WHERE & WHEN:
FEE: $25 (breakfast and lunch included)
CREDIT: 22.5 PDPs or 1 graduate credit with Worcester State University (for an additional fee of $125)
Join the Massachusetts Historical Society to explore what slavery and freedom looked like in colonial Massachusetts for Black and Indigenous people. We will do a deep dive into the history of Elizabeth Freeman, whose 1780 freedom suit helped bring about the end of slavery in Massachusetts, and learn about the name she chose for herself. Using primary sources, we will explore myriad ways free and enslaved Black and Native communities resisted colonial power structures and worked to emancipate themselves and others. Throughout the workshop we will practice how to analyze the credibility of different historical sources and read against the grain to uncover powerful stories. We will also visit the Museum of African American History (MAAH) in Boston for a tour of their exhibition, “Black Voices of the American Revolution.”
Through these activities, educators will analyze primary and secondary sources to develop strategies for incorporating this history into Investigating History, U.S. History, Civics, and ELA classrooms. We will also discuss how this history can offer a local lens for exploring broader concepts including emancipation, agency, and independence.
This program is open to all who work with K-12 students. Teachers can earn either 22.5 PDPs or 1 graduate credit with Worcester State University (for an additional fee of $125).
In addition to attending our in-person workshop on Thursday, February 19th 2026, participants will attend 1. "Whose Independence: Black Experiences during the American Revolution," a hybrid MHS public program on the evening of Wednesday, February 18th (participants do not have to register separately and can attend either in person or remotely); and 2. a post-workshop reflection Zoom session on Saturday, March 28th (10 AM to 11:30 AM).
The MHS is wheelchair accessible, and the MAAH tour is mostly wheelchair accessible with alternatives for their inaccessible spaces. To request ASL translation, please email education@masshist.org by Friday, January 30th 2026. There will be auto-captioning for the virtual portions of our workshop. Additional accessibility questions and requests can also be made at education@masshist.org.