EVENTS
Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA
hugh peter and the orphans
ONLINE, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2026, 7-8:30pm ET
SAMUEL FULLERTON
Was it fake news? Royalists saw only the devil whispering “You are mine” in former Salem minister Hugh Peter’s ear, a sign of his malevolent intent in sending homeless London orphans to New England in the civil war years. Join historian Samuel Fullerton in exploring this 17th century conspiracy theory as Royalists marshalled the power of print media to tar Peter’s arguably benevolent project with accusations of subjecting young people to the evils of Puritanism.
book club: The PASSION OF ANNE HUTCHINSON
ONLINE, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2026, 7-8:30pm ET
EVANA ROSE TAMAYO
Heretic or heroine? This is the debate that has long bedevilled people fascinated by early Puritan Boston. In this discussion of Marilyn Westerkamp’s acclaimed Passion of Anne Hutchinson, we’ll explore the trial of a woman that came to define her - and her challenged to the Puritan order from within. By looking at her from a variety of perspectives - as theologian, power-holder, and in exile - we’ll come to know this most controversial woman in New England. Join us!
The Unknown War: an introduction
ONLINE, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2026, 7-8:30pm ET
KEVIN MARCH
Bloody, terrifying, brutal - King Philip’s War terrorized English and Indigenous people alike, a war so horrific that it became the single most deadly conflict, per capita, than any other American conflict. What was King Philip’s War, what prompted it, how was it fought, what were the outcomes? Why is it important? This vital introduction by Kevin March launches us into our program series Metacom’s Resistance - it’s an introduction you won’t want to miss. Register now!
The past is now
IN PERSON AND LIVESTREAMED, TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2026, 6-7:30pm ET
CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY
HARTMAN DEETZ, BRAD LOPES, BRITTNEY WALLEY, ELIZABETH SOLOMON
People who are not Indigenous often think of King Philip’s War, if they think of it at all, as part of a far distant past - the only reminder the occasional historical marker. This inter-tribal panel of Indigenous speakers tells us that the brutal events of 350 years ago are still with us today. For them, as it should be for all of us, King Philip’s War is vividly present, shaping daily life, the landscape, and memory. Join us live at the Cambridge Public Library and online for this profound discussion.
surviving slavery
IN PERSON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2026, 6-7:30pm ET
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE REGISTRATION FOR IN-PERSON AT THE COLONIAL SOCIETY OF MASSACHUSETTS. PLACES LIMITED TO 50
LINFORD FISHER
Women, children, combatants, noncombatants, Christian and non-Christian - anyone who was Indigenous could be captured and sold into slavery in King Philip’s War to places as far away as Tangier and the Caribbean. Historian Lin Fisher reveals this little known history with an in-person talk at the Colonial Society, Beacon Hill, and livestreamed. Based in part on his forthcoming book, Stealing America, which you can purchase at a 50% discount through PHB. Both heartbreaking and essential.
surviving slavery
LIVESTREAMED, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2026, 6-7:30pm ET
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE REGISTRATION FOR ONLINE
LINFORD FISHER
Women, children, combatants, noncombatants, Christian and non-Christian - anyone who was Indigenous during King Philip’s War could be captured and sold into slavery to places as distant as Tangier or the Caribbean. Historian Lin Fisher reveals this little known history with an in-person and live-streamed talk at the Colonial Society, Beacon Hill, Boston. Based in part on his forthcoming book, Stealing America, which you can purchase at a 50% discount through PHB. A topic that’s both heartbreaking and essential.
book club: whose story?
ONLINE, SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2026, 11am-12:30pm ET
EVANA ROSE TAMAYO
For centuries, mainstream understanding of King Philip’s War was based on accounts such as Mary Rowlandson’s story of her captivity and ransom. But then William Apess, Pequot minister, author and activist, came along. His Eulogy on King Philip, published in the early 19th century, turns Rowlandson’s captivity narrative on its head. In our virtual book club, we’ll read and discuss writings from each of them - conflicting views powerfully argued. What will you think?
Erasure: History and Memory in the Archives
ONLINE, THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 7-8:30pm ET
TRICIA PEONE
Why don’t we know about King Philip’s War? The answer, says the Congregational Library’s Tricia Peone, is found in the archives. Historians from John Eliot and Increase Mather wrote their accounts of what happened - and this point of view prevailed into the 20th century, effectively erasing Indigenous people in the process. Delve into the primary sources to see how our understanding of history has been shaped, and explore the Congregational Library’s remarkable new online source on King Philip’s War.
book club: whose story?
ONLINE, TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2026, 7-8:30pm ET
EVANA ROSE TAMAYO
For centuries, mainstream understanding of King Philip’s War was based on accounts such as Mary Rowlandson’s story of her captivity and ransom. But then William Apess, Pequot minister, author and activist, came along. His Eulogy on King Philip, published in the early 19th century, turns Rowlandson’s captivity narrative on its head. In our virtual book club, we’ll read and discuss writings from each of them - conflicting views powerfully argued. What will you think?
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT TURNERS FALLS?
ONLINE, WEDNESDAY MAY 6, 2026, 7-8:30pm ET
DAVID BRULE, DAVID NAUMEC AND LIZ COLD WIND SANTANA-KISER
The monument to Captain William Turner proclaims a great colonial victory, 350 years ago on May 19, 1676: this panel discussion tells you the truth, based on a 13-year, National Park Service-funded investigation. David Brule, president of the Nolumbeka Project, archaeologist David Naumec, and Liz Cold Wind Santana-Kiser, tribal historic preservation officer of the Chaubunagungamaug Band of Nipmuck Indians, all played pivotal roles in this groundbreaking investigation. In this panel, they’ll explain what the evidence tells us, and why and how we need to remember the past differently.
THE LONG LEGACY
IN PERSON AND LIVESTREAMED, THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2026, 5:30-7:30pm ET
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, COPLEY SQUARE
CHERYLL TONEY HOLLEY, PAULA PETERS, MACK SCOTT AND KIMBERLY TONEY
Forced displacement, enslavement, land seizures and dispossession, a global diaspora and suppression of languages - the war that bore the name of Metacom, or Philip, left a long and devastating trail of destruction. Join this important panel discussion, live at the Boston Public Library and livestreamed, in asking: what is due to the people of the Eastern Woodlands? How do we reckon with this bloody history and its legacy today? The final event in our Metacom’s Resistance series.
“You knocked it out of the park with this lecture. Have signed up for them all.”
—attendee, Enslavement & Resistance series