MA250

The Road to Revolution: Massachusetts and the Independence Movement
2026-02-28 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-27 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-26 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-25 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-24 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-23 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-22 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-21 10:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Old State House, 206 Washington St, Boston, MA, 02109, United States
Explore major Massachusetts events in the first year of the American Revolution at the Old State House, where protest turned into action and the momentum for independence accelerated. Created through a partnership between Revolutionary Spaces and the Massachusetts Historical Society, The Road to Revolution: Massachusetts and the Independence Movement invites visitors to step into 1775 and 1776—a moment defined by uncertainty, debate, and decisions that would reshape the world.

Calling All Kids, Patriots And Sailors: Revolutionary Summer Saturdays
2026-02-28 10:00 - 13:00, 2026-02-21 10:00 - 13:00 | Custom House Maritime Museum, Water Street 25, Newburyport, Massachusetts, 01950, United States
FREE outdoor and indoor activities for kids all summer long
Building on the success of the Road to Revolution partnership programs, each Saturday from now until the end of September, the museum will host children’s outdoor and indoor programming. The hugely successful Discovery Center experience will extend out onto the lawn with 15 new activity stations. Rolling River Printmakers of New England will partner this week with an activity station to make prints. A rideable dolphin and elephant, courtesy of local sculptor Jeff Briggs, along with a bouncy castle, pirate boat with water guns, plus water, sand and craft tables await.
This free program runs from 10 am to 1 pm thanks to generous sponsorship from the Institution for Savings and the Local Cultural Council.
Looking ahead, in September, the museum is pleased to partner with Imagine Studios on a fascinating project to burn and carve out of a pine log and shape into a 20 foot long mishoon (dugout canoe) using traditional methods. Led by Imagine Studios, Darius Coombs of the Mashpee Wampanoag and Jonathan Petty of the Aquinnah Wampanoag will carve over successive weekends. Sponsored by the New England Foundation for the Arts, and with in-kind support from New England Development, the goal is to launch on Indigenous Peoples Day on Oct. 11.
We hope you can join us.–James

AudaTours Stoneham Audio Tour: Timeless Tales of Historic Pride and Heritage
2026-02-27 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-26 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-25 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-24 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-23 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-22 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-02-21 12:00 - 14:00 | Nobility Hill Historic District, Stoneham, Massachusetts, 02180, United States
In Stoneham, the shadows of colonial fires and twentieth-century neon flicker side by side. Few realize how many secrets linger behind these iconic facades.
This self-guided audio tour leads straight through the city’s untold stories. Encounter corners and chapters that even locals walk past, and let carefully crafted tales reveal what hides beneath the ordinary.
Why did a quiet night at the Bernard Cogan House erupt into controversy that changed a neighborhood? Who vanished beneath the glowing beacon of Stoneham’s eerily beautiful gas station? What explains the perfectly preserved pencil marks under the Warren Sweetser House staircase?
Move between centuries as you cross storied main streets and hidden lanes. Each step peels back another layer of rebellion, ambition, and intrigue, letting Stoneham rise up around you as never before.
Tap play and see how deep Stoneham’s shadows can stretch. The secrets are waiting.

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.

Black Women at the Center of Revolution
2026-02-26 19:00 - 20:00 | American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, 01609, United States
As the United States approaches its semiquincentennial, the American Antiquarian Society brings together a panel of distinguished Black women historians to reconsider how the nation defines “revolution” and whose struggles are recognized as revolutionary. Moderated by Deborah Hall, chief executive officer of YWCA Central MA and founder of Worcester Black History Project, the panelists will examine how Black women have demanded freedom through social, political, and legal activism over the past 250 years, from early petitions and collective resistance to organized movements for justice and liberation.
Panelists Patrice R. Green, curator for African American and African diasporic collections at the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America; Kyera Singleton, executive director of the Royall House and Slave Quarters; and Angela T. Tate, chief curator and director of collections at the Museum of African American History, will discuss questions that challenge traditional narratives of revolution. What makes a revolution truly revolutionary? How have Black women’s visions of freedom, rooted in community, care, and collective survival, reshaped the meaning of political change? And why have these revolutionary acts so often been erased, minimized, or reframed to fit an American mythology of perseverance without structural transformation?
To attend this free program, in person or virtually, visit americanantiquarian.org.

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.

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.

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

Hingham’s Black Revolutionaries
2026-02-22 15:00 - 16:30 | Hingham Heritage Museum, Main Street 34, Hingham, MA, 02043, United States
How did Hingham’s free and enslaved Black population experience the American Revolution? Join local historian Paula Bagger as she unpacks previously untold stories of service both on the battlefield and the home front.
Paula Bagger is a premier historian of Hingham history. In 2024, she was honored with the Judith Kimball Award in recognition of her decade of service to the Society, including groundbreaking research on artist Prince Demah, people of color in Hingham, and, most recently, Hingham’s 1776 census return. Paula’s volunteer service with the Society began in 2007, and she has served in numerous capacities, including a five-year term as its President. In addition to her work with the Society, Paula is employed as an attorney, arbitrator, and mediator, with a specialty in business and commercial disputes. Paula earned an A.B. degree in history from Harvard University and a J.D. degree from the University of Chicago Law School.

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

African American Patriots® Tour
2026-02-22 10:45 - 12:30, 2026-02-21 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
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.

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

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.

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
