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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

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

Thu, Oct 8, 2009

Katherine Howe discusses how New England's historic past is woven into her work of fiction, *The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane*. Scholars of the Salem Witch Trials have long discussed what caused the tragic witchcraft hysteria, but author Katherine Howe asks: What if the magic was real? In her spellbinding new novel, Howe weaves the story of graduate student Connie Goodwan with the tale of Deliverance Dane, accused of practicing "physick" in 1690s Salem.

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Slavery and Abolition at Boston's Old South Meeting House

Wed, Sep 30, 2009

James W. Crawford, Minister Emeritus of Boston's Old South Church, discusses how the concept of liberty and destiny so tied in with the church's identity, flavored the congregation's stance on slavery and how Lincoln's influence provided inspiration during the Civil War. Boston's Old South Meeting House has a long connection with abolition, reaching back to the 1700 publication of New England's first anti-slavery tract by prominent congregation member Samuel Sewall. But by the 1850s, Old South, known for its role in the fight for American independence, was split on the question of how to achieve the abolition of slavery.

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Stimulating Beverages: Tea, Coffee, and Chocolate in Early America

Thu, Jan 7, 2010

Amanda Lange, curator at Historic Deerfield, explains how tea, coffee, and chocolate--originally prescribed as cures for ailments ranging from headaches and depressions--became counted among the necessities of daily life. Before 1650, a New England breakfast often included a mug of ale, beer, or hard wine. Yet, with the introduction of tea, coffee, and chocolate, the tastes of the Western world were forever changed.

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The Colorful Politician, James Michael Curley

Wed, Jan 20, 2010

William Bulger, who served as president of both the Massachusetts Senate and the University of Massachusetts, author of *James Michael Curley: a Short Biography*, explains why the "rascal" politician James Michael Curley was such and inspiration to the generation that followed him. James Michael Curley dominated the political scene for over half a century as Boston councilor, alderman, mayor, Massachusetts governor and congressman. Eloquent, passionate, every loyal to his constituents, Curley was a lightening rod for controversy throughout a political career extending from 1897 through 1955. Sponsored by the Lowell Institute.

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Debating Reparations for Slavery

Thu, Oct 10, 2002

Glenn C. Loury of Boston University and Melissa Nobles of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology debate the pros and cons of slavery reparations. How do you put a price on 300 years of injustice? The legacy of slavery in the United States continues to shape life and society for all Americans. The controversial arguments surrounding slavery reparations is proof that this country is still struggling with how to address and overcome the repercussions of slavery. Does this country owe a financial debt to the descendants of black slaves? Who should pay and receive reparations? How much is owed? Instead of repairing damage, might such payments polarize communities and create new racial tensions?

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Capitol Men: The First Black Congressmen

Tue, Feb 24, 2009

Philip Dray tells the the epic story of America's reconstruction through the lives of the first black congressmen. After the ratification of the 15th Amendment, which granted black men suffrage, 16 black southerners were elected to the United States Congress. These Capitol men faced a high degree of hostility and scrutiny upon their arrival in Washington, yet actively pursued civil rights and lasting economic and educational reforms. Dray reveals how these men became a source of inspiration for Americans in the years following the Civil War, and how they laid the groundwork for future civil rights legislation.

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Scandal on the Stage: Banned Theater in Boston

Thu, May 1, 2003

This program includes vignettes of censored plays in Boston, beginning with the Puritan censorship of Morton's Maypole and climaxing with the 1929 banning of Eugene O'Neill's Freudian theatrical experiment, Strange Interlude. A panel discusses the performances, the historical ideas of censorship, and what forms censorship takes today.

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Native Americans and the Boston Harbor Islands

Wed, May 7, 2003

Currently the home of a waste water treatment plant, many do not know Deer Island's history as an internment camp for Native Americans (many of whom died) in the 1675 war known (in Anglicized terms) as King Phillip's war. Multiple perspectives (Anglicized and Native American) are still being revealed about the dark pages of Deer Island's history. This and other topics particular to Native American history and the Boston Harbor Islands are discussed with a diverse panel moderated by cultural anthropologist for the National Park Service (Northeast Region) George Price. Panelists include Edith Andrews, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Jim Peters, Executive Director, MA Commission on Indian Affairs, and member of the Wampanoag Mashpee, and Pat Garwood, Tribal Council, Nipmuc Nation.

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Military History of the Boston Harbor Islands

Wed, May 28, 2003

Historian and author Jayne Triber draws on her research and experiences working at Fort Independence on Castle Island in South Boston and at the Boston Harbor Islands national park area to review the dramatic, colorful, and military history of these hidden treasures. For over 350 years, the Boston Harbor Islands have played an important role in the defense of Boston, Massachusetts and the United States. From the colonial period to the Cold War, the Harbor Islands have been the site of fortifications, training camps, prisoner-of-war camps, and Nike missile installations.

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Patriots of Color: Revolutionary Heroes

Mon, Jun 16, 2003

State Representative Byron Rushing and James Horton, an historian at George Washington University, salute Native American and African American war heroes. This event includes performances and authentic music from the Revolutionary War. It was co-sponsored by the Boston National Historical Park, Massachusetts Historical Society, and Old South Meeting House. The Patriots of Color Celebration derives from the National Park Service report titled, "Patriots of Color, 'A Peculiar Beauty and Merit': African Americans and Native Americans at Battle Road and Bunker Hill". Revolutionary War consultant George Quintal Jr. painstakingly uncovered approximately 120 new minority identities, untold stories that literally and figuratively change the faces of the Lexington and Concord, and Bunker Hill battles. The report's concept was to revive the neglected historical memory of those men before they were permanently lost. The Patriots of Color Celebration reminds the Boston community about their enduring pluralistic heritage and will help educate the public about the African American and Native American communities that are often under-recognized for their ancestral contributions to the Revolutionary War.

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