"the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America": Commemorating the American Revolution
The Object of History
In this episode, we discuss how various institutions in Massachusetts are commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. We speak with Angela Tate, Chief Curator and Director of Collections at the Museum of African American History, to discuss their exhibit, “Black Voices of the Revolution.” We then travel to Concord, MA to visit the Old Manse and learn about the house that experienced two revolutions in American history from Property Manager with the Trustees of Reservations, Rachael Robinson. Back at the MHS, we examine our own exhibit titled “Declaring Independence”...
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South Carolina in the Revolution
The Object of History
On this episode, we travel beyond the northeast to examine South Carolina in the Revolutionary War. We examine the Siege of Charleston and compare the town's experience to that of Boston. Note that, although American forces besieged British troops in Boston, at Charleston, those roles were reversed and American forced held the city against an ultimately victorious British army. We also discuss the significance of Henry Laurens, a founding father from South Carolina who was highly regarded by John Adams. We are joined by Elizabeth Chew, CEO of the South Carolina Historical Society, and Greg...
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Making War Part III: Benedict Arnold and the Invasion of Canada
The Object of History
This is the final episode of a three-part look at the geography, characters, and events that shaped the first years of the American Revolution. In looking at the American Invasion of Canada (1775-1776) we are joined by Luc Nicole-Labrie, the Senior History Advisor at the National Battlefields Commission in Québec. Back at the MHS, we also examine a few items from the collections that shed light on the difficulties of this endeavor to make Québec the fourteenth colony in rebellion. Learn more about episode objects here: Episode Special Guest: Luc Nicole-Labrie is involved in heritage...
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Making War Part II: "He has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People"
The Object of History
This is part two out of a three-part look at the geography, characters, and events that shaped the first years of the American Revolution. In this episode, we discuss Revolutionary-era Maine and the burning of Falmouth in 1775. We visited the Maine Historical Society to discuss the bombardment of present-day Portland by Captain Henry Mowat and the Royal Navy as well as how residents viewed the conflict. We are joined by Tiffany Link, Collections Curator at the Maine Historical Society and co-host of the Mainely History podcast. We also examine two documents in the Massachusetts Historical...
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Making War Part I: The Knox Diary and Seizing Ticonderoga’s Cannons
The Object of History
On this episode of The Object of History, we begin a three-part narrative about the geography, characters, and events that shaped the first years of the American Revolution. Part one starts in May of 1775 at Fort Ticonderoga, New York, on the banks of Lake Champlain. We are joined by Fort Ticonderoga’s Curator Dr. Matthew Keagle to discuss the capture of the fort, the colonists’ dire need for artillery to break the siege at Boston, and how the Canadian campaign developed in the summer and fall of that year. We also speak with Samantha Couture, Nora Saltonstall Conservator &...
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The “King of Terrors”: Smallpox in the American Revolution
The Object of History
In this episode, we look at the origins of smallpox inoculation in the colonies, discuss the experiences of the Adams family, and consider how the disease entered into debates about a general inoculation of the troops in the Continental Army. We call on the talents of MHS staff to bring John and Abigail Adams to life. Reference Librarian Daniel Hinchen portrays John Adams and Sarah Hume, an Editorial Assistant in the Adams Papers Project, portrays Abigail Adams. We also speak with Andrew M. Wehrman, a professor of history at Central Michigan University, an expert on the topic and author of The...
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The Spark: How Boston Ignited the American Revolution
The Object of History
Season 5 of The Object of History is dedicated to topics related to the American Revolution. On this first episode, we ask several historians for their thoughts on why Boston helped light the spark of the American Revolution. Was there something unique about Boston's community or geography that made it prone to a rebellious spirit? We sit down with J. L. Bell, Historian of the Revolutionary Era in Massachusetts, Garrett Dash Nelson, President & Head Curator at the Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library, and Kathryn Lasdow, Assistant Professor of History and...
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“How Far We’ve Come”: A Tour of the Russell Museum
The Object of History
Earlier this season, we visited the Ether Dome at the Massachusetts General Hospital to learn about the first public use of an anesthetic in surgery. On this bonus episode of The Object of History, we return to Mass General to visit the Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation. MHS Podcast Producer Sam Hurwitz joins the Director of the Museum, Sarah Alger, for a tour where they examine some of the museum’s most significant items related to the history of medicine. Learn more about episode objects here: Email us at . Episode Special Guest: Sarah Alger is the...
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Revisiting Mount Auburn Cemetery
The Object of History
Earlier in this season of The Object of History, we visited the tombs of Robert C. Winthrop (Season 4, Episode 4) and Isabella Stewart Gardner (Season 4, Episode 5). In both episodes, we asked Meg Winslow, Senior Curator of Historical Collections & Archives at Mount Auburn Cemetery, to provide some context for our listeners. On this bonus episode, we revisit Mount Auburn, learn more about its history, and share additional portions of our conversation with Winslow. is the first American cemetery that purposely combined commemoration with elements of experimental gardening, picturesque...
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A Walk Through the Back Bay
The Object of History
In the first episode of Season 4 of The Object of History, we briefly discussed the filling in of the Charles River bay when we introduced listeners to the Historical Society's building at 1154 Boylston Street. On this bonus episode, we invited one of our 2025 Dean W. Eastman Undergraduate Library Residents, Vivienne Charpentier, to dive deeper into history of the Back Bay. Vivienne tells us more about the Back Bay and then joins Chief Historian Peter Drummey on a walking tour of the neighborhood. Learn more about episode objects here: Email us at . Listen to "". Episode...
info_outlineIn this episode, we continue our conversation with Prof. Matthew Dennis, author of the book American Relics and the Politics of Public Memory. Prof. Dennis discussed corporeal relics with us in Part 1 of this discussion. In Part 2, we talk about natural specimens as well as objects that are given significance by the connection they have to an historic event or figure. MHS Curator of Art & Artifacts Emerita, Anne Bentley, and Chief Historian & Stephen T. Riley Librarian, Peter Drummey, also return to help us look at the remains of a Blackburnian warbler and a pair of epaulets that belonged to General George Washington.
Learn more about episode objects here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/season-3-episode-6-relics-one-of-a-kind
Email us at podcast@masshist.org.
Episode Special Guest:
Matthew Dennis is Professor of History and Environmental Studies Emeritus at the University of Oregon and now lives in New York City. His books include Cultivating a Landscape of Peace: Iroquois-European Encounters in 17th-Century America; Red, White, and Blue Letter Days: An American Calendar; Riot and Revelry in Early America; Encyclopedia of Holidays and Celebrations, 3 vols.; Seneca Possessed: Indians, Witchcraft, and Power in the Early American Republic; and American Relics and the Politics of Public Memory.
This episode uses materials from:
Yellow-rumped Warbler by Chad Crouch (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International)
Psychic by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)
Curious Nature by Dominic Giam of Ketsa Music (licensed under a commercial non-exclusive license by the Massachusetts Historical Society through Ketsa.uk)