Marking Cambridge’s 400th Anniversary

A Collaborative Initiative Of:

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Our Mission: To commemorate our 400th anniversary with inclusive programs that inspire the people of Cambridge to think critically about our past and apply lessons learned for our future.

Our Vision: The shared experiences of Cambridge 400 will have inspired us to incorporate curiosity, pride, and critical thinking into our daily lives.

Join Us: contact us at info@historycambridge.org or (617) 547-4252 to let us know how you’d like to join in the planning.

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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, discuss where we’ve been and where we are, and establish plans for sustaining our history into the future.

We acknowledge that Indigenous people have inhabited the place we call Cambridge for many thousands of years. Cambridge 400 recognizes that Indigenous voices are vital to this project and will be included to provide greater context, fullness, and accuracy to the larger Cambridge story.

Why commemorate? Cambridge is a city rich with history that many already celebrate. While history can and should be used to promote feelings of pride, it is also a tool to help us create a better city. We can use the lessons of the past to inform all aspects of our civic life. By critically examining the history we have collected and shared in the past, we can better recognize that there are significant gaps in our understanding. Many histories have been left out of the historical record. Cambridge 400 is a movement to include as many diverse voices across the city as possible in order to properly celebrate and learn from our past, then use this collective wisdom to better understand the issues Cambridge faces going forward.

Calendar of Events

Submit your event to be included in our list of ACTIVITIES for Cambridge 400