Giving Thanks in 1783

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and in celebration of that anniversary, the State Library launched the exhibit Raising the Alarm: Revolutionary Broadsides at the State Library. Using broadsides from 1773 through 1779, the exhibit tells part of the story of the American Revolution in Massachusetts while also highlighting a significant primary source resource in our collection. The exhibit further expands into our collection by highlighting additional 18th-century resources available in Special Collections, like almanacs, city directories, newspapers, and proclamations. Due to the nature of the cases, the exhibit utilizes facsimiles, but each month for the duration of the exhibit, one featured item will be on display in our Collection Spotlight – this month we’re sharing a Proclamation for a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer, issued as a broadside on November 8, 1783 by then Governor John Hancock.

Our Special Collections holdings includes a number of original proclamations issued by governors of the Commonwealth dating from the 1720s to the 1930s (more recent proclamations, like ones issued by Governor Healey and Governor Baker, are also uploaded and saved in our digital repository). In colonial New England, proclamations were periodically issued to initiate days of fasting and days of thanksgiving and prayer, the latter were most frequently declared to celebrate a bountiful harvest and were religious in nature. However, during the Revolutionary War, proclamations also drew a strong connection between religion and military affairs, as days of thanksgiving were often established to give praise to God after the colonists achieved a victory against the British.

This specific proclamation was issued following a recommendation made by the Congress of the Confederation (the precursor to the United States Congress) that all thirteen colonies observe a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer in recognition of the end of the Revolutionary War. It established the upcoming Thursday, December 11 as the designated day, and then the notice was printed as a broadside and distributed throughout the Commonwealth. Massachusetts residents were directed to devote themselves to prayer and giving thanks, and were urged to “assemble to celebrate with grateful hearts and united voices,” a sensibility that continues today for our own Thanksgiving holiday.

This proclamation was previously on display in November 2019 and it returns to our Collection Spotlight case once again to align with the Thanksgiving holiday. Click here to read our past blog post, which provides more information about the proclamation itself, and also explains how colonial proclamations for a day of thanksgiving differ from the Thanksgiving we know of today, though there are some overlapping sentiments.

Step back into November 1783 by visiting us from November 3 through November 30 to see this proclamation on display. Click here to read about the previously shared Raising the Alarm broadsides.

Elizabeth Roscio
Preservation Librarian

Establishing the Minutemen in 1774

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and in celebration of that anniversary, the State Library launched the exhibit Raising the Alarm: Revolutionary Broadsides at the State Library. Using broadsides from 1773 through 1779, the exhibit tells part of the story of the American Revolution in Massachusetts while also highlighting a significant primary source resource in our collection. Due to the nature of the cases, the exhibit utilizes facsimiles, but each month for the duration of the exhibit, one featured broadside will be on display in our Collection Spotlight case – this month we’re sharing a broadside notice issued on October 26, 1774 following a meeting held by the Provincial Congress in Cambridge that established town militias.

Last month’s display of the broadside related to the Boston Port Bill referenced the Intolerable (or Coercive) Acts, which were a series of punitive acts against the colonists following the destruction of tea in Boston Harbor in December 1773. The Acts also revoked the Massachusetts Charter and with that, changed the nature of the Governor’s Council, the governing body which had previously been elected by assembly and would now be appointed by the King. Consequently, colonists felt they had lost their right to self-government, which led them to create their own governing body. This broadside puts us right in the thick of that moment. On October 5 through 7, representatives of the now disbanded General Court met in Salem and organized as the Provincial Congress, choosing delegates and officers, with John Hancock as Chair and Benjamin Lincoln as Clerk (note his name at the bottom of the broadside). The Provincial Congress became the de facto government, with authority to govern the rebellious portions of Massachusetts. This authority included both collecting taxes and raising a militia. After the initial meetings in Salem, the Provincial Congress met again in Concord from October 11 through the 14, where they focused on organizing committees to bring order to their cause during this time of revolt and political crisis, resulting in the formation of Committees of Safety. The Provincial Congress met again in Cambridge on October 26, and the broadside on display this month was published and distributed following that meeting.

This broadside was previously on display in 2024 as we celebrated the beginning of MA 250. Click here to read that post, which describes the pivotal Provincial Congress meeting that established town militias, or the “minutemen” that we so often hear about in Revolutionary history. And though this broadside was on display just two years ago, it is safe to display again for a one-month duration. The Collection Spotlight case has a microclimate conditioned to 68% relative humidity, and its viewing panel is “SmartGlass” which has UV filters and a layer of light-controlling film. When not in use, the glass portion of the case is dark, until it is activated by a button which lights the case for 30 seconds. While we don't frequently repeat items in our Collection Spotlight case, we make an exception when it aligns with an exhibit or important anniversary, and the measures in our SmartGlass case allow us to safely do so.

Step back into October 1774 by visiting us from September 29 through November 3 to see this broadside on display. Click here to read about the previously shared Raising the Alarm broadsides.


Elizabeth Roscio
Preservation Librarian

An Intolerable Act: The Boston Port Bill

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and in celebration of that anniversary, the State Library launched the exhibit Raising the Alarm: Revolutionary Broadsides at the State Library. Using broadsides from 1773 through 1779, the exhibit tells part of the story of the American Revolution in Massachusetts while also highlighting a significant primary source resource in our collection. Due to the nature of the cases, the exhibit utilizes facsimiles, but each month for the duration of the exhibit, one featured broadside will be on display in our Collection Spotlight – this month we’re sharing a broadside notice issued on September 27, 1774 after a meeting held by the town committee of Boston and surrounding towns in response to the Boston Port Bill.

The Boston Port Bill was one of the Coercive Acts (later known as the Intolerable Acts). Following the Boston Tea Party, British Parliament enacted five punitive acts against the colonists. The Boston Port Bill took effect on June 1, 1774, enacting a blockade on the Port of Boston until colonists paid for the destroyed tea. The only imported items allowed through the blockade were provisions for the British Army and necessary goods. This broadside, issued by a Joint Committee of Boston and various surrounding towns, refers to “the detested and oppressive port-bill” under which citizens had been living for almost four months, and noted that residents of Boston and Charlestown were “suffering unspeakable distress” due to the blockade and the erecting of formidable fortifications at the entrance to Boston. It further describes Bostonians’ outrage at the “harassing, insulting, and vilifying” treatment they received from the occupying British troops. Residents would have had a fair amount of interaction with British troops due to another of the Coercive Acts, the Quartering Act, which allowed British troops to be quartered in unoccupied dwellings at the colonists’ expense (though not in their private homes).

(The above broadside cropped and rotated for viewing)

Ultimately, the Joint Committee of towns resolved that colonists should withhold labor and supplies from British troops, and that anyone supplying said troops would be deemed enemies of the people. This broadside, issued just over six months prior to Battles of Lexington and Concord, illustrates the rising turmoil in Massachusetts. By passing the Coercive Acts, British Parliament was deepening any hard feelings and mistrust that the colonists had towards the Crown, which they felt increasingly alienated from and targeted by. Tensions in the colonies had been rising, and this “intolerable” approach to making the colonists pay back the cost of the destroyed tea did even more to separate them from the Crown. And for those wondering, the cost of the destroyed tea was never repaid.

Step back into September 1774 by visiting us from September 2 through October 8 to see this broadside on display. Click here to read about the previously shared Raising the Alarm broadsides.


Elizabeth Roscio
Preservation Librarian

A Call for Supplies in 1775

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and in celebration of that anniversary, the State Library launched the exhibit Raising the Alarm: Revolutionary Broadsides at the State Library. Using broadsides from 1773 through 1779, the exhibit tells part of the story of the American Revolution in Massachusetts while also highlighting a significant primary source resource in our collection. Due to the nature of the cases, the exhibit utilizes facsimiles, but each month for the duration of the exhibit, one featured broadside will be on display in our Collection Spotlight – this month we’re sharing a broadside notice issued by the Provincial Congress on July 9, 1775 that calls for towns within Massachusetts to provide articles of clothing for the newly formed Continental Army.

By the time this broadside was issued, the first major battles of the Revolutionary War had already been waged – Lexington and Concord in April and Bunker Hill in June. You are likely familiar with “minutemen” which were locally organized and trained militia members that would be ready on a minute’s notice, and it was these individuals who engaged in the battles at Lexington and Concord. In the immediate aftermath of Lexington and Concord, the Provincial Congress had authorized the raising of a colonial army in Massachusetts. In June 1775 in Philadelphia, the Second Continental Congress followed suit, establishing the Continental Army under the command of General George Washington. It was in the following month that this notice was issued by Massachusetts’ Provincial Congress, seeking supplies for the newly formed Continental Army and asking towns within Massachusetts to contribute.

In this notice, towns are tasked with supplying a specific number of shirts, breeches, stockings, and shoes for the soldiers. Urgency is stressed, and individuals are instructed to provide these items to a town representative, who would then supply them with a receipt for the item and an agreed upon sum which would be dispersed within forty days. Individuals from each county are selected as the receivers of the garments, and the bottom portion of the notice lists the towns and the quantity of articles they are responsible for supplying. The garments were then to be transferred to Watertown, where the Provincial Congress was based, where they would be exchanged for payment from the public treasury to reimburse the townspeople.

While this is possibly one of the earliest calls for supplies to be issued to local communities, it is a practice that would continue throughout the war. Towns were asked to provide clothing, shoes, blankets, food rations, and more. It emphasizes the many ways that individuals supported the war efforts, even if they were not a “Founding Father” or actively engaging in battles.

Step back into summer 1775 by visiting us from August 4 through September 2 to see this broadside on display. Click here to read about the Oath of Allegiance broadside shared last month.


Elizabeth Roscio
Preservation Librarian

New Exhibit: Raising the Alarm

The State Library of Massachusetts joins the rest of the country in celebrating our 250th anniversary in 2026, and we are excited to announce that our new exhibit, Raising the Alarm: Revolutionary Broadsides at the State Library, is now open!

Boston and the surrounding area are known as the “Cradle of Liberty,” staking its claim as the birthplace of the American Revolution. And while many of the thirteen original colonies could make similar claims, the first battles and protests were waged within Massachusetts, the Sons of Liberty sprung up from its citizenry, and the first Committees of Correspondence, an integral system of communication employed during the war, were established here by Massachusetts’ own Samuel Adams.

Exhibit cases outside of the Library

Displayed chronologically, Raising the Alarm uses a selection of broadsides dating from 1773 through 1779 to interpret the Revolutionary War period in Massachusetts, providing a historical overview and examining how news was shared during the war, while also highlighting a significant primary source resource in our collection. Beginning in 2017, the State Library focused on a multi-year effort to conserve and digitize the 18th century broadsides in our collection. Recognizing the significance they hold in documenting the Revolutionary period, our Special Collections Department worked with the Northeast Document Conservation Center in Andover, Massachusetts to treat 70 broadsides. 

Ten broadsides are featured in our exhibit, like the one shown here from April 17, 1776. In this broadside, the topic of equal representation is raised by members of the Committees of Correspondence of Salem and Marblehead who acknowledge the loosening connection with Great Britain and looked towards the growing possibility that “we may soon be obliged to take up Independency for ourselves . . . as undoubtedly a Republic or Commonwealth will be our Form of Government.”

In the final case, the broadsides are complemented by other 18th century items found in Special Collections, including newspapers, almanacs, directories, and more. The exhibit also explores the Committee of Correspondence and some of the well-known patriots in its ranks, and gives special notice to one of our most famous broadsides, the Declaration of Independence, published by Ezekiel Russell in Salem on July 17, 1776.

Raising the Alarm is on view in the display cases outside of the library (Room 341) and is available during our open hours, Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 5:00, through spring 2027.

Elizabeth Roscio, Preservation Librarian
Exhibits Working Group

First a Declaration of Independence, Then an Oath of Allegiance

This month, the country is gearing up for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. To coincide with that historic milestone, we are sharing An Act for Prescribing and Establishing an Oath of Fidelity and Allegiance in our Collection Spotlight case. Visit us from June 16 through August 4 to see this item on display.

Published on February 3, 1778, this is a broadside printing of an Act that was enacted by the Council and the House of Representatives in the General Court. As the new country was establishing its independence, oaths of allegiance were commonly administered by the colonies as a means to confirm loyalty from its citizens while affirming separation from Great Britain. This act recommends the manner in which an oath of allegiance should be established and enforced within Massachusetts. It begins with these stirring words:

Whereas the King of Great-Britain hath abdicated the Government of this and the other United States of America, by putting them out of his Protection and unjustly levying War against them, and the said United States by their Representatives in General Congress assembled by a Declaration bearing the date of the fourth day of July, A.D. 1776, for the Reasons therein mentioned, solemnly declared, that the United Colonies of North-America, are and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political Union between them and the State of Great-Britain is, and ought to be totally dissolved; which Declaration has been solemnly Ratified and Adopted by this State.

As this Act harkens back to the language of the Declaration of Independence, it seems a fitting broadside to display as we come upon the July 4 anniversary. The Act then goes on to describe how an oath should be administered, under what circumstances, and by whom. If an individual was presented with an oath and refused to take it, then the county’s Justice of the Peace could commit them to the county jail. Forty days after refusal, the individual would then be removed to a port within the “Dominions of the King of Great Britain, at their own expense."

The Act also includes the language of the oath, as follows:

I, A.B. do swear (or affirm as the Case may be) that I will bear true Faith and Allegiance to the State of Massachusetts-Bay, and will faithfully support and maintain and defend the same against George the Third King of Great-Britain, his Abettors and all other Enemies and Opposers whatsoever, and will discover all Plots and Conspiracies that shall come to my Knowledge against said State, or any other of the United States of America. So Help Me God.

It is interesting to note a line included at the bottom of the Act, that allows Quakers to omit the word “defend” and the phrase “So help me God” should the Oath be administered to them, as it is language that is against their religious beliefs.

We are excited to share that this broadside is part of our upcoming exhibit Raising the Alarm: Revolutionary Broadsides at the State Library, which opens on June 17 and will be on display in the cases outside of the Main Library (Room 341). Due to the nature of the cases, the exhibit utilizes facsimiles, but each month for the duration of the exhibit, one featured broadside will be on display in our Collection Spotlight case – beginning with this Act! The exhibit utilizes broadsides published from 1773 through 1779 to provide a historical overview of the Revolutionary War period in Massachusetts, while also highlighting a significant primary source resource in our collection. Stay tuned for more information about the exhibit later this month!

We would also invite you to join us for a special event on July 1 as the State Library celebrates the 250th! Come to our Main Reading Room (Room 341) between 11:00 and 1:00 to see our copy of the Declaration of Independence, printed in Salem on July 17, 1776, on display in our Collection Spotlight Case. Special Collections staff will be on hand to share the Declaration, and for this special event, all of the original broadsides featured in our new exhibit will be pulled from storage, giving visitors the rare opportunity to see them up close and imagine themselves receiving news of the Revolutionary War directly from the Boston Committee of Correspondence.

Our July 1st event is free and open to the public and we hope you join us to see these stirring documents on display as the country approaches its 250th birthday. Reach out to us at special.collections@mass.gov with any questions.


Elizabeth Roscio
Preservation Librarian