Through staff-written articles about the hidden gems of our collection and lesser-known stories of the city’s history, the Boston Reconsidered Blog invites readers to explore the extensive, complicated, and diverse history of Boston. Our blog posts bring our 18th century sites to researchers, students, and everyday historians in an accessible 21st century format.

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Blogs

Meet Polly: The Polly Sumner Doll Reproduction Project, Part 2

The continued story of the reproduction of the 250-year-old Polly Sumner doll, on display now at the Old South Meeting House.

Interview with Dr. Jacqueline Beatty

We sat down with Dr. Jacqueline Beatty to talk about her new book "In Dependence: Women and the Patriarchal State in Revolutionary America."

Meet Polly: The Polly Sumner Doll Reproduction Project, Part 1

In early 2022, Revolutionary Spaces received a generous gift from Rick Wiggin, former Executive Director of the Bostonian Society, to create a reproduction of the Polly Sumner doll.

Abolitionist Petitioning and the Gag Rule

While petitions played an important role in the abolitionist movement, the Gag Rules of the 19th century and free speech debates in the 20th century have only diminished their power further. How did our nation's petitioning culture change so radically?

The Boston Massacre and Modern Police Violence

The most famous incident of gun violence in American history is undoubtedly the Boston Massacre. But violence perpetrated by the state didn’t end with British rule; we are all too familiar with it in the 21st century.

The Massachusetts State House “Sacred Cod”

Despite its relative obscurity, the “Sacred Cod” that hangs in the Chamber of the House of Representatives in the Massachusetts State House has served a valuable purpose for legislators for over two hundred years.