Drawn from MHS collections, our primary source sets promote learning in U.S. history and civics and are supported by teaching activities and guiding questions.

primary source sets
 

 

Theme
Glass bottle full of dry tea leaves positioned on its side so the handwritten label is visible
Boston 1773: The Destruction of the Tea
View Source Set
Painting of violent altercation between red-wearing British soldiers holding rifles and unarmed civilians. A black man is shot in the center.
The Evolving Legacy of Crispus Attucks, 1770-1863
View Source Set
Colored drawing depicting the King Street massacre; a group of British soldiers wearing red coats (right) face off against an unruly crowd an unruly crowd (left) wearing blue coats
Investigating Multiple Perspectives on the Boston Massacre
View Source Set
Carved wooden sign with red, blue, and gold leaf accents
Massachusetts Loyalists: Revolution and Exile
View Source Set
hexagonal stamp printed on aged paper and featuring Mandarin Chinese symbols in Black ink with a border or dragons. Red marks also appear on the page.
Opium Smugglers: Boston's Merchants and the China Trade, 1790-1850
View Source Set
faint cursive writing on aged, yellowed paper
Emancipation in 18th century Massachusetts
View Source Set
A framed portrait of a young woman with dark hair. She wears a blue dress with lace around the neckline, a pink wrap, a pearl choker necklace, and a pink ribbon in her hair.
Revolutionary Abigail Adams
View Source Set
a sepia-toned photograph of a tall building and two women standing on the sidewalk outside of it
"A Great Public Nuisance": Boston's segregated schools in the mid-1800s
View Source Set
A framed portrait of a Black woman wearing a blue dress with drawstrings at the neck and waist, a white fichu tucked into her dress at the neck, a white cap, and a gold beaded necklace.
Portraits of enslavement and freedom
View Source Set
Poster printed on pink-toned paper, titled "TO COLORED MEN: 54th REGIMENT!" in large letters. Below, the phrases "AFRICAN DESCENT" "$100 BOUNTY" and "PAY, $13 A MONTH are also prominent in large letters.
Civil War Recruitment Posters
View Source Set
printed text on a yellowed paper; the top reads "In Congress July 4, 1776, a Declaration by the Representatives of the United States of America"
Analyzing the Meaning and Legacy of the Declaration of Independence
View Source Set
A black and white photo of a number of women marching in the street, wearing matching white outfits and dark sashes while crowds look on
Women Debate the Right to Vote
View Source Set
A broadside printed on aged paper, titled "The Man is NOT BOUGHT!!" and subtitled "He is still in the SLAVE PEN in THE COURT HOUSE!!"
Anthony Burns and the Fugitive Slave Act
View Source Set

Funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Mass Cultural Council, the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati, and an anonymous grant supported this project.

Questions or suggestions? Contact us at education@mblayst.com.