Hands-On History Workshop

“No Taxation Without Representation: How the Stamp Act Made America”

With Mary Babson Fuhrer

Co-Sponsored by Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area

Two hundred and fifty years ago Parliament enacted the Stamp Act and unleashed a storm of protest that would forever alter the relationship between Great Britain and her colonies in North America, eventually leading to the formation of the United States. But what was it about this one piece of legislation that caused such a commotion? This workshop will explore the world of people living in the eighteenth century, the print culture that informed and entertained them, and the role of colonial printers and how they turned from compliant business people to radical reformers. A special component of the program will be how to uncover evidence of the Stamp Act protest in your own community.

The workshop will feature presentations by historian Mary Babson Fuhrer and members of the AAS staff. Participants will enjoy a light dinner and then will explore “Old Number One” (Isaiah Thomas’s eighteenth-century printing press) and actual newspapers, broadsides, images, and manuscripts related to the Stamp Act. The evening will also feature a primer on conducting historical research.

Mary Babson Fuhrer is a public historian and independent scholar. She specializes in using primary sources to recover everyday lives from the past; she was recently honored by the Mass Humanities with their 2014 History Commendation for 20 years of contribution to public history. She is the author of numerous articles and the book Crisis of Community: Trials and Transformation of a New England Town, 1815-1848 (2014).

Registration

All spots for this workshop have been filled, so registration is now closed. If you are interested in attending a similar event in the future, please contact Kayla Hopper at khopper@mwa.org.