Stay engaged with the MHS this year.

“I am particularly obliged to you for [the] Books upon gardning— but my poor Garden makes but a s[. . .] I am however pleas’d with each individual flower—& watch with unremmiting care its rinnging—budding, blowing & decline—taken all together—they boast not of any beauty in appearance or disposition— Our Garden is & ought to be for use—a few little beds & borders are all which I call mine— when you leave England—if you should bring some flowers seeds from your Garden there—they may perhaps produce you some flowers here— those you sent me from France—many of them would not grow here—some I have now—& they have encreasd abundantly.”
“Only the Beginning of Difficulties”: The Trial and Rendition of Anthony Burns

Part of the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act allowed federal agents to arrest, even in a free state, a formerly enslaved person who had escaped and return that person to their enslaver. In May 1854, 20-year-old Anthony Burns, who had sought freedom from enslavement in Virginia and settled in Boston, was arrested and tried under the act. After a “trial”—in reality an administrative hearing with severely limited rights for the defendant—that lasted only three days, Massachusetts Probate Court Judge Edward G. Loring, in his capacity as a federal Fugitive Slave Law commissioner, ruled that Burns had to be returned to his enslaver. The case consumed the city of Boston and had lasting consequences for the slavery debate in the United States.

In this letter, dated 4 June 1854, Mary Elizabeth (Seaver) Blanchard of Boston writes to her father, Benjamin Seaver, who was traveling in Europe, having recently finished his term as mayor of Boston. In addition to updating him on various family matters, Mary describes the tumultuous scene in the city during the trial and return to enslavement of Anthony Burns.

Image: Students who competed in the 2021 National History Day in Massachusetts contest.
In order to build capacity and increase access to National History Day in Massachusetts, the MHS, as the sponsoring organization for NHD, solicits external funding from the state, state agencies, private foundations, and individual donors. External funding for NHD makes it possible to:

  • Reduce or eliminate registration fees for students

  • Offer in-depth professional development workshops for teachers

  • Award special prizes to outstanding student projects

  • Make inroads in our ultimate goal of making NHD accessible to all grades 6–12 students across the Commonwealth

We are especially grateful for our institutional partner, the Mass Cultural Council. Their generous support has eliminated cost as a barrier for participation, so all qualifying Massachusetts students can compete at Nationals this year!
 
We are thankful to the following institutions and individual donors for offering special prizes to over 90 students at this year’s state contest:
 
 
Thank you to our wonderful sponsors who make it possible to recognize the incredible work of NHD students across Massachusetts!
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.

On Monday, 17 May, at 5:30 PM, Van Gosse, Franklin and Marshall College, presents The First Reconstruction: Black Politics in America from the Revolution to the Civil War.

On Wednesday, 19 May, at 6:00 PM, Sen. William N. Brownsberger; Abigail Forrester, Center for Teen Empowerment; Rahsaan D. Hall, ACLU of Massachusetts; and Deborah A. Ramirez, Northeastern University School of Law, present Confronting Racial Justice: The War on Drugs in Massachusetts: The Racial Impact of the School Zone Law and Other Mandatory Minimum Sentences moderated by Hon. Sydney Hanlon.

On Wednesday, 26 May, at 5:30 PM, Ben Railton, Fitchburg State University, presents Of Thee I Sing: The Contested History of American Patriotism.

Visit www.masshist.org/events for more information and to register for programs.
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.
Share Your COVID-19 Experience(s)

The MHS invites you to contribute your COVID-19 experience(s) to our collection. Record your experiences on a daily, weekly, or intermittent basis. You can contribute your thoughts and images online. Visit our COVID-19 web display to learn more and to share your thoughts. Or you can keep a journal and donate it to the MHS. Contact collections@masshist.org for more information.  
 
Thank you to everyone who has shared so far. If you have not yet done so or would like to contribute again, please visit www.masshist.org/projects/covid/index.php. You can also read what others have shared.

Our Members are the heart of the MHS community and an integral part of the MHS story. Become a Member to help make possible the Society’s mission to promote the study of American history. Receive benefits including invitations to enhanced Member-only events; free or discounted admission to special programs; and access to publications such as our calendar of events, newsletter, and Annual Report.
Learn more at www.masshist.org/members.