Resources

Created by the DPLA (Digital Public Library of America) it is an online collection of documents, images, and artifacts that help the student-historian understand the process of going from loyal subjects of the British Crown to rebels willing to risk their lives.

Students critically examine primary source documents to make historical claims based on context and evidence.

A web presentation by the Massachusetts Historical Society that features historical manuscripts and published works.

This research study of Fort Lee and Fort Pickering has been undertaken by Frederic C. Detwiller during the summer and Fall of 2023. It includes extensive research in local archives and consists of largely previously unpublished material regarding Massachusetts military history, militia, fortifications, artillery and munitions associated with the forts. The focuses of the report are the Colonial and Revolutionary Periods up to the period of the War of 1812. Later material is included where it sheds light on the earlier appearance of the forts.

Article with primary sources discussing enslaved women’s revolutionary resistance.

Use the DAR’s Genealogical Research System to trace your own lineage back to the Patriots who achieved American independence.

This 2008 publication created by the NSDAR (National Society Daughters of the American Revolution) concentrates on the identification and documentation of the (mostly military) involvement of American individuals of African, American Indian, or mixed descent during the Revolutionary War.

2011 supplement to coincide with the the 2008 publication listed above.

DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Genealogical research database.

Commemoration of the First Massachusetts Provincial Congress, and keynote speaker Robert A. Gross, author of The Minutemen and their World. (Recorded on October 7th, 2024)

Lecture about Danvers and their role in the American Revolution (Recorded April 20, 2021)

On the eve of the Revolution, Essex County communities to the north established and organized resistance movements to Crown policies that often far exceeded the efforts of their Bostonian counterparts. (Recorded on March 22nd, 2023)

The Birthplace of the American Navy has been disputed since its inception. Local historians sat and discussed the TRUE origins of the Naval history in the times of the Revolution. (Recorded on  May 8th, 2024)

Weekend of programming in Marblehead (Recorded September 21st and 22nd, 2024)

Lynnfield Historical Society has created a video compilation of their  involvement in the statewide observance of the 250th anniversary of the founding of this great nation.

Lecture about Lynnfield on the Eve of the Revolution (Recorded April 18th, 2024)

Youth in the region are asking their teachers for a more accurate and honest portrayal of U.S. History and how events impacted ALL of the people that live in America. Using primary sources from institutions throughout Essex County, local educators, historians and scholars help us reexamine the American Revolution through the lens of women, Black and Indigenous people. (Recorded on April 6th, 2024)

To see what is happening on the national – and sometimes even international – level, visit America 250, the congressional commission formed to orchestrate events based around the 250th.

Celebrating our country’s 250th birthday in the birthplace of the Revolution

The Field Guide for the Semiquincentennial: Produced by AASLH (The American Association for State and Local History)

Be sure to visit our partners at Revolution 250! Sponsored by the Massachusetts historical Society and including more than 30 institutional members, this organization heads the state-wide efforts to promote 250th anniversary events.

This is a chronological list of events throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that are important waypoints in the story of how the American Revolution began. Some of these events are more well-known than others but they are all an important part of the story of how, as John Adams famously said, the Revolution began in the hearts and minds of the citizens of New England before a drop of blood was shed at Lexington & Concord.

Assembled by Jonathan Lane, J. L. Bell, Bob Allison & many others. This list should be considered “in progress.”

Some great work is being done by Unfinished: America at 250, a partnership of organizations and individuals that believes in harnessing the power of history to build a more inclusive future. Check out their website!

A blog post from the Sons of the American Revolution in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Peabody Historical Society & Museum Blog post about April 19th 1775

Peabody Historical Society & Museum Blog post about April 19th 1775

An article on the U.S. Army’s website.

A blog created by historian J.L. Bell about Massachusetts Revolutionary history. It is a wealth of information, and a must-visit for anyone doing historical research, or looking for inspiration therein.

A website by Historic Ipswich that tells the story of John Freeman, an African American Revolutionary War Soldier who was from Ipswich

A website by Historic Ipswich: Ipswich and The American Revolution, Part 1: The Breach with Britain

A Website by Historic Ipswich: Ipswich and The American Revolution, Part 2: The Revolutionary War

A website run by historian Alexander Cain, which provides a variety of educational outlets for learning about the American Revolution.

Lynnfield Historical Society Revolution 250 Events and Programming

Marblehead Museum Revolution 250th Events & Resources