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The Center for the Study of New England History |
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Two centuries ago, when the Reverend Jeremy Belknap and a small group of friends established the Massachusetts Historical Society in 1791, their purpose was to promote American historical scholarship. Sic vos no vobis was the motto they soon adopted -- Thus you do, not for yourselves -- and superior service to scholars quickly became the Society's hallmark. Belknap and the Society's other founders concentrated on the creation of research collections and a related program of publications. The needs and expectations of researchers have grown over two centuries, however. In 1791, few could have foreseen the development of proessional academic scholarship in history and its allied fields. To meet the specialized needs of modern scholars and scholarship, the Society has established a new research institute, the Center for the Study of New England History. The C.S.N.E.H. will draw on the Society's extraordinarily rich collections, its long tradition of learned publication, and its location in Boston, the intellectural nerve center of the region, to develop a variety of programs to promote academic scholarship on the history and culture of Boston, Massachusetts, and New England. The Center is responsible for five programs: RESEARCH PROJECTS: Under the leadership of its director, the Center will undertake a series of research projects. The first of these will be an investigation of the business history of Boston during a period of dramatic growth and change, 1750-1850. The Center will prepare a census of boston merchants, shopkeepers, and allied professionals. Using the censusas a basis, it will then investigate how business methods developed during the course of the century. the project will result in a large, computeized database, which the Society will make available to interested researchers, as well as in schoarly books and articles. SCHOLARLY CONFERENCES: The Center will administer the Society's existing program of conferences for scholars engaged in research on subjects for which M.H.S. collections are strong. Since 1987, when the society held its first conference, it has sponsored or co-sponsored three such programs. SEMINARS: The Center will serve as host for the Boston Area Seninar on Early American History and organize other continuing series for local scholarls. FELLOWSHIPS: TheCenter will administer and expand the Society's existing program of predoctoral and post-doctoral fellowships for scholars who wish to use our library's important research collections. PUBLICATIONS: In cooperation with the Society's publication program, the Center iwll publish work growing out of its activities, including book-length reports on its research projects and collections of essays presented at its conferences. The staff of the Society would be pleased to answer questions about the Center for the Study of New England History and its programs. For information, write to the : Center for the Study of New England History Massachusetts Historical Society 1154 Boylston Street Boyston, MA 02215-3695 Fellowship Program
Fellowships The Center for the Study of New England History will offer approximately fifteen short-term research fellowships in 1997. Each grant will provide a stipend of $1,500 for four weeks of research at the Massachusetts Historical Society between July 1, 1997 and June 30, 1998. Awards are open to independent scholars, advanced graduate students, and holders of the Ph.D. or the equivalent, with candidates living fifty or more miles from Boston receiving preference. Applications must be postmarked no later than March 1, 1997. Candidtates will be notified of the outcome four to six weeks after the application deadline. There are no standardized application forms. Instead, candidates must submit a current curriculum vitae and a proposal describing the project and indicating collections to be consulted. Graduate students must also arrange for a letter of recommendation from a faculty member familiar with their work and with the project being proposed. No application material sent by FAX or e-mail will be accepted. For further information or to apply, write to Len Travers, Assistant Director, Center for the Study of New England History, Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215. Boston Area Seminars in Early American History The Center hosts a seminar series at the Massachusetts Historical Society during the academic year. Each seminar features commentary, questions, and open discussion on a previously circulated paper reflecting current work and research. All programs begin at approximately 5:15 p.m. and are open to all (graduate students are particularly encouraged). The Society serves a light buffet supper following the session for those reserving space. Advance copies of all Seminar papers are available for $25 (total). Participants may also find advance copies at several area institutions; contact Len Travers at the MHS for details. Boston Area Seminars in Early American History Speakers and Topics, 1996-1997 1996 September 10 Peter Way, University of Sussex. Industrial Forge and Ethnic Melting Pot: The British Army in the French and Indian War. Comment: Richard A. Ryerson, Adams Papers, Massachusetts Historical Society. October 1 Stephen A. Marini, Wellesley College. Varieties of Political Theology in the American Revolution. Comment: John Brooke, Tufts University. November 12 Jill Lepore, Boston University. Habitations of Cruelty: The Landscape of King Philip's War. Comment: Daniel Mandell. December 3 Thomas Summerhill, Yale University. 'As Wise as Serpents and as Harmless as Doves': Elite Electioneering and the Crowd in Jacksonian New York. Comment: Nina Silber, Boston University. 1997 February 4 Jonathan Chu, University of Massachusetts, Boston. The Economic Impact of the Revolution on Britain, France, and the Netherlands. Comment: Mary Bilder, Boston College. March 4 Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Harvard University. Wheels, Looms, and the Gendered Division of Labor in 18th-Century New England. Comment: Mary Maples Dunn, Schlesinger Library. April 2 Lynn Lyerly, Boston College. Evangelical Masculinity: Christianity, Manhood, and Honor in the Antebellum South. Comment: Kenneth Greenberg, Suffolk University. Research Projects Thwing Database of Boston Inhabitants, 1630-1800 First begun more than a century ago by Annie Haven Thwing, this collection of vital information on Boston's early inhabitants is now being converted to electronic format. The database currently contains over 27,000 records of individuals. Although far from complete, the database is available for use by researchers at the MHS. All records may be searched by more than 20 fields, including, name, birth date, address, parents, spouse, children, occupation, gender, ethnicity, public office, deed and probate records. Boston Directories, 1789-1850 First appearing in 1789, the Boston Directories featured an alphabetical list (by name) of Bostonians with businesses, skills, or services to advertize. Published occasionally at first, the directories were updated annually beginning 1819. Each directory is now being entered in an electronic database searchable by 11 fields, including name, address, occupation, public office, gender, and ethnicity. The Center's goal is to include every directory through 1850 in this database; currently the directories for 1789, 1796, 1798, 1800, 1803, 1805, 1806, 1807, and 1809 are available electronically to researchers at the MHS. Conferences The Center administers periodic conferences for scholars engaged in research on subjects for which MHS collections are strong. Past conferences have focused on early New England Unitarianism, Massachusetts in the new nation, reconsiderations on New England Puritanism, and Boston's business community 1700-1850. Conference papers are published by the MHS; see Titles in Print section.
Conference Announcement Transient and Permanent: The Transcendentalist Movement and its Contexts, will be hosted by the Center for the Study of New England History at the Massachusetts Historical Society, May 15 - May 17, 1997. Papers will address the social and personal consequences of mid-nineteenth century Transcendentalism as well as its legacy for American ideology, popular culture, and literature. The Center will provide advance copies of all conference papers to registrants. Registration for the conference is $60 ($35 for students). Space is limited, so early registration is advised. For information and registration contact Len Travers, CSNEH, Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215. |
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