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Revolutionary Spaces

**Revolutionary Spaces ** connects people to the history and continuing practice of democracy through the intertwined stories of two of the nation’s most iconic sites—Boston’s Old South Meeting House and Old State House. We foster a free and open exchange of ideas, explore history, create gathering places, and preserve and steward historic buildings.

https://www.bostonhistory.org

A Meditation on Indigenous Life

Tue, Jun 30, 2020

Poetry and visual art by Mashpee Wampanoag poet, artist, and author Robert Peters comes to life in an original, multi-media performance. This premiere performance features Peters’ poetry/art collection “Thirteen Moons,” which evolved through the artist’s personal journey to reclaim traditional culture and to live in a way consistent with his traditional beliefs. A choral reading of the “Thirteen Moons” poetry collection sets the stage for a conversation with Peters and other Indigenous artists. Topics considered include humans’ relationship with the natural world, the meaning of “home” from a Native perspective, and the contributions of Indigenous voices to justice and democracy building today. Image: Artist Image

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Indigenous Heritage

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Revolutionary Spaces
Commemoration of the Boston Massacre

Thu, Mar 5, 2020

March 5, 2020 marks 250 years since the events that came to be known as the **Boston Massacre**, a confrontation where British soldiers shot and killed several residents on a Boston street as tensions between soldiers and colonists rose to a breaking point. To commemorate the day, Boston leaders tell us about the Boston Massacre victims, including Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Patrick Carr, and Samuel Maverick.

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Revolutionary Spaces
Jill Lepore: Jane Franklin’s Spectacles

Thu, Jan 16, 2020

Historian Jill Lepore tells the story of Benjamin Franklin’s long-forgotten sister, Jane, and meditates on what it means to write history not from what can be found, but from what has been lost. Presented by the [American Repertory Theater](https://americanrepertorytheater.org/) and [Revolutionary Spaces](https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/) .

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Revolutionary Spaces
Massachusetts Women at the Forefront of Suffrage

Thu, Nov 7, 2019

Fredie Kay, Founder and President of Suffrage100MA, provides an overview of the suffrage movement in American history, with special attention to Massachusetts activists who paved the way for women’s suffrage, including African Americans and other marginalized groups. Image: [Pexels.com](http://www.pexels.com/photo/person-dropping-paper-on-box-1550337/) and [Suffrage100](http://suffrage100ma.org/) This program is made possible with funding from the Lowell Institute. ‍

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Revolutionary Spaces
Peddocks Island: Rich History, Vital Future

Thu, Oct 10, 2019

Peddocks Island, a series of drowned drumlins, is part of the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. It's currently the largest of the 34 Boston Harbor Islands that is open to the public. Home to historic Fort Andrews, walking tours, geological features, and archaeological sites, the island is in the midst of an exciting redevelopment planning process led by Boston Harbor Now with the National Park Service and the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Cheri Ruane of Weston & Sampson Design Studio, lead consultant for the island’s development plan, and Alice Brown of Boston Harbor Now, discuss fascinating highlights of the island’s past, present, and future. This lecture is part of the series The Boston Harbor Islands - Resilience and Change, co-presented by Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands and Old South Meeting House and co-sponsored by Boston Harbor Now. Image: [Pubic Domain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peddocks_Island#/media/File:Ft_Andrews_Aerial_1932.jpg)

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Revolutionary Spaces
Submerged: Boston Sites and the Threat of Climate Change

Fri, Oct 25, 2019

The Boston Harbor Islands contain some of the most intact Native American and historical archaeological sites and landscapes in Boston, and the Harbor’s ancient floor hosts historic shipwrecks and submerged Native sites. Climate change and its associated storms and sea level rise are putting this history at risk. City Archaeologist Joe Bagley discusses the threats to these resources as part of Massachusetts’ Archaeology Month. This talk includes discussion of current and proposed efforts to document archaeological sites in Boston before they are lost.

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Revolutionary Spaces
Art and Social Commentary: Boston, Yesterday and Today

Fri, May 10, 2019

Art, in all its forms, has been a powerful medium for social and political commentary for centuries. This program explores the use of art as an agent for change historically, and considers the impacts of contemporary artists on politics and culture.

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Revolutionary Spaces
Interracial But Not Integrated: Colonial Churches

Wed, Jun 5, 2019

A special History Matters co-presented by the Congregational Library & Archives and Old South Meeting House. By attendance at services, being baptized, and taking the Lord's Supper, numerous Native Americans and mostly-enslaved African Americans participated in a substantial number of New England churches between the 1730s and 1790s, including the Old South Meeting House and other Boston churches. They did so despite segregated seating arrangements and prohibitions against voting and holding church leadership positions. Professor Richard Boles shares his research into the religious lives of the African Americans and Native Americans who affiliated with eighteenth-century New England churches.

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Revolutionary Spaces
Technology, Privacy and Surveillance: Who is Watching the Watchers?

Thu, May 23, 2019

Technology can be used by the government to take away civil liberties, but it can also be used in the service of civil liberties. This program discusses policy and legal approaches to monitoring government use of surveillance, and advocates for citizens using technology to monitor government.

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Revolutionary Spaces
Democracy is Hard, Voting Shouldn't Be

Tue, Jun 11, 2019

This program explores laws and policies implemented to limit voting throughout history, and dives into the current issues of voter fraud, voter disenfranchisement and district red-lining.This program is part of the series co-presented by Old South Meeting House and the ACLU of Massachusetts, The Constitution is for You: A Series of Conversations. Image: [Pexels.com](http://https://www.pexels.com/photo/i-voted-sticker-spool-on-white-surface-1550336/)

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Revolutionary Spaces