Events

Bring your beach blankets and folding chairs to enjoy live orchestra music on Derby Wharf at the Salem Maritime National Historical Park for a grand celebration of our nation’s 250th...

Join us for Newburyport's 9th annual community reading of Frederick Douglass's powerful speech, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" An in-person community reading of Frederick Douglass's impassioned...

Join us for a talk on the arrival and first reading of the Declaration of Independence in Newburyport. Alex Cain will also speak in depth on the museum's recently acquired patriotic textile (pictured left), a rare 1833 copy of the Declaration and Jane Stuart's portrait of George Washington, both currently on loan to the museum. Alexander Cain graduated from Merrimack College in 1993 with a degree in economics and New England School of Law in 1996 with a juris doctorate in law. He is a well respected and highly sought-after speaker who frequently lectures on the military and social influences of April 19, 1775. Alex has worked with both major and local production companies as a consultant and advisor to ensure historical accuracy is properly maintained during the production process. He has published multiple research articles that have shed new light on the Battles of Lexington Concord, privateer operations during the Siege of Boston and the loyalist refugee experience during the American Revolution. Alex has also published two books – We Stood Our Ground: Lexington in the First Year of the American Revolution and I See Nothing but the Horrors of a Civil War. PLEASE NOTE: The Custom House is a historic structure and is not handicap accessible. Most events take place on the second floor and there is no elevator in the building. 5:30 pm - reception | 6:30 pm lecture

The Battles of Lexington and Concord are well known as "the shot heard round the world" but have you ever heard of the Battle of Moore's Creek? Or the Revolutionary...

Join Ghlee Woodworth for a walking tour focused on the memorials of Newburyport’s Black community and Revolutionary privateers. Wander through Newburyport’s historic Highland Cemetery with a special guide - noted...

Join Historic Beverly for a commemorative public reading of the Declaration of Independence at Independence Park, the very site where Beverly first heard the Declaration read aloud in 1776. On...

Follow Newburyport's road to revolution through merchant mansions, taverns, privateering, shipmasters, and Market Square. Join noted author and historian Ghlee Woodworth for a walk from the 1808 Cushing House down...

Commemoration of the 250th anniversary of NBPT's first reading of the Declaration of Independence, with readings, music, reenactors, and more When: Sunday, July 19, 2026; 1:45 p.m. procession, 2:00 p.m....

Join Dr. Robert Allison as he discusses the challenges, opportunities, and the role of Essex County as America declared independence in 1776. Why did the American colonies declare Independence in...

Join Historic Beverly for an engaging evening of theater and history with Abigail Adams: Love & Politics in the American Revolution, a compelling one-woman performance written and performed by acclaimed historical...

This lecture, presented by historian Alexander Cain, examines the often-overlooked experiences of American Loyalists from New England, including those from Essex County, during the Revolutionary War. It examines how unwavering...

Celebrate the spirit of independence with Abigail Adams: Liberty and Legacy at the historic Rocky Hill Meeting House! In this engaging performance, local actor Sheryl Faye brings to life one of America’s...