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Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas

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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://revolutionaryspaces.org

  • 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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  • Industry's Revolution: The Labor Movement in Greater Boston and Beyond

    Thu, Sep 9, 2010
    Historian Phillip Dray, award-winning author of *There is Power in a Union*, examines how the labor movement over time has invoked our nation’s revolutionary ideals—freedom, individualism and liberty—in its exploration of labor, capital, class politics and corporate might. Industry arrived in the early years of our young republic, and with it came a vigorous labor movement that paralleled the path of our nation’s social and cultural history. The American labor movement has endured picket lines, police batons and strikes, and has celebrated the successful creation of fair workers’ rights and safer working conditions.
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  • Tragedy in November: The Luongo Fire and Thanksgiving Day Fires

    Thu, Nov 18, 2010
    Former Boston Fire Commissioner Paul Christian shares the story of the little-known Luongo fire as well as that of the 8-alarm Thanksgiving Day Fire of 1889. November has been a tragic month in Boston's fire history. On November 15, 1942, a fire started in the back room of the Luongo Restaurant in East Boston. Just hours later, without warning, a wall collapsed, trapping firefighters in burning debris and burying the city's largest ladder truck. Eight firemen were killed. Presented in collaboration with the Boston Fire Historical Society, the Boston Fire Department, Downtown Crossing Partnership, the National Fire Prevention Association and other local partners. Special thanks to author and historian Stephanie Schorow.
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  • Legacy of the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire

    Thu, Nov 11, 2010
    On November 28, 1942, a vibrant and popular nightclub turned into a horrifying inferno via a fast-moving and searing fire that left nearly 500 people dead. The personal stories that emerged from this tragic event shocked the nation and led to sweeping changes in fire regulations, emergency procedures, and medicine. Casey Grant, research director of the Fire Protection Research Foundation of the National Fire Protection Association and expert on the Cocoanut Grove fire, examines the impact and legacy of this fire. Presented in collaboration with the Boston Fire Historical Society, the Boston Fire Department, Downtown Crossing Partnership, the National Fire Prevention Association and other local partners. Special thanks to author and historian Stephanie Schorow.
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  • City Censors: The Notorious Watch and Ward Society

    Tue, Sep 28, 2010
    Neil Miller, author and lecturer in journalism at Tufts University, traces the evolution of the straitlaced, New England Watch and Ward Society from its aristocratic reformist roots to its ruthless moral crusades. The influential and contentious New England Watch and Ward Society acted as Boston’s unofficial moral guardians for over 80 years. These elite watchdogs actively policed the city’s social evils from gambling and prostitution, to obscene books and scandalous theater. Elaborate sting operations, raids, ample arrests, and courtroom battles earned the Society notoriety and Boston a reputation as a prudish and puritanical city.
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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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  • 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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  • From Apple Pie to Pad Thai

    Thu, Mar 13, 2003
    Linda Bassett speaks about New England's "Gold Coast" (Massachusetts' North Shore) and how the influx of immigrants into the area shaped the eating habits of its residents. Learn about the impact of traditional Jewish, Portuguese, Greek, and African-American dishes on New England dining rooms.
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  • Not So Sweet: Baker Chocolate Factory

    Thu, Mar 20, 2003
    Author and historian Anthony M. Sammarco tells the fascinating and not always sweet tale of the Boston chocolate mill's roots, which date back to the 1700s. When one thinks of chocolate, the name "Baker's Chocolate" comes to mind, with its trademark chocolate woman. Sammarco explores the history of the company, beginning with the moment when Dr. James Baker and his chocolate maker John Hannonthe established the first chocolate mill in America, in a converted wooden mill on the banks of the Neponset River in Massachusetts. Within a century, the company, known as the Walter Baker Company, Ltd. had become known throughout the world as the oldest manufacturer of chocolate in the United States.
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  • Tuskegee Airmen of World War II

    Thu, Feb 26, 2004
    Enoch Woodhouse, attorney and veteran Tuskegee Airman, explains how the heroic deeds of the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II were an important factor in ending racial segregation in the US military by 1948.
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