Professor Donald Hayes, will be presenting on his recent research and discovery of the role Danvers militias played in the Battle of Menotomy (Arlington) at the time of the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Danvers lost seven men that day, second only to Lexington itself. He will highlight what is myth and lore about the...
Tour the site of the Great Salem Fire, October 6, 1774 with retired park ranger, Curtis White. The fire destroyed shops, a meeting-house, dwellings, and the Custom House. Was the fire a diversionary tactic to deter the arrest of Massachusetts delegates who met in defiance of the Massachusetts Government Act? This 1.25-mile walking tour will...
On October 7, 1774, ninety chosen representatives met at Salem in defiance of General Gage’s order. They elected John Hancock to serve as chairman. They resolved to form themselves into “a Provincial Congress...to take into consideration the dangerous and alarming situation of public affairs in this province, and to consult and determine on such measures...
On Sunday afternoon, November 3rd, at 1 pm at the Marblehead Arts Association’s King Hooper Mansion, an illustrated talk will bring those enigmatic individuals from Marblehead’s late colonial past to life. In most communities before American independence, portraits of only a very few individuals were painted, and even fewer survive. But, surprisingly, two dozen portraits...
First lecture in the series, Freedom and Unfreedom in Essex County Suing Their Enslavers: 18th Century Freedom-Seekers in Andover A lecture given by Christine Boehmer, independent historian Not all Native Americans in Massachusetts were invited to celebrate the harvest with English colonists. Some were enslaved by the colonists. In Andover in the 17th and 18th centuries,...
Speaker: Joann Michalik, local historian and researcher If you missed our 18th-century tavern night in April, here's your chance to experience it . . . with a holiday twist. The introduction of stage coaches along major roadways leads to taverns as inns, houses of entertainment, and political headquarters. Learn about the role of rum in the...
How militias were formed and implemented A casual discussion and 20-30 minute film. Presented by Heritage Films, Dan Tremblay, volunteer and member of DHS. Share your knowledge in casual conversation. Bring your lunch, tables are available. Bring your lunch! NEW for 2025: Partnering with the Danvers Senior Center to offer more films Tapley Memorial Hall,...
Join us for an afternoon discussing one of the lesser-known skirmishes of the early Revolutionary War. Colonel Timothy Pickering was present on that day and at his home 250 years later, we’ll gather together local historians and pull out objects from our archives and more as we discuss the events of that storied day and...
On the 250th Anniversary of Leslie's Retreat, this National Park Service exhibit will explore why Crown soldiers under Lt. Col. Alexander Leslie came to Salem on February 26, 1775, who were the major players in the event, and how this event has been remembered and celebrated in Salem in the last 250 years. This free...
All are welcome to join at 9:30am at St. Peter’s-San Pedro Episcopal Church at 24 St. Peter’s Church to learn the history behind Leslie’s Retreat, and to hear from current elected officials. For more information about this program CLICK HERE Beginning at 10:30 am with the tolling of the church bells, the Red Coats will...
Join us for a FREE 90-minute Trolley tour from Salem to Marblehead and back will discuss how and where the American Revolution could have started in Marblehead and/or Salem on February 26, 1775, almost two months before the first battles of the Revolutionary War at Lexington and then Concord on the 19 th of April....
The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) invites you to step back in time with Fashion in the Season of Revolution, a dynamic exploration of the intersection between style, society, and conflict in the Revolutionary era. This engaging program, presented in cooperation with Leslie’s Retreat 250, offers a unique blend of scholarship, storytelling, and immersive experience, combining...
