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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

Ravishing Affection: Debunking the Myths of the Puritans and Sex

Wed, Oct 26, 2016

Have you heard the term “Puritanical” used to refer to buttoned-up attitudes about sex? A persistent myth about the Puritans is that they were prudes who disdained talk about sex and sought to repress sexual expression. An examination of their writings and behavior reveal that most Puritans were surprisingly open. Many – including Massachusetts’ first governor and his wife - freely expressed their passionate longings towards their loved ones, and were eager to fulfill their duties in marital relationships. Surprise yourself with this scholarly, masterful, and unexpected talk by one of the world’s leading scholars on Puritan New England.

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History of the U.S. Lightship Service, 1820–1985

Fri, Oct 7, 2016

Part of the Series Beacons of Beantown: 300 Years of Boston Lights, Co-Presented by Old South Meeting House and Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands From 1820 to 1985, the U.S. government built 179 lightships, ships that functioned as “floating lighthouses,” in coastal waters and on the Great Lakes –where environmental hazards and conditions made construction of a lighthouse impractical. These ships housed bright and powerful navigational light beacons atop their masts to guide maritime traffic into their ports of call. The largest lightship ever built in the U.S. was the Nantucket Lightship/LV-112; as the first landmark seen by transatlantic ships entering American waters from Europe, she earned the nickname “Statue of Liberty of the Sea.” Built in 1936, Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 today is berthed in her homeport of Boston, and open to the public while undergoing restoration. Robert Mannino, Jr., president of the U.S. Lightship Museum, will share the fascinating story of this National Historic Landmark and National Treasure, placing it in the colorful history of the U.S. Lightship Service as a whole.

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Boston Light: 300 Years of Service

Fri, Oct 21, 2016

Established in 1716 to guide ships safely into the port of Boston, U.S. Coast Guard Light Station Boston continues to flash its beam across Massachusetts Bay 300 years later. Boston Light is the last manned Coast Guard Light Station in the country, located on Little Brewster Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor – one of the 34 islands and mainland parks comprising the Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park. Sally Snowman, the 70th Keeper of Boston Light, will delight her audience with tales about Boston Light, family life on Little Brewster Island and the importance of this historic lighthouse for tomorrow’s mariner.

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Igniting the American Revolution

Mon, Jun 20, 2016

Historian **Derek W. Beck** shares highlights from his book, _The War Before Independence: 1775-1776_ (2016), which draws on previously unpublished documents, letters, and diaries to explore pivotal events of the violent years of 1775 and 1776. From the Boston Tea Party to Paul Revere's famous midnight ride, from the lesser-known William Dawes's journey to Lexington, to Benedict Arnold's taking of Fort Ticonderoga and the letters of Gen. Thomas Gage, from the Battle of Bunker Hill to the exciting conclusion of the Boston Campaign, the book transports readers to this tumultuous chapter in the American story. (Photo: [Flickr/Ken Lund](https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenlund/67839322 "Paul Revere statue"), image cropped)

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David McCullough and Brent D. Glass: Essential Historic Sites

Wed, Jun 15, 2016

Acclaimed prize-winning author **David McCullough** and expert historian **Brent D. Glass**, Director Emeritus of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, discuss the importance of experiencing and preserving our essential historic sites and their stories: compelling struggles of democracy and self-government; the dramatic impact of military conflict; the powerful role of innovation and enterprise; the inspiring achievements of diverse cultural traditions; and the defining influence of the land and its resources. The book _50 Great American Places: Essential Historic Sites Across the U.S._ (2016), written by Glass with a foreword by McCullough, is a one-of-a-kind guide to fifty of these places - including Boston and sites on the Freedom Trail and Black Heritage Trail - that reveal a national narrative that is often surprising, sometimes tragic, and always engaging. (Photo: [Flickr/Brandon Turner](https://www.flickr.com/photos/brandonturner/8505133195 "Freedom Trail cover McCullough and Glass"), image cropped)

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Picturing Frederick Douglass: The Most Photographed American of the 19th Century

Tue, Mar 29, 2016

Newly discovered photographs of Frederick Douglass reveal that he – not Lincoln, Whitman, or General Custer, as previously claimed – was the most photographed American of the 19th century. Douglass understood the promise of his country’s new fascination with the camera and believed that photography could be a catalyst for reform. He used these widely circulated portraits to create a black public persona, counter racist iconography, and promote equality. University of Nottingham Professor Zoe Trodd traces Douglass’s visual journey from fugitive slave to elder statesman, and outlines the legacy of these 160+ photographs.

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Old South Meeting House and Historic Preservation in America

Wed, May 25, 2016

**Erica Lindamood** of Old South Meeting House and **Alison Frazee** of the Boston Preservation Alliance discuss the Meeting House's important place in the historic preservation movement throughout New England and across the nation. From America's first stay of demolition, to creative fundraising solutions involving the "Mary Had a Little Lamb" namesake and a fiery speech by Wendell Phillips, there's a story for historians and preservation buffs of all stripes. (Image: [Flickr/Boston Public Library](https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/2350740709 "OSMH preservation cover"))

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Talk Matters: Civic Oration Yesterday and Today

Fri, Apr 22, 2016

For 2,500 years, from the Greek agoras to today's TED Talks, civic society has relied on public oration as a way to discuss and debate social and political issues. However, the prevalence of mass media in the 21st century has nearly obliterated the live and impassioned public speech that marked historical activism – including public responses to the Boston Massacre, and the "Meetings of the Body of the People" that led to the Boston Tea Party. So what has taken its place? Boston College professor **Celeste Wells** and spoken word poet **Danny DeLeon** discuss the history of civic oration and today’s different but equally powerful citizen orators.

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Frederick Douglass: Orator for the Ages

Fri, Apr 8, 2016

On July 5th, 1852, Frederick Douglass told a group of abolitionists in Rochester, NY, “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.” Join Harvard professor and Mass Humanities board member John Stauffer as he discusses the significance of Douglass's speech in its time, the public programs it has inspired, and its resonance in 21st-century America.

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I Now Pronounce You: Lucy Stone

Fri, Mar 25, 2016

Meet Lucy Stone, the first woman from Massachusetts to earn a college degree and a lifelong supporter of human rights. As a scholar, Stone studied Greek and Hebrew and argued that the Holy Bible was mistranslated to oppress and objectify women. In her personal life, she demanded that her marriage vows be rewritten and refused to take her husband’s surname, leading to the moniker "Lucy Stoner" for a woman who does just that. As a public speaker, Stone campaigned for equal rights for women and African-Americans, and inspired many women, including Susan B. Anthony, to join the suffrage movement. Critically acclaimed actress **Judith Kalaora** portrays this outspoken 19th-century "feminist-abolitionist" in this performance, written by the actress herself. (Image: [Public domain], via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lucy_stone.jpg "LucyStone"), image cropped)

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