Here’s a look at the programs we have planned for this week:
On Wednesday, 26 June, at 12:00 PM: Susie King Taylor: A Legacy of Black Womanhood & Historic Preservation with Rebecca Byrd, UNC Charlotte. Susie King Taylor was not Sojourner Truth or Harriet Tubman. Although she does not have the notoriety of those two women, her story is no less important. As the first African American army nurse who traveled with the First South Carolina Volunteers during the Civil War, an educator for freed people, and founder of the Women’s Relief Corps., Ms. Taylor is truly a remarkable woman. Although she remains in an unmarked grave, a younger historian has been tasked to preserve her legacy into the digital age. This is part of our brown-bag lunch program. Brown-bags are free and open to the public.
On Wednesday, 26 June, at 6:00 PM: The Peculiar Institution: Abigail Adams & Slavery with Edith Gelles, Stanford University. A senior scholar with the Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University, Edith Gelles is an award-winning historian and author of Abigail & John: Portrait of a Marriage and Portia: The World of Abigail Adams. Gelles will discuss her current research on Abigail’s thoughts and experiences with slavery and race. A pre-talk reception begins at 5:30 PM; the speaking program begins at 6:00 PM. There is a $10 per person fee (no charge for MHS Fellows and Members or EBT cardholders).
On Friday, 28 June, at 2:00 PM: Abigail Adams: Nature & Nurture, a pop-up display and talk. “The Earth is putting on a new Suit,” Abigail Adams wrote, savoring the arrival of spring amid the tumult of national politics in 1800. Tending her kitchen garden and nurturing the new republic with equal care, Abigail delighted in learning about the natural landscape and sharing that knowledge with her family and friends. Join an Adams Papers editor for an in-depth look at the display. Free and open to the public.
On Saturday, 29 June at 10:00 AM: The History & Collections of the MHS. This is a 90-minute docent-led walk through of our public rooms. The tour is free and open to the public. If you would like to bring a larger party (8 or more), please contact Curator of Art Anne Bentley at 617-646-0508 or abentley@masshist.org.
On Saturday, 29 June at 2:00 PM: “Can She Do It?” Gallery Talk with Allison Lange, Wentworth Institute of Technology. Join our guest curator for a guided tour and highlights from our current exhibition. Free and open to the public.
“Can She Do It?”: Massachusetts Debates a Woman’s Right to Vote is open Monday and Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Tuesday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Featuring dynamic imagery from the collection of the MHS, the exhibition illustrates the passion on each side of the suffrage question. For over a century, Americans debated whether women should vote. The materials on display demonstrate the arguments made by suffragists and their opponents. While women at the polls may seem unremarkable today, these contentious campaigns formed the foundations for modern debates about gender and politics.
Take a look at our calendar page for information about upcoming programs.