The Road to Revolution: Massachusetts and the Independence Movement
2026-06-21 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-22 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-23 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-24 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.

America at 250 at the MFA
2026-06-21 10:00 - 2027-07-04 17:00 | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
A silver bowl. 17-foot-wide painted room divider. A charismatic silversmith considering his craft. A towering mahogany desk and bookcase. Certain paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, and works on paper from the MFA’s Art of the Americas art collection, along with the artists who created them, played a pivotal role in shaping the early history of the United States. Today, as we approach 250 years since the country’s founding, they likewise have a unique ability to recount and reflect that history while also inviting us to reconsider it.
Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of American Independence, the MFA is reimagining its 18th-century galleries on level one of the Art of the Americas Wing for the first time since they opened in 2010. The new display, which opens in June 2026, brings together works from across the Americas—integrating Native and non-native, North, South, and Central American, and Caribbean art—and explores how artists have contributed to, or in some cases resisted, ideas of nationhood and identity. Visitors can immerse themselves in a range of stories and experiences, discovering the interconnectedness of the Americas and its history, institutions, and people.
Gilbert Stuart’s unfinished portrait of George Washington (1796)—the foundational image of the nation’s first president in the public imagination—offers viewers a prescient reminder that democracy is constant work in progress. An early piece of American protest art, Paul Revere’s Sons of Liberty Bowl (1768) honors a group of Massachusetts rebels who paved the way for the Revolution. A ceramic jar (1857) by the enslaved potter and poet David Drake exemplifies literacy as an act of resistance in the decades before the Civil War. Thomas Sully drew on artistic traditions of heroism for The Passage of the Delaware (1819), which portrays George Washington in a dramatic scene of bravery. Meanwhile, a recently acquired work by Alan Michelson, a Mohawk member of Six Nations of the Grand River, offers a contemporary critique of Washington, who was known to the Mohawk Nation as “Town Destroyer.” These and the many other works on view reveal a past in dialogue with the present and propose endless possibilities for assessing history as we look ahead to the future.

Freedom Trail Foundation Rainbow Revolutionaries Tour
2026-06-21 10:45 - 12:15 | Robert Gould Shaw & 54th Regiment Monument], Tremont Street 139, Boston, Massachusetts, 02111, United States
Boston’s newest official Freedom Trail Tour! The Foundation’s Rainbow Revolutionaries Tours illuminate the lives, loves, and fights for liberty of Boston’s LGBTQ+ community, and explore how queer individuals have been making history for centuries. Uncover the history of Boston Marriages, political milestones for LGBTQ+ rights, and the storied romances of some of Boston’s most famous individuals, from literary giants to a world-renowned actress, and even a Revolutionary war hero. Join in to bring this history to life and celebrate Pride by discovering the achievements of the people who have always been a part of and have helped shape Boston.
PLEASE NOTE: The tour features sites in Beacon Hill, where bricked sidewalks and hills can be difficult to traverse while using mobility aids.

Old Andover History Shuttle Bus Tour
2026-06-21 11:00 - 12:45, 2026-06-21 13:00 - 14:45 | Andover and North Andover, Massachusetts, United States
Join us for another bus tour adventure visiting the old and Rev War era homes of North Andover and Andover! Step inside the North Andover Samuel Osgood home and take a short stroll on the Ward Reservation Trail behind the Gray house on Salem Street in Andover. Pass by many more homes and learn about the houses and their sometimes famous occupants. Ride in a clean, quiet, comfortable, large windowed rental bus. After coming down Elm Street, the houses and stories in the Andover portion have changed since the last bus tours. What a great Father’s Day gift!
Two times to choose from: 11:00 and 1:00. See registration form
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/the-old-andover-history-shuttle-tour

Revolution History Shuttle Tour of Andover and North Andover
2026-06-21 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-06-21 13:00 - 15:00 | Andover and North Andover, Massachusetts, United States
Join us on Sunday June 21st, 2026 for the Revolutionary History Tour Shuttle, a special collaboration between the North Andover Historical Society and the Andover Center for History and Culture!
Explore historical sites in “old” Andover that stood in 1775 and 1776 and helped to shape our nation’s journey to independence. Our experienced guides will share captivating stories and insights of our local connections to the revolution. Stop at 2 historic houses from the Revolutionary era for a guided tour and refreshments. The tours start at 11am and 1pm, departing from the NAHS Stevens Center (800 Massachusetts Avenue, North Andover) and take approximately 1.5-2 hours each.
Connect with your neighbors and foster a sense of pride in our intertwined past and the aspirations of ordinary people in our towns in 1775 and 1776 who fought for liberty, equality and justice as they marched at the Lexington Alarm from the North Parish meeting house, through Andover and on to Concord and Lexington on 19th April, 1775 and on to the Battle of Bunker Hill. Family friendly.

Brewing Massachusetts: How Beer Shaped the Bay State
2026-06-21 11:30 - 16:30 | Indian House Memorial, Old Main Street 107, Deerfield, MA, 01342, United States
We are proud to introduce our most ambitious exhibit ever, titled “Brewing Massachusetts: How Beer Shaped the Bay State,” made possible by a grant from Massachusetts 250 and the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT). Through rare artifacts, photographs, and documents, this exhibit will tell the story of Massachusetts brewers from the Pilgrims to the present. This exhibit will be held in a rebuilt Revolutionary era tavern and tickets will be $5. Come see it starting May 30th at 107 Old Main Street in Deerfield at the Indian House Memorial.
No state has been more impacted by brewing than Massachusetts. But this story hasn’t been told in one place, until now. “Brewing Massachusetts” will be open during the 250th anniversary of 1776, a landmark nationwide event that will shine a spotlight on American history. We want to incorporate the entire state in our celebration of the History of Brewing, and what better way than to include all of Massachusetts.

AudaTours Stoneham Audio Tour: Timeless Tales of Historic Pride and Heritage
2026-06-21 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-06-22 12:00 - 14:00, 2026-06-23 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.

NO RECOMBINATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION
2026-06-21 14:00 - 14:50, 2026-06-21 19:00 - 19:50 | City Council Chambers Cambridge City Hall, Massachusetts Avenue 795, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, United States
On a hot summer evening in 1976, the Cambridge City Council faced a packed hearing room—and a decision that would echo across the globe.
At the center of it all stood Mayor Al Vellucci: sharp-tongued, fearless, and ready to take on science itself. The issue? A new biohazard lab designed for groundbreaking recombinant DNA research—celebrated by some as the future of science, feared by others as the birthplace of “Frankenstein bacteria.” Nobel Prize–winning scientists, passionate citizens, politicians, and the global press all converged on Cambridge to confront one explosive question: Who gets to decide the boundaries of scientific discovery?
Fifty years later, step back in time with an immersive theatrical experience staged in the very same Cambridge City Hall hearing room where this conversation took place. Relive the tension, the debate, and the moment that turned local politics into a worldwide reckoning and that formed the Kendall Square that we know today.
Stay after the show to engage in thought-provoking conversation about the legacy of the hearing, the power of public oversight, and the future of community-driven science.
No Recombination Without Representation is a partnership between the MIT Museum, Central Square Theater, and the City of Cambridge. Performances will occur at Sullivan Chamber in Cambridge City Hall. All shows are free and open to the public.
This production was made possible through the generous contributions of MIT Museum supporters Phil and Ann Sharp and MIT’s Department of Science, Technology, and Society. This program is part of the MIT Museum’s year-long exploration of TIME and is part of the Massachusetts 250 activities celebrating the many “firsts” and innovations created in our state through the last 250 years.

MA250 Film Screening: 1776 at the Adams Theater
2026-06-21 14:30 - 17:00 | The Adams Theater, Adams, MA, Park Street 27, Adams, MA, 01220, United States
Our nation’s fathers harmonize their way through the founding of America in this musical adapted from a popular Broadway show.
Representatives from the 13 colonies gather in Philadelphia with the aim of establishing a set of governmental rules for the burgeoning United States. Benjamin Franklin (Howard da Silva) and John Adams (William Daniels) charge Thomas Jefferson (Ken Howard) with the work of writing a statement announcing the new country’s emancipation from British rule.
1776 earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. It was named one of the Top Ten Films of 1972 by the National Board of Review.
A local historian will speak briefly before the film to lay the historical groundwork for the events depicted in 1776.
Reserve your seat here: https://ci.ovationtix.com/36681/production/1268826?performanceId=11782337
Admission is free. Donations are welcome. Limited to 80 people.

Special Exhibit: Mary Baker Eddy and Her Revolutionary Legacy
2026-06-22, 2026-06-23, 2026-06-24 | How Do You See the World? experience, Massachusetts Avenue 210, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
Learn about the revolutionary ideas and historical legacy of Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910) — one of the only women to found a worldwide religion — in a temporary exhibit this spring and summer at the Christian Science Plaza celebrating MA250: Mary Baker Eddy and Her Revolutionary Legacy.
This free exhibit is part of the interactive How Do You See the World?® experience, exploring the world through a lens of hope, progress, and generosity. Walk through the three-story, stained glass Mapparium® globe (ticketed) that shows the world as it was in 1935 — from the inside of the world, looking out. You can then explore “Our World: Mapping Progress,” an exhibit featuring stories from The Christian Science Monitor, the Pulitzer Prize-winning international news source headquartered in the building. Learn more about Eddy’s remarkable life and the global church she founded in “Christian Science and Mary Baker Eddy.”
This special exhibit will be open through spring and summer 2026 as part of the statewide MA250 celebrations. Tickets for the Mapparium® globe are free for youth under 18, $6 for adults. All other exhibits, including this special exhibit, are free.
Hours of operation:
Monday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Tuesday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
The How Do You See the World?® experience is located at 210 Massachusetts Ave. in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay.
For additional information and to buy tickets to the Mapparium® globe, please visit christianscience.com/howdoyouseetheworld

1776: Declaring Independence
2026-06-22 09:30 - 16:00, 2026-06-23 09:30 - 16:00, 2026-06-24 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

America 250 Outdoor Exhibit: 250 Years of the American Story
2026-06-22 10:00 - 17:00 | Church of the Transfiguration, 5 Bay View Drive, Orleans, MA, 02653, United States
A walk-about tour around the Common of the Church of the Transfiguration, Rock Harbor, Orleans
June 22 to July 12, Mon–Sat (except Wed.) 10am–5pm, and Sunday 11am–12 noon; Free Admission.
Take an outdoor stroll to revisit our history—culture, science, faith, politics, commerce, and constitutional rights—and meet many heroes, known and unknown, along the way who made this nation strong, prosperous, and rooted in Liberty. Info: 508-240-2400 | artsempoweringlife.org

76 Reading Frederick Douglass Together events in 2026
2026-06-23 - 2026-09-12 | Massachusetts
We believe Frederick Douglass’ words belong in public spaces. Every year we provide grants to support readings of his influential address, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” in town squares, community centers, churches, museums, libraries, parks, and more.
This year, we’re proud to share that a record-high 76 readings will take place across the commonwealth in 2026. Reference the list below to find a reading near you.
Saturday, May 30
Grantee: Boston Review of Books
Location: Malden
Time: 2:00 pm
Wednesday, June 3
Grantee: Massachusetts Voter Education Resource Network
Location: Boston, Gourdin Memorial Park
Time: 1:00 pm
Thursday, June 4
Grantee: Elite 413 Foundation
Location: Zoom
Time: 5:00 pm
Thursday, June 11
Grantee: Lowell Community Charter Public School
Location: Lowell Community Charter Public School, Luna Theater
Time: 6:00 pm
Saturday, June 13
Grantee: Together Hyde Park/ The Forum for Racial Equity
Location: Boston
Time: 11:00 am
Sunday, June 14
Grantee: Jookender Community Initiative
Location: Framingham
Time: 10:00 am
Tuesday, June 16
Grantee: Center for Law and Education
Location: Boston
Time: 12:00 pm
Tuesday, June 16
Grantee: Artists for Humanity
Location: Boston
Time: 4:30 pm
Wednesday, June 17
Grantee: Wellfleet Preservation Hall
Location: Wellfleet
Time: 7:00 pm
Wednesday, June 17
Grantee: Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA)
Location: De La Luz Sound Stage, 114 Race St, Holyoke, MA 01040
Time: 5:00 pm
Thursday, June 18
Grantee: Bristol Community College Foundation
Location: Fall River
Time: 4:30 pm
Thursday, June 18
Grantee: Holyoke Media Center
Location: Holyoke
Time: 6:00 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: Medway Marches
Location: Medway
Time: 2:00 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: Westford Museum
Location: Westford
Time: 7:00 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: Recovery Through Innovation
Location: Indian Orchard
Time: 1:00 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: Natick Historical Society
Location: Natick
Time: 10:00 am
Friday, June 19
Grantee: Old Sturbridge Village
Location: Sturbridge
Time: 1:00 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: Brookline for the Culture
Location: Brookline
Time: 12:30 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: City of Salem
Location: Salem
Time: 12:30 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: The Black Response
Location: Cambridge
Time: 1:15 pm
Friday, June 19
Grantee: Black Business Association of Amherst Area
Location: Amherst
Time: 2:30 pm
Saturday, June 20
Grantee: World of Chibuzo
Location: Boston
Time: 6:00 pm
Saturday, June 20
Grantee: Holliston Public Library
Location: Holliston
Time: 10:00 am
Saturday, June 20
Grantee: Engine Room Section/Hyde Park Lions Club
Location: Hyde Park
Time: 1:00 pm
Saturday, June 20
Grantee: The David and Joyce Milne Public Library
Location: Williamstown
Time: 11:00 am
Sunday, June 21
Grantee: Berkshire Community College Foundation
Location: Pittsfield
Time: 12:00 pm
Thursday, June 25
Grantee: Forbes House Museum
Location: Milton
Time: 7:00 pm
Friday, June 26
Grantee: Mass Humanities, Museum of African American History | Boston and Nantucket, and Community Change
Location: Boston Common
Time: 12:00 pm
Friday, June 26
Grantee: NAACP Worcester
Location: Worcester
Time: 12:00 pm
Saturday, June 27
Grantee: Rediscover Mapledale
Location: Stow
Time: 10:30 am
Saturday, June 27
Grantee: Historic Beverly
Location: Beverly
Time: 10:00 am
Saturday, June 27
Grantee: Hawthorne Youth and Community Center
Location: Roxbury
Time: 2:00 pm
Saturday, June 27
Grantee: Bristol Black Collective
Location: Fall River
Time: 12:30 pm
Saturday, June 27
Grantee: Everyday Boston
Location: Boston
Time: TBD
Sunday, June 28
Grantee: The John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum Foundation
Location: Hyannis
Time: 1:00 pm
Tuesday, June 30
Grantee: The Wayland Museum & Historical Society
Location: Wayland
Time: 7:00 pm
Tuesday, June 30
Grantee: Somerville Museum
Location: Somerville
Time: 6:00 pm
Wednesdsay, July 1
Grantee: Greenfield Community Television
Location: Greenfield
Time: 5:00 pm
Wednesdsay, July 1
Grantee: Reading Public Library
Location: Reading
Time: 6:30 pm
Wednesdsay, July 1
Grantee: Haitian Studies Association
Location: Vineyard Haven
Time: 5:00 pm
Thursday, July 2
Grantee: Town of Swampscott & S.U.R.E. Diversity
Location: Swampscott
Time: 4:00 pm
Friday, July 3
Grantee: Northshore Juneteenth Association
Location: Lynn
Time: 11:00 am
Friday, July 3
Grantee: Museum of African American History | Boston and Nantucket
Location: Nantucket
Time: 12:00 pm
Saturday, July 4
Grantee: Wakullah Street Community Garden
Location: Boston
Time: 2:00 pm
Saturday, July 4
Grantee: Drag Story Hour Berkshires
Location: Pittsfield
Time: 1:00 pm
Saturday, July 4
Grantee: Plainfield Reads
Location: Plainfield, Alden Pavilion
Time: 10:00 am
Saturday, July 4
Grantee: Old Parish Preservation Volunteers
Location: Norwood
Time: 2:00 pm
Saturday, July 4
Grantee: Solidarity Arts & Education Decolonial initiatives (SAEDi) Collective
Location: Auburn
Time: 1:00 pm
Saturday, July 4
Grantee: Royall House and Slave Quarters
Location: Medford
Time: TBD
Sunday, July 5
Grantee: Cape Cod Cape Verdean Museum and Cultural Center
Location: East Falmouth
Time: 4:00 pm
Sunday, July 5
Grantee: South Congregational Church
Location: Amherst
Time: 3:00 pm
Sunday, July 5
Grantee: Castle of Our Skins
Location: Roxbury
Time: 3:00 pm
Sunday, July 5
Grantee: Unitarian Universalist Society of Grafton and Upton
Location: Grafton
Time: 5:00 pm
Sunday, July 5
Grantee: Newburyport Preservation Trust
Location: Newburyport
Time: 10:00 am
Sunday, July 5
Grantee: The Poets’ Theatre of Boston
Location: Belmont
Time: 3:00 pm
Monday, July 6
Grantee: Marion Art Center
Location: Marion
Time: 1:00 pm
Wednesday, July 8
Grantee:Multicultural AIDS Coalition
Location: Roxbury
Time: 5:30 pm
Wednesday, July 8
Grantee: Whittier Home Association
Location: Rocky Hill Meeting House, Amesbury
Time: 6:00 pm
Saturday, July 11
Grantee: African American Association of Brockton
Location: Brockton
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Saturday, July 18
Grantee: Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services
Location: Springfield
Time: 5:00 pm
Wednesday, July 22
Grantee: Indian Orchard Citizens Council
Location: Springfield
Time: 2:00 pm
Saturday, September 12
Grantee: Porter-Phelps-Huntington Foundation
Location: Hadley
Time: 2:00 pm
Saturday, September 12
Grantee: Think Outside The Vox
Location: Littleton
Time: TBD

The Aspirations of Ordinary People - Stories of the American Revolution from a local perspective
2026-06-23 08:00 - 14:00, 2026-06-24 08:00 - 14:00 | North Andover Historical Society, 800 Massachusetts Ave., North Andover, 01845, United States
The Andover revolutionaries understood that creating a truly free society would take many generations. Their records and artifacts, preserved at the North Andover Historical Society, are here to remind us that history matters. They depict stories of battles won, hardships endured, hometown and battleground heroes, and the start of a long fight for liberty, equality and justice. Their ideals and aspirations are the standards by which we measure our progress today.
Come discover the amazing stories brought to life at the North Andover Historical Society (NAHS) through REV250, a series of programs and exhibits dedicated to the American Revolution.
The exhibit will be open every week, Tuesday through Saturday, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm Please check the website for more information.

Patriots of Color Exhibition
2026-06-23 10:00 - 18:00 | Family Heritage Experience, Newbury Street 97, Boston, Massachusetts, 02116, United States
Patriots of Color, a new exhibit in the Family Heritage Experience at American Ancestors, sheds light on the overlooked histories of Black, Native, and multiracial men and women who fought, labored, and led in the struggle for American independence across all thirteen colonies. Through documents, personal narratives, and digital interactives, the exhibition uncovers the courage and resilience of those whose contributions helped shape a new nation, even as they continued to confront inequality and enslavement.
Bridging past and present, Patriots of Color highlights the voices of descendants who are reclaiming these stories today—connecting revolutionary ideals of freedom and justice to the ongoing pursuit of equality in America.
Entrance to the exhibit is included in admission to the Family Heritage Experience and can be purchased either in person or online.

Celebrating 250 Years: “Sounds of the 1700s” featuring Lexington Strings
2026-06-23 19:00 - 20:30 | Cary Memorial Library, 1874 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA, 02420, United States
On July 4, 2026, the United States will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
To honor this historic milestone, Lexington Strings will present a vibrant recital featuring music of the era contemporary to the document’s signing. The performance will take place at Cary Memorial Library in Lexington Center.
The concert program includes:
• Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto in G major for Solo Violin, Strings and Continuo, Op. 3 “L’Estro Armonico”, No. 3, RV 310 (1711)
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218 (1775)
• Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata No. 3 in Eb major for Violin and Piano, Op. 12, No. 3 (1797-1798)
• Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major for Violin, Two Recorders, Strings and Continuo, BWV 1049 (1721)
Based in Lexington, Massachusetts since 1984, Lexington Strings are musicians Letitia Hom, Yukiko Ueno Egozy, Michael Valdez and Vida Baterina Hom.
Ms. Hom plays a violin originally commissioned by and made for Roman Totenberg in 1982. Created by luthier Guy Rabut in New York City, her violin is patterned after Mr. Totenberg’s 1736 Giuseppe “del Gesù” Guarneri violin made in Cremona, Italy.
This program is made possible by the generous donors to the Cary Library Foundation.

Been There, Done That: How Our History Shows What We Can Overcome
2026-06-23 19:00 - 20:30 | Online
In his new book, Been There, Done That, Professor Greg Jackson argues that while today’s political climate may be dark, these aren’t as unprecedented times as we may think. Our nation’s past is full of massive upheaval, disagreement, and departures from the moral high ground. The political “gentlemanly conduct” of yesteryear is no more than a myth. But that reality never allowed our worst historical selves to defeat our better angels.
Join Prof. Jackson, host of the popular podcast History That Doesn’t Suck!, on Zoom for a look at some of the messier moments from our nation’s history. From the Founding Fathers’ hyperpartisan print war of the 1790s, to the caning of Senator Charles Sumner in 1856, to the thoroughly corrupt presidential election of 1876, and all the way through the yellow journalism and print war of Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, you will recognize how familiar these stories are to our own supposedly unprecedented times.
By showing us the warts of our past with his characteristic humor, Prof. Jackson actually inspires hope for where we’re headed. Only by knowing that our country has been here before, and prevailed toward a more just future, can we find the strength to rebound once again.
