Colonial Society of Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
The Colonial Society of Massachusetts is a US
non-profit
educational foundation, founded in 1892, and established for the study of the history of Massachusetts
. The period of study is from its settlement through the early nineteenth century. It is a member of the New England Regional Fellowship Consortium. Its headquarters, located at 87 Mount Vernon Street on Boston's Beacon Hill, are closed to the public. Some of its meetings were held at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
.
. The topics can vary from the Pilgrim Fathers, to the pirate Captain Thomas Pound
.
In partnership with Northeastern University and the Massachusetts Historical Society, it sponsors The New England Quarterly
.
or Plymouth colonists
were able to join the society. Beginning in 1950, membership became open to anyone with interests in colonial Massachusetts. Notable members include: Thomas R. Adams
, Charles W. Akers
, Charles Evans
, John Grinold
, Philip F. Gura
, John Elbridge Hudson
, Leonard Woods Labaree
, Franklin Pierce Rice
, and Walter Muir Whitehill
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
non-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
educational foundation, founded in 1892, and established for the study of the history of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The period of study is from its settlement through the early nineteenth century. It is a member of the New England Regional Fellowship Consortium. Its headquarters, located at 87 Mount Vernon Street on Boston's Beacon Hill, are closed to the public. Some of its meetings were held at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
.
Publications
The society publishes documents regarding the early history of Massachusetts, however, the society does not maintain a library or manuscript collection. A guide to some of the Colonial Society's publication collections for the period of 1710 through 1939 is maintained by the Massachusetts Historical SocietyMassachusetts Historical Society
The Massachusetts Historical Society is a major historical archive specializing in early American, Massachusetts, and New England history...
. The topics can vary from the Pilgrim Fathers, to the pirate Captain Thomas Pound
Thomas Pound
Thomas Pound was an English pirate who was briefly active in the coastal waters of New England during 1689.Boarding a small ship out of Boston, Massachusetts with six other passengers on August 8, 1689, Pound seized control of the ship shortly after picking up an additional five men off Lovell's...
.
In partnership with Northeastern University and the Massachusetts Historical Society, it sponsors The New England Quarterly
The New England Quarterly
The New England Quarterly is a peer-reviewed academic journal consisting of articles on New England's cultural, literary, political, and social history. The journal contains essays, interpretations of traditional texts, essay reviews and book reviews...
.
Other activities
The Colonial Society of Massachusetts is involved in a number of other activities such as convening scholarly conferences. Its education efforts include encouraging the study of colonial Massachusetts in schools, conducting workshops for teachers, and promoting the sharing of research amongst graduate students. It does not assist with genealogical queries.Membership
Initially, only descendants of Massachusetts BayMassachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
or Plymouth colonists
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
were able to join the society. Beginning in 1950, membership became open to anyone with interests in colonial Massachusetts. Notable members include: Thomas R. Adams
Thomas R. Adams
Thomas Randolph Adams was librarian of the John Carter Brown Library and John Hay Professor of Bibliography and University Bibliographer at Brown University.-Early life, education, and family:The son of Randolph G...
, Charles W. Akers
Charles W. Akers
Charles Wesley Akers was an historian, author, and educator.-Early life and education:Charles was born in Indianapolis, Indiana to Ira and Mary Bird Akers. Akers received his Bachelor's degree in History from the Eastern Nazarene College in 1947. He received his Master's degree and Ph.D. from...
, Charles Evans
Charles Evans (librarian)
Charles Evans is named one of American Libraries' 100 most important library and information science leaders of the 20th century...
, John Grinold
John Grinold
John "Jack" Grinold has served Northeastern University as its sports information director for the past 46 years. In 1984 he was made assistant athletic director with the additional duties of heading the sports marketing and ticket departments, and in 1988 he was promoted to associate director of...
, Philip F. Gura
Philip F. Gura
Philip F. Gura is an American scholar, writer, editor, and educator. He currently serves as William S. Newman Distinguished Professor of American Literature and Culture at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he holds appointments in the Departments of English and Comparative...
, John Elbridge Hudson
John Elbridge Hudson
John Elbridge Hudson was an U.S. lawyer, telephone businessman, and president of AT&T from 1889 to 1900.Hudson was born in Lynn, Massachusetts to John and Elizabeth C. Hudson....
, Leonard Woods Labaree
Leonard Woods Labaree
Leonard W. Labaree was a distinguished documentary editor, a professor of history at Yale University for more than forty years, an historian of Colonial America, and the founding editor of the multivolume publication of the papers of Benjamin Franklin.-Early life and education:Leonard W...
, Franklin Pierce Rice
Franklin Pierce Rice
Franklin Pierce Rice was a self-taught printer and publisher who transcribed and printed and preserved vital records from Massachusetts and was a co-founder of the Worcester Society of Antiquity.-Early life and family:...
, and Walter Muir Whitehill
Walter Muir Whitehill
Walter Muir Whitehill was an author, historian and the Director and Librarian of the Boston Athenaeum from 1946 to 1973. He was also editor for publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts from 1946 to 1978. From 1951 to 1972 Whitehill was a professor at Harvard University.Whitehill's...
.