Myth and Memory

Myth and Memory explores the rich and complex history of the American Revolution as it played out in New England. Drawn from the museum and archival collections of Historic New England, the objects in this exhibition tell the stories of people – men and women, rebels and Loyalists, enslaved and free – whose lives were linked by the shared experience of revolution.

Many of the stories are well-documented, connecting objects to notable people, places, and events related to the American Revolution. Others are based on the memories of ancestors, recorded and preserved as family lore. Nearly all contain embellishments, formed over time as these objects circulated between private and public realms, passed down from one generation to another and into the hands of collectors, antiquarians, and museum curators. Myth and Memory revisits these stories to untangle fact from fiction and add new perspectives to familiar histories.

The objects in this exhibition are in galleries arranged by themes of Resistance, Loyalty, Liberty, and Memory, drawing attention to how we remember the American Revolution and reckon with its legacy.

Image: A View of the Town of Concord, April 19, 1775, Timothy Minot (1757-1837), probably Concord, ca. 1825. Concord Museum Collection, Bequest of Mrs. Stedman Buttrick, Sr.

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Historic New England appreciates the generous support
of the following donors in presenting this exhibition
The Coby Foundation
The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation
Alice and Thom Gould
Karen and Warren McFarlan
Kristin and Roger Servison
Angie and Robert Simonds
Andrew Spindler
Many thanks to the additional donors
who supported the exhibition.

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The next page is: Gallery One (Resistance).