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Monday 9am - 4:45pm Tuesday 9am - 4:45pm Wednesday 9am - 4:45pm Thursday 9am - 4:45pm Friday 9am - 4:45pm

The Commonwealth Museum

Name: The Commonwealth Museum
Address: 220 William T Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA, 02125, US
Telephone: +16177279268
Rating: 4.7

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The Commonwealth Museum

The Commonwealth Museum FREE admission, rare national treasures, engaging field trips. This museum is YOUR museum! With neighboring John F.
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Library and Museum, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the US Senate and the University of Massachusetts Boston all located within a 2-mile radius from the Commonwealth Museum, Columbia Point is certainly a go-to tourist attraction for child-friendly families as well as those interested in getting to know more about the history of the United States. Join us today for an exploration back to the birth of the Commonwealth!

02/10/2025

Today we are highlighting author Phillis Wheatley! Wheatley is known for being the first Black and enslaved person in America to become a published author. Wheatley wrote poetry and was published as young as 16 years old. Wheatley was born in West Africa, brought to Boston and then sold into slavery in 1761, working for John and Susanna Wheatley. The Wheatleys recognized her extraordinary intellect and taught her British Literature as well as being able to read and write in English, Latin, and Greek. Wheatley was given an education that not even free white women had at the time. She even dedicated poems to received praise from famous political leaders like George Washington and John Adams. Phillis Wheatley’s poems are still studied today, and praised for use of language and biblical allusions and symbolism. You can visit the Commonwealth Museum to learn more about her and her legacy for yourself in our galleries!!

02/07/2025

Happy National Wear Red Day!! Here are some red things you can rep with your wardrobe:
- The Boston Red Sox!! Our cities elite baseball team’s signature colors are red and white.
- “The British are Coming!!” Honor the history of our states foundation by wearing red! Many think Revere said “the British are coming” when he probably said “the redcoats are coming” because there lacked a distinction between British colonists and British sentry. Extra points if you wear red and leave Boston to reference Evacuation Day!
- Your favorite Massachusetts College! There are a bunch of universities in our state that have red as one of their colors: MIT, Harvard, BC, BU, Northeastern, UMass Amherst, Clark University, and more!

02/06/2025

238 years ago today, February 6th 1788, Massachusetts ratified the United States Constitution. This is MAJOR!! The United States Constitution needed to be ratified by at least 9 of the 13 states at the time, and Massachusetts was right on the cusp of the deciding vote. The process began a month before ratification, and discussions were held in the Old State House. At this point 5 states had already ratified the Constitution, but people were unsure and debated if Massachusetts would end up ratifying the Constitution or not. Many were worried that if Massachusetts voted no, it would influence the remaining 6 states, causing the ratification to fail.

Massachusetts had the largest convention out of the 13 states. It did not seem like anyone would be able to agree until John Hancock suggested the Bill of Rights be added to the constitution. Backed by Samuel Adams, Hancock was able to get the Federalists and Anti-Federalists to come together and vote towards ratification. After a month of deliberation, Massachusetts ratified the United States Constitution on February 6th 1788, to a vote of 187 to 168.

02/05/2025

Today we are highlighting the important history and legacy surrounding the African American Meeting House. The building, built in 1806, acted as the African Baptist Church of Boston, the oldest standing Black church in America. The African Meeting House offered a place for Black children to be educated, when parents decided to withdraw their children from Smith School in 1849 to protest segregated education.

The Meeting House also served as a place for famous and influential Abolitionists to speak and further fuel the fire against slavery. Famous abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, Maria Stewart, and Wendell Phillips were just some of the famous people who came through the doors. The meeting house is also where William Lloyd Garrison formed the New England Anti-Slavery Society in 1832. In 1863 the house served as a recruitment post for the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Regiment, the first African American regiment to fight in the military ( you can learn more about them on our previous post)

You can visit the African American Meeting house today! It was acquired by the Museum of African American History in 1972, and they still operate it as a National Historic Landmark today.

02/04/2025

As part of Black History Month, we’ll be highlighting some of Massachusetts’ very own historical black figures. Our first featured figure is Edward Brooke!

Brooke was the very first African American to be elected to the Senate by popular vote! Brooke served two terms from 1967 to 1979, working for Massachusetts. Brooke attended Boston University to acquire his law degree and was also the first African American elected as state’s Attorney General. Brooke’s political career was centered around fighting for low-income housing, increased minimum wage, racial equality, and increased used and support for the Massachusetts public transit system. Brooke was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2008!

02/03/2025

Happy National Feed the Birds Day! 🐦‍⬛

February can be a particularly tough month for birds to survive, fighting against colder temperatures and food scarcity. These birds need some extra help right before Spring, as their winter stores of food begin to deplete. Fill your bird feeders! Go the extra mile and include water and shelter for birds in your backyard!

One of our favorite birds here at the Commonwealth Museum is the Black-Capped Chickadee. The bird was chosen to be the state bird of Massachusetts in 1941, representing our diverse landscape and presence, as the Black-Capped Chickadee can also be found all over our state. They consume a diet of seeds, berries, and insects, so fill up your feeders to see if you can attract the Massachusetts State Bird!

01/31/2025

Tomorrow is February 1st, the month nationally recognized as Black History Month! February was chosen due to it being the birth month of prominent abolitionists, including Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809) and Frederick Douglass (February 14, 1818). The very first official observation of this holiday was in 1976, when President Ford said, “In the Bicentennial year of our independence, we can review with administration the impressive contributions of black Americans to our national life.” Ten years later, in 1986, U.S. Congress officially dedicated the month of February to honoring and celebrating black culture and history! Make sure you are following us to learn about important black historical figures related to the state of Massachusetts!!

We also recognize and honor tomorrow’s holiday, National Freedom Day. National Freedom Day is celebrated every February 1st to celebrate emancipation from slavery, also recognizing our country as a symbol of liberty for those across the world. It was the day that emancipation became national policy when a joint resolution went through both the House and Senate, and was signed into law by Abraham Lincoln.

01/31/2025

Today is National Hot Chocolate Day! In the late 1600s one could find many Sweet and Chocolate houses all throughout Boston. In 1679, Jane Barnard and Dorothy Jones received their licenses to open Coffee and Chocolate houses, the very first coffee shop in America! Here, they sold their version of hot chocolate, which contained crushed cocoa beans, sugars, spices, and boiling water.

Have a hot chocolate today in honor of Dorothy Jones and Jane Barnard!! ☕️🍫

01/30/2025

162 years ago today, on January 30, 1863, the 54th Regiment was formed! The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was the first all Black Massachusetts regiment that served in the American Civil War, making them the second all Black military regiment for the North. The 54th Regiment would go on to fight and be victorious at the assault of Fort Wagner.

The governor of Massachusetts at the time, an abolitionist named John A. Andrew, wrote a letter to Captain R.G. Shaw asking him if he would be the new leader of the 54th Regiment. Andrew wrote, “With my deep conviction of the importance of this undertaking, in view of the fact that it will be the first colored regiment to be raised in the free States, and that its success or its failure will go far to elevate or depress the estimation in which the character of the colored Americans will be held throughout the world.”

The Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial is located at the Boston Commons!

01/29/2025

Happy Lunar New Year!! This year it is the year of the Wood Snake! 🐍

Lunar New Year marks the start of the new year in the Lunisolar calendar, and the start of springtime. Here are some cool public events to check out to celebrate the Lunar New Year:
- Check out the Bow Night Market in Somerville from 5-9pm for some food, drinks, performances, and craft goods from local AAPI craftsmen
- Celebrate the Lunar New Year all day on January 30th with lots of cool events and exhibits at the Museum of Fine Arts
- Starting at 10am on February 9th, at Phillips Square, is the Chinese New Year Parade, held in honor of the Lunar New Year

01/28/2025

On January 28, 1814, or 210 years ago, was the Battle of Falmouth. At the time, coastal towns of Massachusetts were consistently under threat from British naval ships. The United States Navy was not yet developed enough to fight back, and small town militias could only do so much to fight against the bombardment of enemy cannon fire.

Falmouth sat strategically on the edge of the cape, allowing the cannons of the Falmouth Artillery Company to fire at passing British Naval ships in the Southern Cape. The H.M.S. Ni**od anchored off the coast of Falmouth, demanding two of the Falmouth cannons and one sloop (a single-masted sailing vessel) that was docked at the wharf. The town did not comply and the Ni**od began its bombardment. Cannons were fired at Falmouth for roughly 4.5 hours. Many of the town’s structures were damaged, but thankfully there were no casualties. The Falmouth Historical Society has one of the cannonballs embedded in the trunk of an elm tree on display for visitors!

01/27/2025

Happy 70th Birthday Peter Laird!! 🥳

Laird is a comic book writer most famous for creating the beloved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Laird was born on January 27, 1954, here in North Adams, Massachusetts. Laird attended Drury high school and attended UMass Amherst after graduating. Laird’s career took off in 1984 when the first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was released. The series has been a wild success, prompting the creation of several spin-off tv shows, movies, video games, and merchandise. Who is your favorite of the bunch? Here at the Museum we love Michelangelo! COWABUNGA DUDES! 🐢🍕

01/24/2025

Happy Friday! 126 years ago today, January 24, 1899, Humphrey O’Sullivan patented the rubber sole, revolutionizing the shoe production industry. O’Sullivan was inspired to create a more comfortable shoe after experiencing discomfort when working long hours standing in front of his printing press. O’Sullivan began by nailing pieces of rubber to the bottom of his shoes. The rubber shoes were first produced and sold in Lowell, MA, but was moved to Wi******er, MA, in 1932, under the name of “The O’Sullivan Rubber Co.” Unfortunately the company has moved on from the shoe industry and now produces polymer film and finishing film technologies, but the legacy of the rubber sole lives on today.

01/23/2025

Happy Birthday John Hancock!! He would have been 287 years old today! Hancock was born in Braintree, and attended Boston Latin School and graduated from Harvard in 1754. Hancock worked in mercantile business before starting his political career. Hancock first won the Boston Assembly in 1765. Hancock continues to serve different roles in the early Massachusetts government. Hancock served as the President of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in 1773, and was elected as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress where he helped form plans for the Revolution. Hancock began to build his reputation as a fierce revolutionary, forcing him to flee Boston for a safer Lexington. British troops were sent to Lexington to capture both Hancock and Samuel Adams, but Paul Revere was able to give them both enough warning to escape with the well known phrase, “The redcoats are coming!” Shortly after Hancock fled, the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord, marking the official start of the Revolutionary War.

Hancock was then elected President of the Second Continental Congress, where he helped aid the revolution. Hancock oversaw the creation of the Declaration of Independence, which declared the colonies separate from Great Britain. Hancock continued serving on the Second Continental Congress till 1777, where he took up the role as the governor of Massachusetts, serving until1785. Hancock passed at the age of 56 on October 8, 1793.

01/22/2025

Hope everyone is staying warm this week! Here’s a fun fact to remember that it could always be colder: 40 years ago today, January 22, 1984, was the coldest day ever recorded in Massachusetts! It was recorded as -40 degrees Fahrenheit in Chester, MA.

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01/21/2025

Did you know: America’s very first medical publication was published and distributed around Boston 347 years ago, all the way back in 1677?! The pamphlet was written by Reverend Thomas Thatcher and was distributed within Boston by John Foster under the title, “A Brief Rule to Guide the Common People of New England - How to Order Themselves and Theirs in the Small Pocks, or Measles.”

01/17/2025

Monday, January 20th, the Commonwealth Museum will be closed for MLK Day! We use this holiday to honor and remember the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was the leader of the Civil Rights Movement, protesting racial based discrimination in America. Dr. King’s groundbreaking efforts lead to great change and reform for the lives of African Americans.

Dr. King also holds extensive history with Boston. He got his Ph.D. in Theology from Boston University, and he also met his wife Corey’s Scott King in Boston. If you visit the Boston Commons, you can see the ‘Embrace’ memorial sculpture, which honors the legacies of Dr. King, his wife, and other revolutionary civil rights leaders!

01/17/2025

It’s National Benjamin Franklin Day! 🗝️🪁

Born on this day in 1706, right here in Boston, Benjamin Franklin is famous for his contributions to science and his role as a Founding Father to this country. Franklin helped draft and sign the Declaration of Independence, and was instrumental in the repeal of the unpopular Stamp Act. A brilliant scientist, Franklin worked with electricity in his famous experiment with the key and the kite, and created the bifocal glasses. Today, we remember him with a statue located in Downtown, Boston, and by naming him as the official inventor of Massachusetts, one of our many state symbols, in 2006.

Address

220 William T Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA
02125

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4:45pm
Tuesday	9am - 4:45pm
Wednesday	9am - 4:45pm
Thursday	9am - 4:45pm
Friday	9am - 4:45pm

Telephone

+16177279268

Website

http://www.commonwealthmuseum.org/

Alerts

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Videos

Come learn about early abolitionists, suffragists, and women public speakers, Sarah and Angelina Grimke! Watch this video, and check out our panel with Women's Suffrage Celebration Coalition of Massachusetts, Inc. for more!https://www.sec.state.ma.us/mus/pdfs/4-Grimke.pdf

Today’s spotlight is on Ida B. Wells, famous journalist, suffragist, and leader for anti-lynching and equality! Watch our video, and check out our virtual panel here: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/mus/pdfs/18-Wells.pdf, and a biographies of her here https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/ida-b-wells-barnett and here https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/barnett-ida-wells-1862-1931/ Image credit: Ida B. Wells display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:National_Museum_of_African_American_History_and_Culture_(97858).jpg, CC BY SA-4.0 at the unveiling of a blue plaque commemorating Ida B. Wells at Edgbaston Community Centre, Birmingham, England. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ida_B_Wells_blue_plaque_unveiling_-_2019-02-12_-_Andy_Mabbett_-_31.jpg. CC BY SA-4.0

Today’s spotlight is on Blanche Ames, a Massachusetts suffragist and feminist of many talents best known for her suffrage cartoons! Check out this video and the documentary Borderland here https://www.borderlandthedocumentary.com/ for more!

“If we ever get to the polls once, you will never get us home.” Our first Women’s History Month figure is reverend, feminist, orator, and medical school graduate Rev. Dr. Anna Howard Shaw! Watch this video and check out https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/anna-howard-shaw/ and https://www.bu.edu/shaw/anna-howard-shaw/ for more!

“Her very presence emanated an honour and a glory: the honour of spiritual freedom—not mere freedom from—and the glory of being, not (like most extant mortals) really undead but actually alive.” - e.e. Cummings on Maria Louise Baldwin. Come learn more about this trailblazing MA educator and activist! Check out https://www.baystatebanner.com/2013/05/02/maria-louise-baldwin-an-eminent-educator-civic-leader-speaker/ or our panel athttps://www.sec.state.ma.us/mus/pdfs/14-Baldwin.pdf

Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin

“[W]e need to talk over not only those things which are of vital importance to us as women, but also the things that are of especial interest to us as colored women.” Come learn about Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, a Massachusetts activist, journalist, publisher, and pioneer for the rights of Black women! For more information, check out our Suffragist of the Month panel here:https://www.sec.state.ma.us/mus/pdfs/16-Ruffin.pdf or https://www.nps.gov/people/josephine-st-pierre-ruffin.htm

“You may hiss as much as you please but women will get their rights anyway.” How much do you know about this famous suffragist and abolitionist? Watch this video for more on Sojourner Truth, and check out our Suffragist of the Month panel in collaboration with Women's Suffrage Celebration Coalition of Massachusetts, Inc. for more!https://www.sec.state.ma.us/mus/pdfs/5-Truth.pdf

Have you ever heard of the 54th Volunteer Infantry? Come learn more about this Massachusetts regiment that helped pave the way for equality in the military and fought for their rights under the law and on the battlefield! For more, check out the 54th Regiment re-enactors website at http://www.54thmass.org/ or visit our online exhibit here: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/mus/onlineexhibits/Fire-and-Thunder/Fire-and-Thunder.html Photo credits: Robert Gould Shaw Memorial Photo: user Rhododendrites, Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robert_Gould_Shaw_Memorial_(36053).jpg 54th Regiment Re-enactors Photo: Courtesy of the National Park Service #blackhistorymonth #blackhistory

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here’s how we are celebrating Constitution day at the Commonwealth Museum!!

Here’s how we at the Commonwealth Museum are celebrating Constitution day!!

Shout out to the 3rd graders from Sylvester School for making awesome MA State Symbols posters!! Do you know the state marine mammal? It’s not the wrong whale; it’s not the left whale; it’s the.... #MAStateSymbol #RightWhale #FieldTrip #Commonwealth

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Located by the seafront of Columbia Point, the Commonwealth Museum serves as a state history museum in Massachusetts for the public. Our exhibit contains many important written texts and documents such as the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Paul Revere’s original engraving of the Boston Massacre and more. With neighboring John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the US Senate and the University of Massachusetts Boston all located within a 2-mile radius from the Commonwealth Museum, Columbia Point is certainly a go-to tourist attraction for child-friendly families as well as those interested in getting to know more about the history of the United States. Join us today for an exploration back to the birth of the Commonwealth!

The Commonwealth Museum

02/10/2025

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