MA250

The Night Everything Changed ... Yarmouth at the Heights
2026-03-14 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Thacher Hall, Main Street 266, Yarmouth, MA, 02675, United States
One of the most strategic and decisive victories of the Revolutionary War, the bold action of Patriots (including men of Yarmouth) at Dorchester Heights fooled the British navy into ending its siege of Boston, fleeing on March 17, 1776. Come see and hear the stories in an interactive portrayal of “Yarmouth Patriots” who were part of that historic night. This is a free, family friendly event, but seating is limited. Please register.

The Battle of Saratoga: The Glorious Successes of our Arms in the North
2026-03-14 13:00 - 14:00 | Springfield Armory National Historic Site, One Armory Square, Springfield, 01105, United States
On October 17, an entire British army surrendered for the first time in remote upstate New York. Discover how the American Northern Army successfully stopped a British invasion from Canada during the Saratoga Campaign of 1777. Garrett Cloer, Program Manager for Interpretation and Visitor Experience at Saratoga National Historical Park joins us to discuss one of the pivotal moments of the Revolutionary War.

AudaTours Stoneham Audio Tour: Timeless Tales of Historic Pride and Heritage
2026-03-14 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-03-13 12:00 - 14:00, 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 | 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.

Encampment & Open Monument Climb
2026-03-14 11:00 - 14:00 | Dorchester Heights Monument and Grounds, 95R G St, Boston, 02127, United States
Step back in time at Dorchester Heights and experience an American Revolution era artillery encampment brought to life. See authentic cannons up close and learn about the British evacuation of Boston in 1776. This hands-on, family-friendly program offers a vivid look at the technology and teamwork that helped change the course of American history. Visitors will also have the opportunity to climb the newly restored Dorchester Heights Monument for sweeping views of the harbor and city skyline.
Free and open to the public.

The Road to Revolution: Massachusetts and the Independence Movement
2026-03-14 10:00 - 17:00, 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 | 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
2026-03-14 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

St. Patrick’s Day or Evacuation Day or both?
2026-03-14 10:00 - 12:00 | boston marriott long wharf, State Street 296, Boston, Massachusetts, 02109, United States
Please join Mike Manning, South Boston native and amateur military historian, in a discussion of “Evacuation Day” and its 250th anniversary
Join South Boston native and amateur military historian Mike Manning for an engaging, in-person discussion exploring the history and meaning of Evacuation Day alongside St. Patrick’s Day. This educational program covers key topics from the Revolutionary War through the British evacuation of Boston, including the “Noble Train of Artillery,” the British fleet, parley negotiations, and the war’s progression beyond Boston.
The discussion offers a unique chance to reflect on how these two March traditions intersect — from Boston’s 1776 British evacuation to the city’s celebrated Irish heritage — making it a compelling prelude to Evacuation Day and St. Patrick’s Day observances.
Topics include:
1.) A brief history of the Revolutionary War to December, 1775.
2.) A Return to Fort Ticonderoga
3.) The “Noble Train of Artillery”
4.) The British fleet in Boston
5.) The Parley
6.) The Evacuation
7.) The War shifts south to New York and New Jersey

1776: Declaring Independence
2026-03-14 09:30 - 16:00, 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 | 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

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

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

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.
