Jan Scanlan presents "We Must Carry On!"
2026-04-23 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Langley-Adams Library, Main Street 185, Groveland, MA, 01834, United States
As we get closer to the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence, learn what our colonial Bradford counterparts would have been doing 250 years ago! Massachusetts has been marking events wherein male revolutionaries dumped tea, stood up to British intrusion, and battled their way through an uncertain future. What of the women and children? How did they carry on while the male population was away (they marched to Cambridge following the alarm from Lexington 4/19/1775)? What activities had to be substituted? How did families support each other and their communities? Were their lives overcome by responsibility or was there time for recreation? This all ages event allows participants to interact with items familiar to those of revolutionary Bradford (as Groveland was until 1850).
Jan is an educator and historical interpreter with the Danvers Alarm List Company, a not-for-profit that recreates the Danvers Militia and Alarm Company that responded to the call out of Lexington, Massachusetts on 19 April 1775. Among these responding members was Rebecca Nurse’s great-grandson Francis; he is buried onsite. Danvers Alarm List Company owns and operates the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, a seventeenth-century house museum honoring the memory of 1692 “witchcraft” victim Rebecca Nurse.
This program is part of the Revolutionary Library Crawl. Information on the Revolutionary Library Crawl available here:
https://hwlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Revolutionary-Library-Crawl-Passport.pdf

Colonial Life with reenactor Jan Scanlan
2026-04-23 13:00 - 14:00 | Langley-Adams Library, Main Street 185, Groveland, MA, 01834, United States
Had you lived here 250 years ago, you would have been in colonial Bradford (Groveland didn’t become its own town until 1850). It was an uncertain time: British troops were occupying Boston. Men were away dealing with this threat. What would your life have been like during this time? This event allows you to experience activities children would have had for work and play. Try on colonial clothes; interact with common household activities; play games.
Jan is an educator and historical interpreter with the Danvers Alarm List Company, a not-for-profit that recreates the Danvers Militia and Alarm Company which responded to the call out of Lexington, Massachusetts on 19 April 1775, though she wants it known that the company only made it as far as Menotomy (Arlington).
This program is part of the Revolutionary Library Crawl. Information on the Revolutionary Library Crawl available here:
https://hwlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Revolutionary-Library-Crawl-Passport.pdf

2026 American Stories, American Lives Gala
2026-04-23 18:00 - 21:30 | Boston Harbor Hotel, Rowes Wharf 70, Boston, MA, 02110, United States
Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, the Signing of Declaration of Independence, and 250 Years of American History!
The American Stories, American Lives Gala celebrates the work of American Ancestors and the contributions of those in the fields of genealogy and history. Our headquarters houses world-class spaces and resources dedicated to advancing family history, including the Brim-DeForest Library, the R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, the Brue Family Learning Center, the 10 Million Names Project, the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center, and our new Family Heritage Experience—a series of dynamic exhibits and interactive displays that introduces visitors to the joys and possibilities of family history.

Revolutionary Legacies: Between the Lines
2026-04-23 19:00 - 20:00 | Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Turnpike, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Poet Bonney Hartley (Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians) presents an original poetry reading created for Revolutionary Legacies. Hartley will share the commissioned poem inspired by Museum objects and discuss her broader work, offering Indigenous perspectives on memory, belonging, and the Revolution’s unfinished promises.
Supported in part by Mass Humanities and Concord250.
Free In-Person and Virtual

Daughter of the Regiment
2026-04-24 19:30 - 22:15, 2026-04-26 15:00 - 17:45 | Emerson Colonial Theatre, Boylston Street 106, Boston, Massachusetts, 02116, United States
Laughter meets revolutionary spirit in BLO’s staging of Donizetti’s glorious comedy. Inspired by the life of Deborah Sampson, the Massachusetts revolutionary who disguised herself as a man to fight for independence, this production transports us to Revolutionary-era Boston, telling a heartfelt tale of love and loyalty to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. With a new English dialogue by Kirsten Greenidge, it’s a patriotic toast to America at 250—and to the rebels who shaped it.
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.

Ride the Revolutionary Line Trolley Tour
2026-04-25 00:00 - 13:30, 2026-04-25 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-04-25 14:00 - 15:30, 2026-04-25 16:00 - 17:30, 2026-04-26 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-04-26 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-04-26 14:00 - 15:30 | Powder House Park, Liberty Avenue 24, Somerville, Massachusetts, 02144, United States
Jump aboard the 90-minute Revolutionary Line Trolley Tour! Travel back to the night of April 18, 1775, and experience the Redcoats’ march to Lexington and Concord, along with the midnight ride of Paul Revere as he warned residents of Somerville, Medford, and beyond of imminent danger.
Hear vivid, hyper-local stories that connect your surroundings to the famous events that ignited the American Revolution. Visit a 1635 gunpowder storage site—later known as the “spark of the Revolution”—and climb a historic tower with sweeping views of the Boston Basin to discover what placed Somerville at the center of the early war.
Along the way, your guide will highlight lesser-known sites, helping you reimagine today’s landscape and discover the stories behind those marked and unmarked places people walk by everyday.
This program is sponsored by an MA250 grant from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism

The Patriot Fife & Drum Duo Concert
2026-04-25 10:30 - 11:30 | Hamilton-Wenham Public Library, 14 Union Street, South Hamilton, 01982, United States
Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution with a fife and drum performance! These instruments served as essential communication, signaling, & morale-boosting tools during the Revolution. Step back in time with this unique musical experience.
All are welcome.

Acton 250 Committee presents: South Acton Walking Tour with Amy Cole
2026-04-25 13:00 - 15:00 | Acton, Ma, Concord Road, Acton, MA, 01720, United States
Professional tour leader Amy Cole grew up near Acton Center and has a wide ranging-interest in Acton’s unique history. Exploring South Acton’s historic Mill Corner provides insight into the area’s earliest colonial settlement and its transformation into a center of industry and commerce. Topics include: the use of natural resources, the importance of Colonel Francis Faulkner and Acton’s West Militia Company, the impact of the railroad, nearby historic buildings, including those owned by the Iron Work Farm, Native American history and more.
The walk is free, but you must register as the walk is limited to 25 people. Register here: https:// //tinyurl.com/Apr25-Acton250 .
You will receive details on parking, and where to meet closer to April 25th.
Please see https://www.actonma.gov/250 for more programming information and don’t forget our Acton250 store at https://tinyurl.com/ACTON250STORE.

A Bedford Assortment
2026-04-26 14:00 - 15:30 | Bedford Old Town Hall, Great Room (3rd Floor), South Road 16, Bedford, Massachusetts, 01730, United States
Vocabulary.com describes an “assortment” as “a bunch of different things all together, whether they’re the same sort or not.”
“For example,” says Society President and Bedford Town Historian Sharon McDonald, “an assortment of chocolates would be a box of cherry-filled, nut, caramel, coconut, and orange crème candies.
Using her engaging story-telling style, McDonald’s “Bedford Assortment” program will be a bunch of assorted snippets from Bedford’s colonial history that may be funny, sad, surprising, or inspiring. She hopes you will say “Bon, bon!”

𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗦 𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗦: 𝗦𝗨𝗗𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗬, 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗦
2026-04-26 16:00 - 18:00 | Fairbank Community Center, Fairbank Road 40, Sudbury, MA, 01776, United States
Join Hassanamisco Nipmuc tribal member
𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱
in a talk about the erasure of Native voices in Sudbury.
Expanding on her research on the Indigenous history of the town during its origins, Jasmine will discuss the impact of colonial hero stories and the birth of newfound nationalism even before the period of the Revolutionary War. Explore the birth of the Commonwealth from an Indigenous lens.
Join us for a presentation followed by Q&A.

Revolution & The Enlightenment Candlelight Concert (Plymouth)
2026-04-26 17:00 | Pilgrim Hall Museum, Court Street 75, Plymouth, Massachusetts, 02360, United States
Hundreds of flickering candles will create a serene ambiance, offering a magical, immersive escape for the evening. America’s rise to independence coincided with Europe’s own awakening in an age of revolution. Mozart was a practicing Freemason and defended the principles of equality and that music should be accessible for all people. Although he depended on aristocratic support, he was a staunch defender of the average citizen. His music took a turn from the Baroque era by featuring beautiful melodies with clean and less adorned lines. Johann Hummel was a student of Mozart and embraced the ideals of clarity, structure, elegant melodies and individual expression. We are pleased to bring these two beautiful works to historic Pilgrim Hall Museum.

How We Remember, What We Preserve: Washington's Legacy at Mount Vernon
2026-04-27 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 the 19th century origins of preservation at Mount Vernon, current conservation work, and the estate’s future, featuring:
-Doug Bradburn, President and CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon and co-founder and editor of the book series, Early American Histories
-Andrea Sahin, Vice Regent for Massachusetts to the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association

Gerard Magliocca on Limitations in Executive Power
2026-04-28 19:00 - 20:00 | Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Turnpike, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Legal scholar Gerard Magliocca explores Justice Robert H. Jackson’s landmark concurring opinion in the Steel Seizure Case, illuminating its enduring framework for presidential power. This forum connects constitutional history to current debates, examining how Jackson’s analysis continues to shape limits on executive authority in times of crisis.
Members Free | $10 Non-Members | Free Virtual

Recapitulating Kurt Russell’s Visit
2026-04-28 19:30 - 20:30 | Arlington Historical Society, Jason Street 7, Arlington, MA, 02476, United States
A panel discussion with the organizers behind Kurt Russell’s visit to Arlington, exploring how the Hollywood actor and descendant of Jason Russell came to rediscover his family’s connection to the Jason Russell House, site of the largest skirmish of the first battle of the American Revolutionary War.

The Civilians Trapped Behind the Boston Siege Lines "I Screamed with All My Might"
2026-04-29 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-04-29 19:00 - 20:00 | Reading Public Library, Middlesex Avenue 64, Reading, Massachusetts, 01867, United States
Join us for the compelling story of the aftermath of the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the hundreds of civilians trapped inside Boston.
Regardless of their political allegiance, these non-combatants faced a daily struggle to secure supplies to support their families, avoid the abuses of His Majesty’s forces and protect their personal and real property from roving bands of thieves. As the siege progressed, the continuous fear of an American attack on the town, combined with bouts of lawlessness, deprivation of civil rights, and disease, led to the collapse of society. While much attention has been given to the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Evacuation of Boston, we’ll take a closer look at the struggles of those trapped behind enemy lines and their efforts to survive.
Alexander Cain, JD, earned his economics degree from Merrimack College in 1993 and obtained his Juris Doctor from the New England School of Law in 1996. He has authored numerous research articles and presentations on the American Revolution, including the Battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill, the Siege of Boston, and the experiences of New England and New York loyalist refugees during the Burgoyne Campaign. In addition, he has published two books: We Stood Our Ground: Lexington in the First Year of the American Revolution and I See Nothing but the Horrors of a Civil War: The Loyalists of McAlpin’s Corps of American Volunteers. He is also the creator of the blog and podcast Historical Nerdery (historicalnerdery.com). Currently, he is in the process of writing his upcoming book, “For God’s Sake Fire!” – The Massachusetts Militia System on the Eve of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which is anticipated to be released in 2027.
Alex currently leads an educational initiative in Northeastern Massachusetts that aims to introduce high school students to careers in advanced manufacturing, construction, and the skilled trades. He resides in Massachusetts with his wife, Paula, and they have two adult children, John and Abigail. The fact that they are named after John and Abigail Adams is purely a coincidence.

Author Book Talk: Dr. Marla R. Miller, Entangled Lives: Labor, Livelihood, and Landscapes of Change in Rural Massachusetts
2026-04-30 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Program, North Washington Square 19 1/2, Salem, MA, 01970, United States
Free, virtual program; registration required
About the Author: Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts and a Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Dr. Marla Miller’s primary research interest is U.S. women’s work before industrialization. Her book The Needle’s Eye: Women and Work in the Age of Revolution was published by the University of Massachusetts Press in August 2006, and won the Costume Society of America’s Millia Davenport Publication Award for the best book in the field for that year. In 2009 she published an edited collection, Cultivating a Past: Essays in the History of Hadley, Massachusetts, also with the University of Massachusetts Press. Her book Betsy Ross and the Making of America  (Holt, 2010)–a scholarly biography of that much-misunderstood early American craftswoman–was a finalist for the Cundill Prize in History at McGill University (the world’s largest non-fiction historical literature prize), and was named to the Washington Post’s “Best of 2010” list. A short biography of Massachusetts gownmaker Rebecca Dickinson appeared in the Westview Press series Lives of American Women in summer 2013. In 2019 she completed a microhistory of women and work in 18th-century New England titled Entangled Lives: Labor, Livelihood, and Landscapes of Change in Rural Massachusetts (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019). In addition to her own scholarship, Professor Miller contributes to her fields of study as an editor.  She has served on the editorial board of the Public Historian as well as the Journal of the Early Republic, and currently serves on the board of the New England Quarterly.  Dr. Miller is also the founding editor of the prizewinning UMass Press series Public History in Historical Perspective.
About the Book: What was women’s work truly like in late eighteenth-century America, and what does it tell us about the gendered social relations of labor in the early republic? In Entangled Lives, Marla R. Miller examines the lives of Anglo-, African, and Native American women in one rural New England community—Hadley, Massachusetts—during the town’s slow transformation following the Revolutionary War. Peering into the homes, taverns, and farmyards of Hadley, Miller offers readers an intimate history of the working lives of these women and their vital role in the local economy. Miller, a longtime resident of Hadley, follows a handful of eighteenth-century women working in a variety of occupations: domestic service, cloth making, health and healing, and hospitality. She asks about the social openings and opportunities this work created—and the limitations it placed on ordinary lives. Her compelling stories about women’s everyday work, grounded in the material culture, built environment, and landscapes of rural western Massachusetts, reveal the larger economic networks in which Hadley operated and the subtle shifts that accompanied the emergence of the middle class in that rural community. Ultimately, this book shows how work differentiated not only men and woman but also race and class as Miller follows young, mostly white women working in domestic service, African American women negotiating labor in enslavement and freedom, and women of the rural gentry acting as both producers and employers. Engagingly written and featuring fascinating characters, the book deftly takes us inside a society and shows us how it functions. Offering an intervention into larger conversations about local history, microhistory, and historical scholarship, Entangled Lives is a revealing journey through early America.

In Support of the Army: How the Massachusetts Housewives supported the Continental Troops
2026-04-30 18:30 - 19:30 | Bigelow Free Public Library, 54 Walnut St, Clinton, MA, 01510, United States
It is often said that the army marches on its stomach and it’s just as true during the 18th century as it is today. But how was the army supplied with that food? How was it cooked/processed? And what ways did the food that housewives cooked/processed/preserved in their homes support the Continental Army as it grew from local militia groups at the Battle of Bunker Hill to a full army under General George Washington?
Foodways historian Stacy Booth will discuss not only how the housewives of Massachusetts provisioned the army in the early years of the Revolutionary War but also how they used food and cooking as ways to protest taxation and the political policies that fanned the flames of a revolution.
Biography
Stacy Booth is a foodways historian with almost 20 years of experience reenacting and presenting to the public. She specializes in 17th and 18th century New England foodways presentations and cooking demonstrations.
She also runs her business, Forgotten Recipes (forgotten-recipes.com), where she has presented, cooked at or set up displays for libraries, museums and historic houses for the past six years.

Return to 1775 - Book Talk with author Peter Abair
2026-04-30 18:30 - 19:30 | Berkshire Athenaeum, Wendell Avenue 1, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 01201, United States
For lovers of history and great storytelling, this event will take you to the outbreak of the American Revolution in April of 1775. What compelled the British government to send troops to Massachusetts? What drove the people of Massachusetts to rise against London’s authority? What would you do if the alarm bells were sounding in your rural village outside of Boston, early in the morning on April 19, 1775? Pittsfield native and author, Pete Abair, will present the historical context leading to the outbreak of the American Revolution, and also connect you to the decisive moments for the historical and fictional characters in his historical novel, Each Hath a Hand: A Rebellion at Dawn, 1775. You’ll enjoy this event that includes great visuals and vivid storytelling. Get to know people, who were much like you, at the moment of crisis and decision as the British march on your community. History comes alive.

Revolutionary Legacies Student Gallery Talk
2026-05-01 11:30 - 17:00 | Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Turnpike, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Join the student artists featured in the new special exhibition Revolutionary Legacies, along with Curator David Wood and Curator and Director of Exhibitions Christie Jackson, for a gallery talk at 11:30 am on May 1.
Free with Museum admission. Members visit free.

Gallery Talk: From Yorktown to the Hotel d’York
2026-05-01 13:00 - 14:00 | Massachusetts Historical Society, Boylston Street 1154, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
Join Sara Georgini, Series Editor, Papers of John Adams, for a gallery talk on the exhibition From Yorktown to the Hotel d’York: Winning Peace. 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-may-1-2026

Yarmouth in Revolution | Revolutionary Insights: A Cape & Islands Roundtable
2026-05-01 13:00 - 14:00 | Yarmouth Senior Center, 528 Forest Rd, West Yarmouth, 02673, United States
The Historical Society of Old Yarmouth and the Yarmouth Senior Center invite you to meet five leading historians and authors from the Cape and Islands Historians Committee, for a lively roundtable discussion, based on their recent book, “The Revolutionary War on Cape Cod and the Islands.” Moderated by Steven Flack (Co-Chair HSOY Programs), we’ll explore lesser-known events, individuals, and ongoing research covering 1760–1781—including Yarmouth’s role in the Revolution. Featuring Ron Petersen, Jack Duggan, Nancy Shoemaker, Karen Fojt and David Martin. Join them for a fascinating look at the Revolution—right here where it happened. Anyone may attend, please register by calling 508-394-7606 X 1330.

Lee Thomas presents the American Revolutionary War
2026-05-01 14:00 - 15:00 | Langley-Adams Library, Main Street 185, Groveland, MA, 01834, United States
Local historian Lee Thomas provides an overview of the events that brought the colonies to declare independence from the mother country as well as the struggle to break away.
This program is part of the Revolutionary Library Crawl. Information on the Revolutionary Library Crawl available here:
https://hwlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Revolutionary-Library-Crawl-Passport.pdf
