Jewish Heritage on Beacon Hill
Scholar Ellen Smith traces the history of Jewish immigrants and the Jewish community in Boston from the colonial era in the 1700s to the present day.
Scholar Ellen Smith traces the history of Jewish immigrants and the Jewish community in Boston from the colonial era in the 1700s to the present day.
Executive Director of the Museum of Afro-American History Beverly Morgan-Welch discusses the history of the Museum's meeting house and of the museum itself.
Stephen Kendrick, author of Sarah's Long Walk, traces the history of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education landmark decision in favor of school desegregation back through American history to a court case in 1848. In 1848, African-American attorney Robert Morris supported a Boston African-American man in suing for his daughter's right to go to a desegregated school close to her home.
Associate director of the Boston Athenaeum John Lannon outlines the history of the Athenaeum, a leading research library founded in 1807 which houses notable artifacts from American history.
A panel of scholars responds to the second part of the PBS miniseries Slavery and the Making of America, which focuses on the Northeast, and includes the story of Mum Bett, who sued for her freedom in Massachusetts and whose victory led to the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts in 1783.
Bruce Twickler, writer and director of the film Damrell's Fire, describes the Great Boston Fire of 1872, emphasizing the role of Fire Chief John Damrell in minimizing loss of life to the fire.
Reporter Stephanie Schorow, author of Boston on Fire: A History of Fires and Firefighting in Boston, describes the fire that burned down the Boston nightclub Cocoanut Grove in 1942. Schorow looks at the social, medical, and legal repercussions of the fire; myths and misconceptions that surround the fire; and Boston's collective memory of the fire.
Author Nancy Schultz, author of Fire and Roses: The Burning of the Charlestown Convent, 1834, describes the burning down of a Roman Catholic convent and elite boarding school in 19th-century Boston; and discusses its causes.
Susan Wilson, author of Boston Sites and Insights: A Guide to Historical Landmarks, examines Boston landmarks, from the African Meeting House and the famously misunderstood Bunker Hill, to reveal the lesser-known stories and facts about them. Her presentation includes slides.
World War II U.S. Navy veteran Gerald Halderman talks about his experiences during the war, in the Pacific theatre.
The audio of this clip is available as a downloadable MP3 file.