We engage with Cambridge, Massachusetts, to explore how the past influences the present in order to shape a better future.

 

Celebrate Cambridge’s 400th Anniversary

The year 2030 marks the 400th anniversary of Cambridge, Massachusetts (originally settled as New Towne in 1630 by the Massachusetts Bay Company). This momentous occasion is an opportunity for the people of Cambridge to reflect on our past, celebrate, and establish plans for sustaining our history into the future.

July 28 History Café Recap: Changing Tides in Cambridge Industry

July 21 Recap: Artist talk with Black Coral, Inc.

July 16 Recap: “Forgotten Souls” Public Celebration

Self-Guided Tour: The Work of Revolution in Cambridge

Self-Guided Tour: Gold Star Memorials in North Cambridge

Self-Guided Tours: Mapping Feminist Cambridge

1986 Neighborhood Trivia Hunt

Self-Guided Tour: Stories from the Early African American Community of Old Cambridge

Self-Guided Tour: Women Activists of Riverside 50 Years After Suffrage

Self-Guided Tour: Monuments and Memorials in Cambridge

Self-Guided Tour: The History of Candy Making in Cambridge

Self-Guided Tour: Loyalist Women of Cambridge

Self-Guided Tour: Lois Lilley Howe Homes of Gray Gardens

Self-Guided Tour: Central Square Activism From the 1960s to Now

Self-Guided Tour: Cambridge and the American Revolution

Self-Guided Bike Tour: Pedaling the People’s Republic, A History of Political Activism in Cambridge

Self-Guided Tour: Huron Village’s Modern Houses

Self-Guided Tour: Caribbean Community in the Port

Self-Guided Tour: Clay, Bricks, Dump, Park: A Tour of North Cambridge

Cambridge Through the Pages

Self-Guided Tour: William James’s Cambridge

Changing Tides in Cambridge Industry

In identifying ways to improve neighborhoods, one lesson is: Students must get out and explore

Youth-led social justice movements lead the way in Cambridge around issues of race and climate

Jukebox, a community storysharing project

Indigenous Peoples History Hub

History Cambridge’s headquarters is located on the traditional homelands of the Massachusett people. Introduction Welcome to the Indigenous Peoples History Hub. In 2018, History Cambridge created a land acknowledgment in commitment to doing good history and telling the whole story of Cambridge. Though acknowledging our occupation of Indigenous land is an important step in recognizing…

Inner Belt Hub

Cambridge had a major role in battling one highway for decades and eventually sparking a process that created a powerful coalition that led officials to remake transportation policy for the Boston area inside Route 128

Black History in Cambridge: Online Resources

Explore these online resources that explore Black history in Cambridge. More programs and events about Cambridge’s Black history are being planned. To be notified, sign up for our monthly enewsletter at historycambridge.org.  Articles  A story of enslavement; a Juneteenth reflection  Quiet courage: Groundbreaking Maria Baldwin and the racial politics of education in Cambridge Pauline Hopkins’…

Early Black Cambridge Resource Hub

Are you interested in learning more about the history of race, slavery, and African American life in the Cambridge area? This guide highlights many of the resources available that touch on these topics, including primary, secondary, and public-facing sources (such as self-guided tours and websites). While this hub is focused on material related to the…

Who Are Cambridge Women?

Profiles included: Barbara Ackermann | Maria Baldwin | Ann Bookman | Sara Chapman Bull | Joyce Chen | Helen Lee Franklin | Suzanne R. Green | Lois Lilley Howe | Edith Lesley | Eva Neer | Mercy Scollay | Elizabeth Sullivan | Phyllis Wallace Our 2020 theme was Who Are Cambridge Women? But why spend…

Businesses Well Lived

As part of our ongoing work to capture Cambridge history, we partnered with Cambridge Local First to reach out to local small business owners and find out how the pandemic has affected their livelihood.

Lois Lilley Howe Hub

As part of our year asking “Who Are Cambridge Women?” meet Lois Lilley Howe. Learn about her life and work.

History @ Home

There are so many great digital resources for adults, teens, and children to use at home! We have gathered a number of excellent online sites to help you and your family learn about a wide variety of historical topics. Digital History Resources: The Great Courses: One free month of access to over 200 history courses,…

The Harvard Square Defense Fund Records, 1979−2007

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Find original research by History Cambridge staff, interns, volunteers, and community members, including articles, oral histories, and online exhibitions. Search results also include our finding aids, which describe archival materials you can make an appointment to view in person.

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