Monthly Spotlight Series
The People, Places, and Ideas
that Shaped a Nation
Each month, Revolutionary Spaces shines a light on a key figure, pivotal event, bold idea, or distinctive object connected to the Old State House, Old South Meeting House, or the broader story of the American Revolution. These Monthly Spotlights invite visitors to learn more about the people and moments that shaped our nation’s founding—and continue to shape our understanding of democracy today.
Guests can explore themed displays featuring historic photographs, primary source documents, and hands-on activities daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, offering new ways to engage with our shared past. Read more about our previous and upcoming Monthly Spotlights and then plan your next visit by purchasing your tickets today!
Current Monthly Spotlight
July 2026 - Declaration of Independence
It’s the 250th anniversary of the United States and the document that started it all: the Declaration of Independence! While the Second Continental Congress made early efforts to salvage America’s relationship with Britain following the outbreak of war, King George III’s response caused many delegates to question if the relationship was worth saving at all.
Delegates like John Adams pushed for independence and eventually made progress. On June 7, 1776, a resolution was introduced calling for independence and days later five men (including Adams) were chosen to draft a document declaring and justifying independence. On July 2, the resolution was officially adopted, and two days later, the Declaration of Independence was approved. It was then printed and sent off to every colony. When it arrived in Boston, it was read from the balcony of the Old State House on July 18, where it was met by cheering crowds who caused quite a ruckus throughout the town.
Learn more about the lead up to the Declaration, read firsthand accounts of its first reading in Boston, and dress up and read an excerpt yourself in the very room where it was first proclaimed, all at the Old State House, all month long!
August 2026 - George Robert Twelves Hewes
First attracting the attention of his fellow Americans decades after his role in the American Revolution had ended, George Robert Twelves Hewes was much more than the wizened figure depicted in The Centenarian. Present for nearly every major event in Boston during the Revolution, and a veteran of the Revolutionary War, Hewes is an example of the deeply important role working-class people played in achieving American independence.
Born in Boston in 1742 to a large, poor family, Hewes tried to improve his position in life by enlisting in the British military, but he was too short to serve. A shoemaker by trade, Hewes channeled his energies into the growing political tensions between Boston and Parliament. He was in the crowd outside of the Old State House the night of the Boston Massacre and was one of the men who dumped the tea into Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773.
Hewes served as a privateer and militiaman during the Revolutionary War. After the war, he moved to upstate New York and lived a largely uneventful life until two writers tracked him down and wrote biographies of him in the 1830s. These biographies turned Hewes into a regional celebrity, reigniting the public’s interest in the Tea Party and the founding generation. Learn all about this working-class hero at the Old State House this month and draw what you think you might look like as a centenarian!
This month, Revolutionary Spaces is spotlighting one of the most important events of the American Revolution: the Boston Tea Party.