Robert A. Gross is a renowned historian specializing in Revolutionary and 19th-century America. His Bancroft Prize-winning 'The Minutemen and Their World' (1976) examines Concord’s role in the American Revolution, blending social history with political change. His second book, 'The Transcendentalists and Their World'(2021), winner of the Peter J. Gomes Memorial Book Prize at Massachusetts Historical Society, explores Concord’s shift into a hub of intellectual thought, focusing on figures like Emerson and Thoreau. Gross’s work masterfully connects local history with broader themes of community and change. A respected scholar, he has held positions at institutions including Amherst College, the College of William & Mary, and the University of Connecticut.

Preeminent scholars Serena Zabin, Carleton College, and Robert A. Gross, University of Connecticut Emeritus convene in Concord where 250 years ago, the "shot heard round the world" ignited the American Revolution. Joined in conversation by Katherine Grandjean, Wellesley College, the scholars discuss New England society's challenges and the epochal day of April 19, 1775, when an outbreak of fighting led to the formation of a republic.

1775: A Society on the Brink of War and Revolution is co-hosted by The Concord Museum, the David Center for the American Revolution at the American Philosophical Society, and the Massachusetts Historical Society.

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Prize-winning historian Matthew Lockwood looks at the impulse to explore, the travels of Pocahontas, Columbus, Sacagawea, and Captain Cook alongside others who rightfully deserve the title of “explorers” including immigrants and fugitive slaves.

According to Lockwood, people of every background imagine new worlds. The impulse to seek new places is universal to humanity. In his new book, “Explorers,” he unfurls a tapestry of surprising and historically overlooked travelers spanning forty centuries and six continents. His illustrated talk will share the stories of such seekers as David Dorr, born into slavery in New Orleans who embarked on a Grand Tour or Europe and Egypt, and the Viking female voyager Gudrid Far-Traveler, who sailed to North America in 1000 AD; among other pioneers.

MATTHEW LOCKWOOD is an associate professor of history at the University of Alabama. He earned his PhD from Yale University and is theauthor of “This Land of Promise: A History of Refugees and Exiles in Britain, To Begin the World Over Again,” ”The Conquest of Death,” and “To Begin the World Over Again: How the American Revolution Devastated the Globe,” which was a New York Times “Editor’s Choice” and a Financial Times “Top 10 Book of the Year.”

When Francis Cabot Lowell revolutionized industrial manufacturing, he could never have imagined that industrialization at scale would change everything about the way we work, live, and even eat. Join us for an eye-opening talk from NYU Professor Amy Bentley as she traces the development of the modern American diet as it became another sector of the mass manufacturing commercial economy. Food could be processed, packaged, and sold faster, more efficiently, and in huge quantities – but there were serious unintended consequences. Her case study – baby food.

By the 1950s, commercial baby food had become emblematic of all things modern in postwar America. Little jars of baby food were thought to resolve a multitude of problems in the domestic sphere, but these baby food products laden with sugar, salt, and starch also became a gateway to the industrialized diet that blossomed during this period.

Today, baby food continues to be shaped by medical, commercial, and parenting trends. Baby food producers now contend with health and nutrition problems as well as the rise of alternative food movements. All of this matters because it’s during infancy that palates become acclimated to tastes and textures, including those of highly processed, minimally nutritious, and calorie-dense industrial food products.

Under the leadership of Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch grew its staff to over 500 and was able to conduct investigations in 100 countries to uncover abuses and pressure offending governments to desist. Roth has grappled with the worst of humanity, taken on its biggest offenders and persuaded leaders from around the globe to stand up to their repressive counterparts.

Roth was the son of a Jewish butcher, who escaped Nazi Germany just before the war began. Roth grew up knowing full well how inhumane governments could be. His work took him all over the world to confront cruelty and injustice on its home turf. Roth arrived in Rwanda shortly after the Genocide; he scrutinized the impact of Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait and investigated and condemned Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians. He directed efforts to curtail the Chinese government’s persecution of Uyghur Muslims, to bring Myanmar’s officials to justice after the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims, to halt Russian war crimes in Ukraine, even to reign in the U.S. government. Roth’s strategies included the deployment of an ancient but powerful tool – “shaming” – and illustrates its surprising effectiveness.

His book is a chronicle of the ongoing global battle to redress injustice and tilt the scales toward good.

Alberto Vasallo, III, the CEO of El Mundo Boston, brings together Latino professionals who are philanthropic leaders in Boston. They will share how Latinos are stepping into the gaps where traditional giving does not reach their communities. Learn more about where they recognize the opportunities to invest in positive growth.

With:
Elias Torres - Founder and CEO of Agency AI

Mary Skelton Roberts - CEO, Philanthropy MA

Aixa Beauchamp - Co-Founder of The Latino Equity Fund

Nora Moreno Cargie - President, Point32Health Foundation  

Join GBH for community conversations that amplify local voices from Boston and beyond. Recorded in front of the cafe audience at GBH’s studio in the Boston Public Library, GBH Amplifies features a rotating cast of well-known hosts from local media, community organizations, and more.

Join Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University, Brandeis University Press, and  Revolutionary Spaces for a conversation about Boston’s historical architecture—an essential part of the city’s enduring beauty and character. 'Boston’s Oldest Buildings and Where to Find Them' (Brandeis University Press) is the first book to dive into the city’s fifty oldest buildings.

City Archaeologist Joseph Bagley’s narrative introduces readers to Boston’s early history through maps, photographs, and an overview of the city’s historic preservation movement. As Boston approaches its four-hundredth anniversary, don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about our historic city.

Moderated by Robert J. Allison, Professor of History at Suffolk University.

Joseph M. Bagley is the city archaeologist of Boston, a historic preservationist, and a staff member of the Boston Landmarks Commission. He has worked for multiple local and state historic preservation offices, including the Maine Historic Preservation Commission and the Massachusetts Historical Commission. In 2016, he published his award-winning first book, 'A History of Boston in 50 Artifacts' (Brandeis University Press).

Hear from three Boston leaders who are driving for equity in healthcare. Hear about their latest efforts to fight for support and make space for more choices as they help advance access to healthcare services for everyone.