Witness to History: What Are Your COVID-19 Experiences?

In 1798, founder of the Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) Jeremy Belknap realized that the momentous happenings of his lifetime would be tomorrow’s history. He sat down and wrote to Paul Revere and asked him to recount the night of his famous ride. Revere’s response is how we know what happened.

Now it is your turn. Years from now historians will research the impact of the COVID-19 virus in Massachusetts and across the country. In order to have first-person accounts of daily life during this extraordinary time, the MHS invites you to contribute your experience(s) to our collection.

Be a part of the story by:

• Keeping a journal and donating it to the MHS. It can take the form of an old-fashioned handwritten diary, a Word document, or whatever you prefer. Include photographs if you wish. The important thing is to record your experiences on a daily, weekly, or even intermittent basis. For more information on how to contribute, contact collections@masshist.org.
• Visiting our COVID-19 web form and contribute your thoughts directly there. We will prompt you each week with new questions to get you started.

Whichever way you choose, your account will become part of the Society’s collection and, more importantly, a piece of the historical record that future historians will need to tell the story of these turbulent days.

Share Your Thoughts