MA250

The Road to Revolution: Massachusetts and the Independence Movement
2026-03-13 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-12 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-11 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-10 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-09 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-08 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-07 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.

1776: Declaring Independence
2026-03-13 09:30 - 16:00, 2026-03-12 09:30 - 16:00, 2026-03-11 09:30 - 16:00, 2026-03-10 09:30 - 16:00, 2026-03-09 09:30 - 16:00, 2026-03-07 09:30 - 16:00 | Massachusetts Historical Society, Boylston Street 1154, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
Featuring manuscripts, artifacts, and rarely seen treasures, this exhibition captures a monumental moment in American history.
In 1776, people grappled with ideas of liberty, loyalty, and the role of government in society. Private letters, intimate diaries, and newspaper accounts reveal how the Declaration of Independence grew from draft to founding document. 1776: Declaring Independence spotlights handwritten copies of the Declaration by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson as well as multiple early printings, including a rare Dunlap broadside. On and off the page, we explore how it echoed across the commonwealth and around the world, reshaping the colonists’ chances of launching a new nation. How did the Declaration change Americans’ quest for liberty, then and now? We invite visitors to trace the Declaration’s complex legacy as a national beacon for celebration and protest.
Check here for closures and more admission information: https://www.masshist.org/visit/hours-and-admission

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

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

AudaTours Stoneham Audio Tour: Timeless Tales of Historic Pride and Heritage
2026-03-12 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-03-11 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-03-10 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-03-09 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-03-08 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-03-07 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.

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.

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).

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).

Henry Knox on the Trail: The Dawn of a Nation
2026-03-08 14:30 - 15:30 | Bushnell Sage Library, Main Street 48, Sheffield, Massachusetts, 01257, United States
The event will start with a 20 minute media show by Jonathan Barkan- an excellent overview of Henry Knox’s journey.
The rest of the talk will be an illustrated powerpoint talk about the route Knox and his teamsters followed through the Berkshires on their way to Boston. Total about 45 minutes, followed by a Q&A.
Rob Hoogs is a resident of Monterey and an amateur local historian. He is currently President of the Monterey Historical Society, Chair of the Monterey Historical Commission, and a board member and past president of the Bidwell House Museum. He is also currently Chair of the Board of Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area – “Housatonic Heritage”.
He is fascinated by local history and genealogy, and has written hundreds of articles and given many talks about the history of Monterey and other topics. He is the principal organizer of Monterey’s Knox250 commemoration program and exhibit in January 2026, and one of the five authors of the upcoming book about the Knox Trail through the South Berkshires, Ye Trodden Path.

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!

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

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.

Revolutionary Women Tours
2026-03-07 10:45 - 12:15 | Boston Common, 139 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, 02111, United States
This March, the Freedom Trail® Foundation will honor Women’s History Month with the return of the Revolutionary Women Tours. The tours will help residents and visitors discover the indomitable women who took part in the American Revolution, and the generations of women that followed, inaugurating their own struggles for freedom and equality.
The Freedom Trail Revolutionary Women Tours invites people of all ages to walk the Freedom Trail and explore four centuries of revolutionary women who changed history. These 90-minute tours feature tales of the early religious rebellions of Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer, abolitionist movements of Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman, landmark achievements of Black pioneers Phillis Wheatley and Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, prolific writings of Abigail Adams and Louisa May Alcott, dynamic speeches of Margaret Sanger and Susan B. Anthony, and more. Walk the paths these influential women treaded, while visiting the places where their voices were heard, works published, and were laid to rest.
The tours also feature official Freedom Trail historic sites from the site of the Great Elm on Boston Common, where women paid the ultimate price for refusing to conform to puritanical values, to the Granary Burying Ground, where those who fought fiercely for independence are remembered alongside their revolutionary male counterparts, the Old Corner Bookstore and Old South Meeting House, where women made change through the power of literature and the spoken word. Revolutionary Women Tours culminate at Faneuil Hall, the Cradle of Liberty, which played a prominent role in both the abolitionist and women’s suffrage movements.

Calling All Kids, Patriots And Sailors: Revolutionary Summer Saturdays
2026-03-07 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
