By Dan Hinchen

On Tuesday, 27 October, stop by at 5:15PM for a seminar from the Immigration and Urban History series. Luis Jimenez of the University of Massachusetts – Boston will speak about “Immigration, Race, and the Tea Party Movement,” looking at the extent to which racial anxiety played a factor in the formation of the movement. Theda Skocpol of Harvard Universiy provides comment. Seminars are free and open to the public; RSVP required. Subscribe to receive advance copies of the seminar papers.

Next up is a Brown Bag lunch talk that focuses on the founding father of the Society. Come in on Wednesday, 28 October, for “Jeremy Belknap, Missionary: Religion, History, and the Founding of the MHS,” a chapter in an upcoming book by Abram Van Engen, Washington University, which asks why institutions like the MHS and New York Historical Society came into existence in the first place and what role religious belief may have played. The talk begins at noon and is free and open to the public. 

Also on Wednesday is the second event in the Transforming Boston series. This panel discussion, titled “Connecting the Communities Back to the City, 1960-1990” begins at 6:00PM, with a pre-talk reception starting at 5:30PM. This event is sold out.

Please note that on Wednesday, 28 October, the library reading room will close at 3:30PM in preparation for the evening’s event. The reference area and microfilm collections will remain accessible until 4:45PM.

And on Thursday, 29 October, the Society will host an event to announce the recipient of the Peter J. Gomes Memorial Book Prize. The evening will begin with a reception at 5:30 PM and will be followed at 6:00 PM by the presentation of the award and a talk by the author. Seating is limited and registration is required at no cost. RSVP by October 22.

Finally, on Saturday, come on in for a free tour of the Society. “The History and Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society” is a 90-minute, docent-led tour of the MHS’ historic building at 1154 Boylston St. No reservations necessary for individuals or small groups. Parties of 8 or more should contact Curator of Art Anne Bentley in advance at 617-646-0508 or abentley@masshist.org.