripp and Prudence Merriweather, returning to Long Wharf at 3:00 p.m.

Knox Trail 250 – Roxbury
2026-03-07 14:00 - 16:00 | First Church in Roxbury, Putnam Street 10, Boston, Massachusetts, 02119, United States
On July 4, 2026, our nation will celebrate the semiquincentennial anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Leading up to this historic birthday Revolution 250 was created. In keeping with this celebratory campaign, it is with great enthusiasm that we present the momentous commemoration of this country’s founding, Knox Trail 250. This sequenced program is designed to represent the Henry Knox Noble Train of Artillery of 1776, the catalyst for what we now recognize in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as Evacuation Day.
In Massachusetts, starting in Great Barrington, going through over 33 towns, a simulation of the journey would be celebrated in designated hubs.
This sequenced parade of regional recognition will incorporate the invitation and participation of town managers, local historians, celebrating the commemoration and respective connections in the Noble Trail of Artillery.
ROXBURY
Saturday, March 7, 2026
First Church in Roxbury
BOSTON
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Dorchester Heights

God of Our Fathers: Mighty Miracles of the American Revolution
2026-03-07 15:30 - 16:30 | Arts Empowering Life Performing Arts Center, Southern Eagle Cartway 95, Brewster, Massachusetts, 02631, United States
March 7, 2026 at 3:30 pm
Performing Arts Center, Brewster
America 250 Series
In Person & Livestreamed
The Miracle at Dorchester Heights, Independence, and American Values
Presented by Larkin Spivey, decorated Vietnam veteran, historian, and author
Join us for a year-long a series of monthly lectures celebrating God’s miraculous acts during our nation’s fight for Independence. Each lecture highlights key moments of divine intervention that took place during the Revolutionary War. Free admission for all!

LOCAL HISTORY GUILD | Revolution in Old Dartmouth
2026-03-10 17:30 - 18:30 | Virtual Program, North Washington Square 19 1/2, Salem, MA, 01970, United States
As the U.S. marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolutionary War, local historians have delved deeply into the history of the Revolution in Old Dartmouth. Different approaches reveal new and exciting stories related to the 1770s and 1780s in the areas now called Westport, Dartmouth, New Bedford, Fairhaven, and Acushnet. Join us this March at a virtual program to discuss their projects and the stories they have uncovered.
Local History Guild is the NBWM’s quarterly Zoom program, an informal discussion about art, history, science and culture related to the museum’s mission, collection, and the surrounding region. In this edition of the program, we will be joined by Jenny O’Neill (Executive Director, Westport Historical Society), Diane Gilbert (President, Dartmouth Heritage Preservation Trust), Jonathan Lane (Executive Director, Revolution 250), and Judith Lund (Curator Emerita, New Bedford Whaling Museum) in a discussion that will help listeners take a deeper dive into the past.
Jonathan Lane is Executive Director of Revolution 250 and has more than 30 years of experience in public history, tourism and cultural programming. . While his employment has led him to many leading institutions, including Plimoth-Patuxet, the American Antiquarian Society, Berklee College of Music and the Massachusetts Historical Society, his historical studies have taken him to libraries and archives throughout the U.S. and United Kingdom. He is the author of a monograph on songs for British Soldiers in the 18th century, and is the editor of “From the Potomac to the Etowah, the Civil War Correspondence of Alonzo Hall Quint.”
Diane Gilbert is the president of the Dartmouth Heritage Preservation Trust (DHPT) and with a board of directors has managed the 1762 Elihu Akin House since 2008. She is a self-taught life-long learner in historic preservation and has directed the preservation efforts of the Akin House on the corner of Dartmouth and Rockland Streets. She has curated art exhibitions at the New Bedford Art Museum, served on the Dartmouth Select Board and the Dartmouth Historical Commission, and was a volunteer docent at the NBWM for over ten years.
Jenny O’Neill is the Executive Director of the Westport Historical Society. She has been immersed in the history of Westport for nearly two decades and has been a key player in the restoration of the Handy House, and most recently, in the rehabilitation of the historical society’s headquarters, the Bell School, which in late 2025 reopened as the freshly reimagined Westport History Center. She is a citizen of the world with roots in Australia and the United Kingdom, and currently resides in Fairhaven.
Judith N. Lund is an independent historian and Curator Emerita of the New Bedford Whaling Museum. She has researched extensively and published such volumes as Whaling Masters and Whaling Voyages Sailing from American Ports (2001) and with Beverly Glennon, Greetings from Dartmouth Massachusetts (2003).

The Siege of Boston - An Ending and Beginning
2026-03-11 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Program, North Washington Square 19 1/2, Salem, MA, 01970, United States
Join us for a virtual talk exploring the Siege of Boston – its origins, impacts, and conclusion – and how the departure of the British Military from Boston would influence the pivotal year of 1776 and what became the Revolutionary War.
Virtual: Please register with the Boston Public Library (https://bpl.libcal.com/event/16163728).

Exclusive: 'In Search of Phillis Wheatley Peters' Director Talk & Screening
2026-03-11 18:30 - 20:00 | Museum of Old Newbury, 98 High Street, Newburyport, 01950, United States
Explore the story of Phillis Wheatley Peters—her genius, her defiance, and the love that stood with her against extraordinary odds.
‘In Search of Phillis Wheatley Peters’ Director Talk and Screening. An Exclusive Museum of Old Newbury Event (MA250 Programming)
Join us for a special screening and conversation with the filmmakers as part of the Museum of Old Newbury’s MA250 series.
In September, the Museum of Old Newbury hosted Askew Pictures, a dynamic international documentary film team led by Leslie Askew, producer and director of projects for SBS, National Geographic, Al Jazeera, CBS, BET, PBS, History Channel, and CNN (including the award-winning CNN Heroes). During that visit, Askew interviewed Newburyport resident Kabria Baumgartner, who appears throughout the film.
After the film’s premiere to a packed house at the Museum of African American History in Boston, we were thrilled when Askew Pictures offered to bring the film to Newburyport for a screening in our museum. We’re proud to feature this program as part of MA250 programming, as the film highlights Phillis Wheatley’s belief in the Revolutionary cause and the era’s urgent, unfinished promises of liberty.

Gallery Talk: What Kind of Nation?
2026-03-12 13:00 - 14:00 | Massachusetts Historical Society, Boylston Street 1154, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
Join Chief Historian Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai for “What Kind of Nation?”, a gallery talk on the exhibition 1776: Declaring Independence. Visitors are invited to explore the rest of the exhibition and ask questions. Attendance is free.
Please visit here to register: https://www.masshist.org/events/gallery-talk-march-12-2026

Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy
2026-03-12 18:00 - 19:30 | Cambridge Public Library, Broadway 449, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
To mark the 250th anniversaries of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States, a coalition of local non-profits and government agencies will present Washington in American Memory, a seven-part speaker series.
Retrace George Washington’s post-inaugural journeys and explore how he sought to unite a fragile new nation, featuring:
-Peter Drummey, Chief Historian of the Massachusetts Historical Society (Ret.)
-Nathaniel Philbrick, author of “Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy,” along with many other New York Times bestselling books

Dorchester Heights Remembrance Illumination
2026-03-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Dorchester Heights Monument and Grounds, 95R G St, Boston, 02127, United States
Come together for an evening of remembrance at Dorchester Heights. This luminaria event invites visitors to pause, reflect, and connect with a turning point in the American Revolution. Two thousand luminaria will illuminate the fully restored national landmark to honor the legacy of Evacuation Day, which marks the end of the Siege of Boston.
As you walk through the grounds, consider the thousands of lives affected by the siege; from the Continental Army soldiers who fortified and held this hill for the cause liberty to the Boston residents who persevered under occupation and uncertainty.
Free and open to the public.
