Massachusetts Historical Society

The Massachusetts Historical Society, founded in 1791, is the oldest organization in the United States devoted to collecting materials for the study of American history. Its extraordinary collections tell the story of America through millions of rare and unique documents, artifacts, and irreplaceable national treasures. Free and open to the public, our library has significant primary resources for historians, academics, students, teachers, and the historically curious. The MHS is dedicated to strengthening K-12 education in Massachusetts and beyond by providing ever-expanding access to our unparalleled collections. We serve teachers and students through National History Day in Massachusetts (NHD), teacher professional development, and robust online resources including HistorySource.org.