Recap of 11/13/2019 Fall Conversation

On November 13, 2019, Cambridge Historical Society hosted Fall Conversation 2019: How Can We Make Change Here? at University Lutheran Church. Speakers Cheyenne Wyzzard-Jones and Dr. Charlotte Ryan joined moderator Mary McNeil to discuss activism and how they use education as a tool to engage others. This event concluded the Society’s 2019 programs centered on…

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Reflecting on the 2019 History Tour

Guided Tour

Amelia Zurcher, 2019 Summer Programs Intern Approaching local history through the question “How Does Cambridge Engage?” has given me an interesting lens into the city’s years of activism and community-building. Throughout the summer of 2019, I spent many days strolling Cambridge’s streets, sifting through archives, and talking with local residents. When I first began research…

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Recap of 9/23/19 History Café 3: Engaging through the Arts

Many thanks to everyone who joined us at the Central Square Theater for our final History Café of 2019! We were delighted to hear from artists David Fichter, Eryn Johnson, and Vincent Siders on how the arts can serve as a catalyst for– or reaction to– change. Our thanks to Dr. Marty Blatt for moderating…

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

By Amelia Zurcher, Society Intern, July 2019 This tour was made possible by the Cambridge Heritage Trust Tour Route Overview and History Central Square has been characterized for much of its history as a working-class neighborhood. In the 1960s, the demographics around Central Square began to change subtly. The growth of local universities led to…

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

The city played a central role in the American Revolution and the abolitionist movement before being named “The People’s Republic” for its role in the anti-war, civil rights, tenant’s rights, gay rights, sustainable development, and environmental movements. Pedaling the People’s Republic will take participants on a tour of past political activity from the Revolution to the grass roots movements of the 20th century.

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Swimming in a Countercultural Sea

By Dick Cluster, 2010 For much of its brief existence between 1968 and 1970, the 16-page tabloid underground newspaper Old Mole featured a column of short items called Zaps on page 4. Here are two: “PEACE CORPS EXPELS 13 FOR ANTI-WAR ACTIVITY –– a real, live headline from the Washington Star.” “If it isn’t in…

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Commentary on Radical Protests in the 1960s

by Stephen Kaiser, reprinted from Cambridge Day If the really radical protesting began in 1967, here we are having an historical reunion of sorts fifty years later.  In Cambridge, I was the editor of the Catalyst, the newspaper of the Graduate Student Council at MIT.  I covered two of the Harvard Square riots, as I…

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Bill Cavellini Papers, 1945-2002

Administrative Information Biographical Sketch Scope and Content Note Library of Congress Subject Headings Series Description and Folder Listing 2 cartons, ½ file box 2.21 linear feet Processor: Joseph Marceda Date: November 2010 Revised by: Su Ciampa, April 2011 Acquisition: The Bill Cavellini Papers were donated to the Cambridge Historical Society by Bill Cavellini in 2009.…

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