Drawn from MHS collections, our primary source sets promote learning in U.S. history and civics and are supported by teaching activities and guiding questions.

primary source sets
 

 

Time Period
Painting of violent altercation between red-wearing British soldiers holding rifles and unarmed civilians. A black man is shot in the center.
The Evolving Legacy of Crispus Attucks, 1770-1863
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a sepia-toned photograph of a tall building and two women standing on the sidewalk outside of it
"A Great Public Nuisance": Boston's segregated schools in the mid-1800s
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Poster printed on pink-toned paper, titled "TO COLORED MEN: 54th REGIMENT!" in large letters. Below, the phrases "AFRICAN DESCENT" "$100 BOUNTY" and "PAY, $13 A MONTH are also prominent in large letters.
Civil War Recruitment Posters
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printed text on a yellowed paper; the top reads "In Congress July 4, 1776, a Declaration by the Representatives of the United States of America"
Analyzing the Meaning and Legacy of the Declaration of Independence
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A broadside printed on aged paper, titled "The Man is NOT BOUGHT!!" and subtitled "He is still in the SLAVE PEN in THE COURT HOUSE!!"
Anthony Burns and the Fugitive Slave Act
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Funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Mass Cultural Council, the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati, and an anonymous grant supported this project.

Questions or suggestions? Contact us at education@masshist.org.