The year is 1775—tensions with the British Crown are rising, and one question is on every colonist’s mind: Would you fight for independence as a Patriot or remain loyal to the British Crown as a Loyalist? Join us as our two historians face yet another Great Debate that divided colonists and even families during the...
Salem Maritime National Historic Site is telling the story of a key but lesser-known voyage across the Atlantic Ocean 250 years ago to deliver news of rebellion in Massachusetts. In April 1775, after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the race was on to control the narrative of the rebellion. Leaving from Derby Wharf onboard...
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...
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...
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? The walking tour will meet...
Join historian James Fichter for "Tea’s Party: From Boston to Salem and Back Again" a special talk on the history of tea in colonial Massachusetts Bay. This free talk with be hosted at the Salem Armory Regional Visitor Center (2 New Liberty Street, Salem) on Thursday, May 13 at 7 p.m. In this talk Fichter reveals...
Are you Team Beverly or Team Marblehead? Where is the birthplace of the American Navy? Two local towns that have argued with each other for centuries over this question. Help us settle the Great Debate once and for all! Come out and support your town as historians K. David Goss (Beverly) and Charlie Newhall (Marblehead)...
Many historians who study the early years of the American Revolution tend to focus only on the actions of the residents of Boston and Middlesex County. However, 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...
