Crime historian Karen Elizabeth Chaney examines the case of Lizzie Bordan, accused of killing her father and stepmother with an ax in Fall River, MA, on August 4, 1892. Chaney focuses on the journalistic coverage of the case and the gender issues and sensationalism it dealt in.
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Ray Raphael discusses whether or not Samuel Adams really gave a "signal" for the Boston Tea Party, the real story of Paul Revere's ride, and the role of the average person in the events leading up to the American Revolution. Raphael focuses on the overlap of history and storytelling, and the creation of history-based mythology.
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Author Hiller Zobel explores the death of Christopher Seider, an 11-year-old shot and killed during a riot on Feb. 22, 1770, and the trial of Boston loyalist Ebenezer Richardson for his murder. Zobel casts this as an event leading up to the Boston Massacre.
Professor Marla Miller discusses the falling out of use of the term "mantuamaker" by female dressmakers in Boston and the transition to the term "dressmaker." Miller focuses on the history of dressmaking and of women as dressmakers, beginning in the colonial era and continuing to the 1800s. Her presentation includes slides.
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Professors Seth Jacobs and Franziska Seraphim lecture on America's strategy in the Pacific during World War II, and how Americans perceived the Japanese enemy. They discusses America's war crimes against the Japanese, anti-Japanese propaganda, and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
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.
American Textile History Museum curator Karen Herbaugh looks at the sewing diaries of three New England women and one young girl, compiled in the late 1800s and early 1900s. She examines the history of fashion and fabric revealed by the diaries. This presentation includes slides.
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A panel including sports columnists and announcers and the Boston Red Sox president discusses how perception and management of baseball has changed over time. The panel addresses contemporary material as well as historical.
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Black history and studies scholar Manning Marable explores African American perceptions of history and major historical figures, particularly those of the Civil Rights Movement. Marable focuses on how and why African Americans have chosen some figures as representative of Black history and culture—that is, as heroes.
Nancy Carlisle, curator of the exhibit "Cherished Possessions," examines the history of New England furniture and decorative arts objects and the lives of the people who owned them. Carlisle covers objects and people from the 17th to the late 20th century. Her presentation includes slides.