The Reverend and the Old North Bridge Battle
2026-03-22 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Bedford Old Town Hall, Great Room (3rd Floor), South Road 16, Bedford, Massachusetts, 01730, United States
Reenactor Henry Cooke will portray the life and preaching of a significant Concord resident, the Rev. William Emerson, during the weeks leading up to the battle at the Old North Bridge and his experiences on the day itself.
He will interpret Rev. Emerson’s artillery sermon on Muster Day on March 17, 1775, which presages the outbreak of hostilities a month later, and included this charge: “let every single step we take in this most intricate affair be upon the defensive…. God forbid it be said that we struck the first blow!” Cooke, who owns Historical Costume Services in Randolph, will also recount the feelings of ordinary Concord residents who watched the battle.
Doors open at 2 PM for a social period and refreshments
2:15 PM – Brief Society announcements followed by the Guest Speaker

Revolutionary Privateers at Sea Symposium: Newburyport and the Wider World
2026-03-23 08:00 - 16:00 | Firehouse Center for the Arts, 1 Market Square, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Join experts from around the world for a one-day symposium on Revolutionary War privateers and Newburyport’s Atlantic impact!
From Newburyport wharves, privateers surged into the Atlantic with a single mission: take the fight to British commerce. Armed with letters of marque, these privately owned vessels disrupted enemy supply lines, seized valuable cargo, and brought home provisions, weapons, and even captured vessels that could be refitted into more privateers to help keep the cause alive.
Privateering was a town-wide enterprise. Merchants financed voyages. Carpenters, ropemakers, and sailmakers outfitted vessels. Mariners signed on for a share of prize money. Women kept households, farms, and businesses running, and stocked stores with goods brought in as prizes. When captures returned to port, they could make fortunes. When privateers were lost, it meant tragedy and ruin.
As we mark the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, join us for a fast-paced, people-centered program that connects Newburyport to the wider Atlantic war and the astonishing records privateers left behind, from logbooks and diaries to prize papers and court documents.

A Revolutionary Tavern Night: Newburyport Toasts, Tunes, and Tales!
2026-03-23 19:00 - 21:00 | Firehouse Center for the Arts, 1 Market Square, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
Songs, stories, theatrics, and an epic “crankie” panorama bring Newburyport’s Revolutionary taverns to life. Come raise a glass with us!
At the end of a landmark privateering symposium, what is there left to do but repair to the tavern? In Revolutionary Newburyport, taverns were more than places to drink. They were the town’s patriot headquarters, where news from other embattled towns was shared, committees met, captains were recruited, merchants and investors negotiated, and neighbors argued politics, prizes, and the price of independence. They were also the original entertainment venues, alive with songs, fiddles, ballads, recitations, sketches, and the kind of convivial spectacle that helped a crowded port blow off steam, build connections, and keep morale up through a bleak winter at war.
Join Edward Speck (Theater in the Open), Bethany Groff Dorau (Museum of Old Newbury), The Portermen (Newburyport’s shanty and traditional music purveyors), and fiddler and hurdy-gurdy player Adrienne Howard for an evening that channels that 18th-century spirit: toasts, music, art, theater, silly human tricks, and a show-stopping crankie (a moving panorama) featuring art by Alan Bull. Throughout the night, historians in silly hats will pop up with quick tales and tidbits about tavern shenanigans, from the rituals of drinking and song to the ways tavern rooms doubled as civic space when the Revolution came to town. Come ready to laugh, sing, and raise a glass to the people who made a rebellious port run.
This event is funded, in part, by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, and by the generosity of our members, donors, and community foundations. Thank you for your support of the arts, history, and culture.

Fireside Chat with Historian & Guide Daniel Berger-Jones
2026-03-25 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-27 16:00 - 18:00 | 776 boylston street, Boylston Street 776, Boston, Massachusetts, 02199, United States
In honor of America’s 250th anniversary and Boston’s celebration, join us for special fireside chats in our lobby with Historian Daniel Berger-Jones, a prominent Boston-based storyteller and reenactor who founded the Boston History Company. Daniel specializes in bringing local history to life through interactive, theatrical walking tours, lectures, and podcasts.
Gather to recount tales of patriots, pivotal moments, and the city streets that shaped a nation, from the echoes of the Boston Tea Party to the midnight ride of Paul Revere. These engaging events will offer an inspiring experience to connect with Boston’s revolutionary past while commemorating 250 years of American independence, in the heart of the city where history was made.
Event is located in our lobby lounge and complimentary to hotel guests. Food and beverage available for purchase.
Limited availability and advanced booking encouraged.

The American Revolution: Lessons for the 250th, Featuring Filmmakers Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein
2026-03-25 11:30 - 13:00 | Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Knafel Center, Harvard University, Garden Street 10, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Location: Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Knafel Center
10 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Cost: Free and open to the public; advance registration required
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, examines how America’s founding turned the world upside down. Thirteen British colonies rose in rebellion, secured independence, and established a new form of government that reshaped the continent and inspired democratic movements across the globe.
Join the filmmakers and Harvard historians featured in the film, including Annette Gordon-Reed, Philip Deloria, and Vincent Brown, for a wide-ranging conversation about America at 250. The discussion will explore how the Revolution transformed ideas of government, liberty, freedom, and democracy—and how those ideas continue to shape national and global debates today.
Registration (required for in-person attendance):
https://1776.history.fas.harvard.edu/

Author Book Talk Eric Jay Dolin, Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution (W.W. Norton, 2022)
2026-03-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Program, North Washington Square 19 1/2, Salem, MA, 01970, United States
About the Author: Eric Jay Dolin is the author of seventeen books, including Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America; A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America’s Hurricanes; Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates; and Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution. His forthcoming book (June 2, 2026), is The Wreck of the Mentor: A True Story of Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of Sail. Dolin’s books have won many awards including the John Lyman Award for U.S. Maritime History; Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award; National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Excellence in American History Book Award for Adult Nonfiction; Samuel Eliot Morison Book Award for Naval Literature; L. Byrne Waterman Book Award for Outstanding Contributions to Research and Pedagogy in the Arts, Humanities, and Sciences; James P. Hanlan Book Award; and the Outdoor Writers Association of America Book Award. Many of his books have been chosen as “must reads” by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. Other honors include being chosen as a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, and as one of the best books of the year by The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, the Library Journal, and Booklist. Dolin lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts, with his family. For more information, please see www.ericjaydolin.com.
About the Book: The best-selling author of Black Flags, Blue Waters reclaims the daring freelance sailors who proved essential to the winning of the Revolutionary War in Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution. The heroic story of the founding of the U.S. Navy during the Revolution has been told before, yet missing from most maritime histories of America’s first war is the ragtag fleet of private vessels, from 20-foot whaleboats to 40-cannon men-of-war, that truly revealed the new nation’s character―above all, its ambition and entrepreneurial ethos. In Rebels at Sea, Dolin corrects that significant omission, and contends that privateers, though often seen as profiteers at best and pirates at worst, were in fact critical to the Revolution’s outcome. Armed with cannons, swivel guns, muskets, and pikes―as well as government documents granting them the right to seize enemy ships―thousands of privateers tormented the British on the broad Atlantic and in bays and harbors on both sides of the ocean. Abounding with tales of daring maneuvers and deadly encounters, Rebels at Sea presents the American Revolution as we have rarely seen it before.
Winner of the Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award | A Massachusetts Center for the Book “Must-Read” | Finalist for the New England Society Book Award | Finalist for the Boston Authors Club Julia Ward Howe Book Award

Remembering the Revolution — The Siege of Boston
2026-03-26 14:45 - 18:00 | Fong Auditorium, Boylston Hall, Harvard University, Kirkland Street 2, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026
Time: 2:45–6:00 p.m. (doors open at 2:30 p.m.)
Location: Harvard University, Boylston Hall, Fong Auditorium
Harvard Yard, Cambridge, MA 02138
Cost: Free and open to the public; advance registration required for in-person attendance
This afternoon mini-symposium examines the Siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776) and considers how the Revolution has been preserved, interpreted, and remembered through documents, objects, scholarship, and public memory.
Panel One (3:00–4:05 p.m.)
“Hands On the Revolution: Documents, Objects, and Methods”
Scholars and public historians from the American Antiquarian Society, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and The Royall House & Slave Quarters discuss how original records and artifacts shape our understanding of the Revolutionary era.
Speakers:
Scott Casper (American Antiquarian Society)
Sara Martin (Massachusetts Historical Society)
Kyera Singleton (The Royall House & Slave Quarters)
Panel Two (4:15–5:55 p.m.)
“The Decisive Day is Come”: Boston on the Brink of Siege
Inspired by Abigail Adams’s 1775 letter describing “the decisive Day…on which the fate of America depends,” this panel explores Boston during the early months of war, with attention to urban life, political upheaval, and Indigenous and Black experiences.
Speakers:
Benjamin Carp (CUNY Graduate Center)
Brendan McConville (Boston University)
Jacqueline Jones (University of Texas at Austin, Emerita)
Cedric Woods (University of Massachusetts Boston)
Reception
6:00–7:00 p.m.
Robinson Hall, Harvard Yard, Cambridge, MA 02138
Registration (required for in-person attendance):
https://1776.history.fas.harvard.edu/

The Battle of Falmouth
2026-03-26 16:00 - 17:30 | Falmouth Museums on the Green, Palmer Avenue 55, Falmouth, MA, 02540, United States
The Battle of Falmouth—An important Revolutionary War encounter between the Colonial Militia and British Troops occurred in April of 1779 in our town of Falmouth, Massachusetts. Faced with imminent attack by British troops and the threat of the town being burned, the local Militia stepped up in a fascinating series of events and saved the Town. The amusing story of the gravestone “saga” of a Falmouth Revolutionary Veteran who was in the battle, buried in the Old Burying Ground, will be included.
Presented in memory of John F. Swope (1938-2025), lifelong Falmouth summer resident and lover of history.
Tickets: $10 Museums on the Green members, $20 non-member, or donation-based ticket
David S. Martin, Ph.D. bio:
David S. Martin, Ph.D., is Professor/Dean Emeritus from Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, the world’s only university for deaf students. Previously a teacher, school administrator, and curriculum developer, he holds a B.A. from Yale, an Ed.M. from Harvard, the Certificate of Advanced Study from Harvard, and a Ph.D. from Boston College.
In retirement, he is President of the Marstons Mills (Cape Cod) Historical Society, Treasurer of the Yale Club of Cape Cod, and active in the leadership of the Cape Cod Genealogical Society. He teaches part-time in the Master’s Program in Critical and Creative Thinking at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. He and his wife Susan reside in Marstons Mills.

Daughters of the American Revolution & celebrate a Local Heroine
2026-03-26 18:30 - 20:30 | Upton Community Center, 9 Milford St, Upton, Upton, 01568, United States
Join us Thursday, March 26th @ 6:30PM at the Upton Community Center to honor
Daughters of the American Revolution & celebrate a local heroine. In honor of our Nation’s 250th anniversary, we will be hosting a special presentation on the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) by Millie Williams, President of the Deborah Wheelock Chapter.
A highlight of the evening will be the tribute to Polly Dean Bradish, an Upton abolitionist recognized for her courageous role in the Underground Railroad. Bradish, who risked her life to harbor fugitive slaves in Upton, exemplifies the spirit of bravery and compassion that the DAR seeks to honor. We will remember Polly Dean Bradish not just as a figure of history but as a beacon of hope and humanity. Attendees are sure to be moved by the stories of Bradish’s selflessness and the impact of her actions on those seeking freedom.
Participants are expected to leave with a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices of past generations and a renewed commitment to preserving their legacy. The event will remind attendees that the stories of individuals like Polly Dean Bradish continue to inspire and shape the future. Let us never forget the sacrifice of life from the Revolutionary War to present day that gave us our freedom.

Closing a Port Uniting a Resistence
2026-03-27 08:00 - 17:00 | 74 Pond Street Braintree, MA O2184, Pond Street 74, Braintree, MA, 02184, United States
Georgetown University History Professor will provide a public lecture on how the closure of the port of Boston by the British would unite the colonies in resisting the crown.

Remember the Ladies 250
2026-03-28 - 2026-03-29 | Adams National Historical Park Visitor Center, Hancock Street 1250, Quincy, Massachusetts, 02169, United States
Join Adams National Historical Park Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29 for a premier 250th anniversary event commemorating the American Revolution experiences of Abigail Adams and the legacy of her famous “Remember the Ladies” letter to John Adams.

Revolutionary Newton
2026-03-28 10:00 - 16:00 | Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds, 286 Waverley Avenue, Newton, 02458, United States
Historic Newton celebrates the 250th anniversary of the founding of America! Join us on Saturday, March 28th from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM and explore what life was like in the Revolutionary era. Engage with reenactors, drink Patriot and Loyalist tea, do hands-on crafts, participate in a scavenger hunt, and more! You’ll be truly immersed in 18th-century New England at one of Newton’s oldest houses. Located at the Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds, 286 Waverley Ave, Newton, MA. Free and open to the public. Fun for the whole family!

Printing Revolution Lecture with Andy Volpe
2026-03-28 13:00 - 14:00 | Museum of Printing, 15 Thornton Ave, Haverhill, MA, 01832, United States
Join us at the Museum of Printing for Andy Volpe’s “Printing Revolution” lecture —press freedom and colonial resistance before Independence.
Andy Volpe’s “Printing Revolution” presentation, takes a look not only at the printing press and printing technology being considered “revolutionary”, but also looking at what was printed.
Including the idea of Freedom of the Press, laws and acts passed to control the press, and the rebellious printing done against those laws, with an emphasis in the American Colonies leading up to the Declaration of Independence.
Andy will have several examples and replicas of documents on display after the presentation.Program is apx. 1 hour, and is free with Museum admission.

“Spinning Toward Revolution: Growing Flax & Processing Linen in New England, 1765-1776”
2026-03-28 13:00 - 14:30 | Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA, 02421, United States
On Saturday, March 28, Dr. Kimberly Alexander, Director of Museum Studies and Senior Lecturer in the History Department of the University of New Hampshire, will speak about women’s textile production and political protest in the 18th century. She will present her research and show tactile components of flax production from her work with the UNH Flax to Linen project.
After Dr. Alexander’s talk, learn more about the 1769 Lexington spinning protest in our exhibition, Protest & Promise: The American Revolution in Lexington. This program is co-hosted by the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library and LexSeeHer for Women’s History Month.

Redware and the Revolution!
2026-03-28 14:00 - 16:30 | Smith Barn, 38 Felton St., Peabody, MA, 01960, United States
Family day to celebrate local pottery history: Redware pottery demonstration, author talk, pinch pot activity, and tour of the museum’s collections! Peabody was at the heart of the Colonial red earthenware industry roughly between 1770-1850. Potters from around New England used to come here to train and to source the high quality clay from the North River. “Danvers-ware” and “Danvers China” are just some of the names associated with this region’s pottery heritage. Join redware potter Rick Hamelin and archaeologist Justin Thomas on this fun and informative afternoon!
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Rick Hamelin will present a pottery demonstration along with a discussion of specific potters from our Revolutionary War history. | Smith Barn Carriage Room
3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Rick will facilitate a pinch pot activity open to all ages at the cost of $1. ATM on-site. | Smith Barn Carriage Room
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Justin Thomas, an archaeologist, will be doing an author talk on his forthcoming book on Peabody pottery, and will provide a guided tour of our collection of redware pottery. | Nathaniel Felton Jr. House

Eric Jay Dolin presents Rebels at Sea : Privateering in the American Revolution
2026-03-29 14:00 - 15:00 | Cultural Center of Cape Cod, Old Main Street 307, Yarmouth, MA, 02664, United States
Eric Jay Dolin is the award-winning best-selling author of fifteen books, including one with the same title as his talk. He will discuss the critical role of “the ragtag fleet of private vessels” that “tormented the British on the broad Atlantic and in bays and harbors on both sides of the ocean” in determining the outcome of the American Revolution.

Founding Women: Ideas of Independence
2026-03-30 18:00 - 19:00 | Massachusetts Historical Society, Boylston Street 1154, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
This is a hybrid event. FREE for MHS Members. $10 per person fee (in person). No charge for virtual attendees or Card to Culture participants (EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare). The in-person reception starts at 5:30 and the program will begin 6:00 PM.
Please visit here to register: https://www.masshist.org/events/founding-women
From letters to plays and poetry to history, Mercy Otis Warren, Abigail Adams, and Phillis Wheatley communicated ideas about revolution, independence, and freedom. They engaged leading political figures, family members, and peers in conversations about women’s rights, slavery, and the future of American government. Join us to discover how Warren, Adams, and Wheatley wrote their way through the American Revolution and beyond.

Washington Remembered, Washington Forgotten: Washington and Slavery
2026-03-30 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.
Explore how Americans have remembered and forgotten Washington’s involvement with slavery over the past 250 years, featuring:
-Kelli Racine Barnes, ACE Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow
-John Garrison Marks, author of Thy Will Be Done: George Washington’s Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory (forthcoming) and Vice President of Research and Engagement at the American Association for State and Local History
-Kyera Singleton, Executive Director of the Royall House & Slave Quarters and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Tufts University Center for the Humanities

Revolutionary Legacies: Exhibition Opening
2026-04-01 | Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Turnpike, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
The last of three 250th special exhibitions at the Concord Museum, Revolutionary Legacies will trace how Concord’s role in the Revolution has been remembered over time and how it has been taken up as a national symbol. The exhibition will explore the history of past commemorations in Concord, the creation of national myths and legends around the war and its earliest battles, and the different meanings the Revolution has held at various moments in the nation’s history. Featured objects and stories will include ceramics, textiles, and relics saved during the early 19th century, including celebrations of the visit of the Marquis de Lafayette in 1824 and calls to preserve the legacy of the Revolution; historic clothing, ephemera, and other objects connected to commemorations in 1875 and 1925, at crucial moments for ideas about national unity, race, and citizenship; and the use of symbolic figures such as the Minuteman and Paul Revere in national propaganda throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, including advertisements for war bonds during World War II and the naming of the “Minuteman Missile” during the Cold War. Coinciding with the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, Revolutionary Legacies presents a critical reflection on how the nation’s founding principles have been continuously reinterpreted over the past 250 years and invites visitors to consider what they mean today.

Abigail Adams & 18th-Century Clothing Talk
2026-04-01 18:30 - 20:00 | Buttonwoods Museum, Water Street 240, Haverhill, MA, 01830, United States
Join us as we welcome Sarah Walsh back to Buttonwoods on Wednesday, April 1st at 6:30pm to give a talk about Abigail Adams and 18th-century clothing. We will serve punch made from a period recipe and very light snacks.
Tickets will be $30* and all proceeds will go towards funding our upcoming “Stitching History Together” exhibit and dressmaking demonstration scheduled for July. An original gown worn by Abigail Adams will come out of storage for this event, but it will not be mounted due to its fragile state. This is a great opportunity to check out a special, rarely displayed, artifact!
*you may pay with either cash or card. Pay what you can, no one will be turned away for lack of funds

Marblehead 250: Revolutionary Near Miss
2026-04-01 19:00 - 20:30 | Abbot Public Library, 235 Pleasant Street, Marblehead, MA, 01945, Pleasant Street 235, Marblehead, Massachusetts, 01945, United States
In this first of eleven free illustrated talks offered by the Marblehead 250 Committee and Marblehead’s Abbot Public Library in 2026, the United States’ 250th year, see and hear the fascinating story of how the first shots of the American Revolution were almost fired in Marblehead or Salem on a cold Sunday in February 1775, when nearly 250 British soldiers “marched through the town” and on to Salem’s North Bridge, instead of in Lexington and at Concord’s North Bridge less than two months later, on April 19. That infamous ”first battle” could easily have happened here or in Salem, with loss of Marblehead lives and more instead. And that near-miss episode could have made Marblehead and Salem instead of Lexington and Concord “Ground Zero” for the seven long years of war that followed.
Judy Anderson is an independent social, cultural and architectural historian who worked at the Marblehead Museum for 16 years, as the organization’s first administrative director in 1994 and the only specified curator of the Jeremiah Lee Mansion from 2001-2010.
This event is presented in collaboration with the Marblehead 250 Committee and Abbot Public Library.

Newburyport's Road to Independence IV: American Rebels: Hancock, Quincy, Adams
2026-04-03 19:00 - 20:30 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 166 High Street, Newburyport, MA, 01950, United States
American Rebels: The Hancock, Adams, and Quincy Families Fanned the Flames of Revolution…in Newburyport and Beyond.
Newburyport’s Offin Boardman carried secret letters for John Adams, who argued court cases in Newburyport. The USS Hancock was built in Newburyport in 1776, and all three families were linked by ties of blood and friendship to this community. Join Nina Sankovitch, author of American Rebels: How the Hancock, Adams, and Quincy Families Fanned the Flames of Revolution to explore the the efforts of these leading New England families to foment support for the American Revolution in the decade leading up to the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The fight for independence never would have succeeded if New Englanders, across class lines and from all backgrounds, had not joined the fight. John Hancock, John Adams, Abigail Adams, and Josiah Quincy were instrumental in bringing together disparate groups and igniting a shared ambition for liberty from English oppression. Using words (in speeches and letters) and actions (court cases, acts of civil disobedience, espionage, community outreach), they rallied colonists to betray their King and Parliament as a necessary and God-ordained duty to themselves, their neighbors, and their country. With the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the shared fight became a covenant, and the rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, the promise of independence. On the 250th anniversary of our nation, we celebrate that covenant, that promise, and the men and women who made it all possible.
Funded in part by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.

Revolutionary Run
2026-04-04 12:00 - 2026-04-11 12:00 | Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA, 02421, United States
In April 2026, Patrick Atkinson, a Scottish Rite Freemason from Delaware, will lace up his running shoes and set out on a monumental journey, running from Wilmington, Delaware, to Lexington, Massachusetts. This isn’t just a physical test of endurance. It’s a fundraiser to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, and a tribute to the role many Freemasons played in the American Revolution, 250 years ago.
Patrick, an experienced long-distance runner, will run 333 miles over 8 days. His route will take him through many areas that witnessed historic events during the American Revolution. Patrick is undertaking this extraordinary journey, running 50-60 miles a day, to raise awareness about the museum, to mark the events surrounding the founding of the United States and—most importantly—to connect with people, history, and Freemasons along the way.
Patrick will end his journey by running through historic downtown Lexington and arriving at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library at 12 PM on April 11.

Financing the American Revolution: Supplies, Wages & Commerce
2026-04-06 18:00 - 19:00 | Massachusetts Historical Society, Boylston Street 1154, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
Join us as Jeffrey M. Griffith and Hannah Farber, in conversation with Ann Marsh Daly, explore the financing of the American Revolution and the creation and implementation of economic systems in the new nation. During the war, economies in Massachusetts and across the Atlantic were impacted by American boycotts, loans, and the cost of war efforts. Individuals like John Hancock were instrumental in supplying troops with materials and weapons that contributed to the Revolution’s success. Changes and connections forged during the Revolution began to lay foundations for the financial structures created afterwards, whose influences still underpin the US economy.
This is a hybrid event. FREE for MHS Members. $10 per person fee (in person). No charge for virtual attendees or Card to Culture participants (EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare). The in-person reception starts at 5:30 and the program will begin 6:00 PM.
Please visit here to register: https://www.masshist.org/events/financing-the-american-revolution

American Revolutionaries: George Washington, American Icon
2026-04-08 12:00 - 13:00 | Clark Art Institute, 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA, 01267, United States
American Revolutionaries is a series of gallery talks given by members of the curatorial team in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. Each talk highlights artworks from the Burrows Gallery of American Decorative Arts, including silver from the Henry Morris and Elizabeth H. Burrows collection, which came to the Clark from an anonymous loan to celebrate the Bicentennial of the United States in 1976.
The second talk in the series, led by Oliver Hess, curatorial intern and graduate student in the Williams College/Clark Graduate Program in the History of Art (Class of 2027), traces the public’s fascination with George Washington’s likeness, from formal portraits made during his life to the explosion of mourning imagery after his death. In looking at paintings, print culture, and funerary porcelain, among other objects, Hess reveals how a new nation’s unified grief and patriotic fervor created a market for an early American icon.
Image: Gilbert Stuart, George Washington (detail), 1796–1803, oil on canvas. The Clark, 1955.16

Captain Michael Corbett and the Pitt Packet Incident in 1769
2026-04-08 19:00 - 20:30 | Abbot Public Library, 235 Pleasant Street, Marblehead, 01945, United States
Early revolutionary resistance!
Hear the dramatic tale of Michael Corbett and his Marblehead shipmates who resisted British tyranny at sea on King Hooper’s merchant ship, the Pitt Packet – named after a British prime minister who was sympathetic to Americans’ grievances – a full year before the 1770 Boston “Massacre” and six years before the Revolutionary War’s first battle in 1775. After the mariners killed a British officer who was trying to impress them into British Navy service, they were brought to trial in Boston but were successfully acquitted by a young unknown lawyer named John Adams. That case launched Adams into professional and political prominence, which grew after Adams successfully defended some British officers a year later, after the so-called “Boston Massacre” on March 5 in 1770. In 1775, Corbett and most of the others would become ship’s masters on privateer vessels –– a role that caused most of the deaths of Marblehead’s men in the Revolution, including Corbett’s.
Donald Doliber was appointed as Marblehead’s Town Historian after 24 years as an award-winning history teacher, who was selected as the “Outstanding American History Teacher in the United States” by the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.), followed by 17 years as an assistant high school principal. His ancestors arrived in Marblehead in the 1630s, and were fishermen, selectmen, and merchants in the early community and later, and a few served in the Revolutionary War.
This event is presented in collaboration with the Marblehead 250 Committee and Abbot Public Library.
This program is funded in part by a grant from the Marblehead Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

(Bitter) Sweet History: Exploring 18th Century Chocolate from Bean to Beverage ​ with Michele Gabrielson
2026-04-09 18:00 - 19:00 | Andover Center for History and Culture, 97 Main Street, Andover, MA, 01810, United States
Join award winning historian and educator Michele Gabrielson for a delectable journey through taste, tradition, and transformation in the world of 18th-century chocolate. This interactive program explores the fascinating history of chocolate during the 18th century, a pivotal time when this once-exclusive beverage became a beloved delicacy across the world. We will examine the origins of chocolate, tracing its journey from Mesoamerica to its introduction in Spain and subsequent spread across the continent and back to the American colonies. The program concludes by sampling chocolate that would have been enjoyed by colonists!
Thursday, April 9, 6:00-7:00pm
at the History Center, 97 Main Street, Andover
To Register: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/bittersweet-history-exploring-18th-century-chocolate-from-bean-to-beverage

Patriotic PEEPS Diorama Contest
2026-04-10 09:30 - 2026-05-09 16:00 | Hamilton-Wenham Public Library, 14 Union Street, South Hamilton, 01982, United States
Diorama Drop-Off: April 10-18
Public Voting: April 21 – May 9
Create a patriotic PEEPS scene in celebration of the Revolutionary Library Crawl and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence!
A diorama is a miniature model with three-dimensional figures. Create a diorama that depicts a scene from the past 250 years of America. You are not limited to the Revolution, so feel free to get creative with exploring highlights from US history.
Guidelines:
– One entry per person or team.
– Entries must be submitted with entry form.
– All characters should be portrayed by PEEPS.
– Dioramas must be made in a standard shoe box, maximum dimensions 14″x10″.
– All entries must be family-friendly, in good taste, and of solid construction.
– Please give your diorama a title that describes the scene portrayed.
– Dioramas must be dropped off at the Circulation Desk April 10-April 18. Late entries will not be accepted.
– Dioramas must be picked up by May 15. Projects left after this date will be disposed.
PEEPS will be on display and open for voting during the Revolutionary Library Crawl, April 21 – May 9. One winner from each entry category will be selected to receive a prize.
Entry form available here:
https://hwlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Patriotic-Peeps-Diaorama-Contest.pdf
Information on the Revolutionary Library Crawl available here:
https://hwlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Revolutionary-Library-Crawl-Passport.pdf

For Love! For Liberty! A New Musical
2026-04-11 | Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, 33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA, 02421, United States
Step into the winter of 1775–76 and experience the extraordinary true story that helped save the American Revolution. For Love! For Liberty! is a vibrant new musical filled with original songs, dance, and unforgettable historical characters.
Follow the journey of young Boston bookseller Henry (Harry) Knox, who hauled sixty tons of cannon across frozen lakes and mountains to General Washington’s army—an audacious mission that changed the course of history. At the heart of the story is Lucy Knox, who defies her loyalist family, sacrifices her fortune, and sustains Harry’s courage with letters, love, and cake.
Bridging past and present, the story unfolds as middle-school history students work with teachers, grandparents, and the National Park Service to bring this remarkable moment in American history to life.
📍 Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library
33 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA
Saturday, April 11
4:00 PM & 7:00 PM performances
Bring the whole family for an inspiring theatrical experience celebrating courage, sacrifice, and the power of love and liberty!
✨ History. Music. Revolution. ✨
This production was made possible by MA250 grant from The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism
Story and Lyrics by Vana Nespor and Music by Clifton (Jerry) Noble
Tickets available at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/for-love-for-liberty-a-musical
