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The Commedore now & then, in the fullness of his Wrath, poping a Gun at the people on Nantaskett as he pass’d, whilst they from the open Hill were returning the Compliment. The Enemy blow’d up the Lighthouse in their retreat. We are now, Thank God, intirely free from pyrates & in possession of the finest Harbour in the World, which we are endeavouring to secure by fortifying the Islands.
A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates

First published in 1724 under the title A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates and often attributed to Daniel Defoe, A General History of the Pyrates (London, 1724) constituted an expanded second edition of the original text with additions by Captain Charles Johnson. Through many reprintings, A General History became the origin of the enduring myth of pirates that exists today. The stories within include peg legs, buried treasure, the origin of the "jolly roger," flags that pirates flew before they attacked, and “the remarkable actions and adventures of the two female pyrates Mary Read and Anne Bonny.” It also inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.

See this front page up close. And find out why one MHS staff member chose this item as part of the Our Favorite Things exhibition!
MHS’s online programs are held on the video conference platform Zoom. Registrants will receive an e-mail with a link to join the program.
African American Lives in Federalist New England: Scouring the Archives

On Tuesday, 21 September, at 5:15 PM, Cornelia Dayton, University of Connecticut, leads a panel to present African American Lives in Federalist New England: Scouring the Archives, A Pauline Maier Early American History Seminar.

Litigation in Essex County reveals where the African-born poet Phillis Wheatley Peters and her husband John Peters went when they left Boston for three years starting in spring 1780. Peters came into possession of a substantial farm where he had been enslaved as a child. But his tenuous legal position and the hostility of many townspeople led to his eventually losing the land and deciding to move the family back to Boston. Panelists will discuss the implications of these new findings, the future research pathways they suggest, and investigative methods that expand our awareness of Black lives in the late eighteenth-century northeast. Attendees are invited to read the recently published article by Dayton that delineates the complicated litigation record. 

Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy

On Thursday, 23 September, from 6:007:00 PM, Nathaniel Philbrick presents Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy.

In this book, Philbrick tackles the question “Does George Washington still matter?” He argues for Washington’s unique contribution to the forging of America by retracing his journey as a new president through all thirteen former colonies, which were then an unsure nation. In the fall of 2018, Philbrick embarked on his own journey into what Washington called “the infant woody country” to see for himself what America had become in the 229 years since. Writing in a thoughtful first-person voice about his own adventures with his wife, Melissa, and their dog, Dora, Philbrick follows Washington’s presidential excursions. The narrative moves smoothly between the eighteenth and twenty-first centuries as we see the country through both Washington’s and Philbrick’s eyes.

Co-hosted by American Ancestors/NEHGS, the Boston Public LibraryGBH Forum Network, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and Porter Square Books.

To register for this online program visit AmericanAncestors.org/inspire.
Writing History: An Extended Q&A with Nathaniel Philbrick
For MHS Members and Fellows only.

On Thursday, 23 September, at 7:30 PM, Nathaniel Philbrick presents Writing History: An Extended Q&A with Nathaniel Philbrick. Ryan J. Woods, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of American Ancestors/NEHGS, will be joined by Catherine Allgor, President of the Massachusetts Historical Society, for further Q&A with Nathaniel Philbrick. He will answer your questions about his inspirations, research, and process behind writing Travels with George and his other works of American history.

Co-hosted by American Ancestors/NEHGS, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and Porter Square BooksSeparate registration is required for this Zoom meeting following Philbrick’s 6–7pm virtual book talk. Ticket cost of $50 includes Q&A link (non-transferable) and personalized signed book shipped priority mail. 

To register for this online program visit AmericanAncestors.org/Inspire.
On Monday, 27 September, at 5:30 PM, Debbie Wiess presents A Revolutionary Encounter in London, a historically based play.

On Tuesday, 28 September, at 3:30 PM, the Research team at the MHS invites graduate students in history, American studies, and related fields to attend the Graduate Student Reception.

On Thursday, 30 September, at 5:30 PM, Charles R. Gallagher, S.J., Boston College, presents The Nazis of Copley Square: The Forgotten Story of the Christian Front.
Interested in Viewing Past Programs?
If you missed a program or would like to revisit the material presented, please visit www.masshist.org/video or our YouTube channel. A selection of past programs is just a click away.
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