Join the 17th Century
Explore the story of early Boston, Massachusetts, and the wider 17TH century world
Puritans in the 21st century: a symposium
Are New England’s Puritans the first Christian Nationalists? What would John Winthrop, who stood down after his election defeat, have to say about the state of US politics? Why can’t we budge the myths about the Puritans as fun-hating, sex-loathing, grim-faced martinets?
Join us on Saturday, November 7, for Puritans in the 21st Century: Politics, Myths and the Future, a day-long symposium, held online and in the gorgeous setting of American Ancestors, central Boston, asking whether the Puritans still matter today.
In a series of lively, engaging talks with plenty of time for Q&A, leading scholars of Puritanism address all the questions you’ve been storing up (church and state? level of toleration?) and more. From resistance to tyranny to the question of coexistence with Native people to claims of American exceptionalism, we’ve got you covered. Plus: is there a future for Puritan studies?
Register now to join Francis Bremer, Holly Brewer, John Coffey, David Hall, Abram Van Engen, Daniel Richter, Adrian Chastain Weimer, Neal Dugre, Lori Rogers-Stokes, and Meredith Neuman in the first major gathering of Puritan scholars in more than 25 years. The cost for the entire day is $25/person, $10/students, or free online. Come early for coffee and pastries, stay for the day. You’ll be captivated!
Puritans in the 21st Century is hosted by American Ancestors, the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, the Congregational Library & Archives, First Church Bostons, Massachusetts Historical Society and the Partnership of Historic Bostons.
For the schedule, topics and speaker bios, click here.
John Winthrop might well be turning over in his grave in King’s Chapel at the thought of today’s US politics. Or would he? Find out more at Puritans in the 21st Century, a symposium of Puritan scholars on Saturday, Nov 7. Image courtesy of American Ancestors
welcome to Indigenous history
Buckle up, because here’s our Indigenous history month! October is full of events that you’ll want to attend, online and in person.
First, there’s Indigenous People’s Day on October 12. We’ve produced a list of all the IPD events we know of in Massachusetts. If we missed your event, let us know at phbostons@gmail.com and we’ll add it.
Then, we’ve got events to bring you new histories and a book club to help us ponder together the meaning of Indigenous-colonial history, the cost of enslavement, and how we reckon with it today. Because the publisher offered us a fabulous 50% discount on Linford Fisher’s masterful Stealing America, we passed it on to you, distributing nearly 100 copies. You’ve got the book, read it - now let’s discuss! Join our Stealing America discussion either Saturday, October 17 or Thursday, November 12.
Other organisations also bring you great history:
On October 8, 7pm online, the Sowams Heritage Project hosts a panel discussion, King Philip’s War 350 Years Later: What We Remembered, What We Missed, What Comes Next. Together the panelists look at how King Philip’s War was commemorated this year, which audiences were reached, and how its history may be marked in the future.
The Congregational Library & Archives brings you an unparalleled dive into the archives with speakers Brad Lopes, Tricia Peone and Heather Williams exploring primary documents to see what they tell us about King Philip’s War and how it was recorded. Sign up here.
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Events
STOLEN RELATIONS: A PANEL DISCUSSION
LINFORD FISHER, CHERYLL TONEY HOLLEY, PAULA PETERS AND LORÉN SPEARS
ONLINE, OCTOBER 7, 2026, 7-8:30PM
Hundreds of thousands of Indigenous people were enslaved after 1492. Where did they go? What were their names? What lives did they live? In a groundbreaking project, Stolen Relations, researchers and tribal historians set out to find the answers. Join this eloquent panel of Indigenous speakers, moderated by historian Linford Fisher, to learn how they created the project, carried out the research, how you can use the website, and what it all means.
“We need a full and honest
reckoning with our history.”
— attendee, Tyranny vs Liberty series
Change at Peskeompskut
In May 2026, hundreds of people gathered to mourn the slaughter of 300 elders, women and children by colonial forces at Turners Falls, in one of the worst atrocities in King Philip’s War. But this Day of Remembrance was not just about mourning. It marked the telling of the truthful story of the massacre, as Liz Cold Wind Santana-Kiser and David Brule relate.
JOIN OUR BOOK CLUB!
“Vivid, insightful, and provocative”… “masterful”… “a much-needed history.” These descriptions of Linford Fisher’s Stealing America prompted us to purchase, distribute, and read his book - which entirely lives up to its reputation. Join Evana Rose Tamayo and Dorothy Clark in voicing your opinion of Stealing America - and why, or why not, it matters.
surprising revolutionaries
New England Puritans insisted on self-government, bearing with them their charter. They drafted the first American bill of rights, enshrining liberties which far surpassed any in the English-speaking world. Who would have thought that Puritans could be so revolutionary? Francis J. Bremer explores the 1641 Body of Liberties and its guarantee of due process, the right to protest, and equality under the law.
“This talk opened a new world for me.”
— attendee, ‘I Pledge Allegiance’: Sovereignty and Sanctuary in the Dawnland