Collections

The Massachusetts Historical Society is one of the nation’s most respected research libraries. Our extraordinary collections provide an unparalleled record of American history and are enjoyed by scholars and the public alike.

The MHS possesses a remarkable assembly of personal papers of three presidents, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. The collections also contain accounts of the lives of thousands of ordinary Americans.

Explore the collections

The collections are available to all in person, online, and through exhibitions and programs. Learn more about doing research at the MHS. 

Use these tools to view highlights, digital collections, and other online resources.

MHS Gallery

View highlights from the collection.

Online Resources

Browse web presentations by subject, era, or medium, or see a list of all of our online resources.

Upcoming Events

Collecting the World at War, 1919-1946

8Feb 6:00PM 2017
There will be a pre-talk reception at 5:30pm.

Kenneth Rendell, a noted collector and dealer of historical documents and artifacts, has amassed the most comprehensive collection of material related to World War II ...
Teacher Workshop

Abraham Lincoln & Emancipation

11Feb 9:00AM 2017
Registration fee: $25 (free for students)

“I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races… ...
Author Talk

Of Arms and Artists: The American Revolution Through Painters' Eyes

16Feb 6:00PM 2017
There will be a pre-talk reception at 5:30pm.

The lives of the five great American artists of the Revolutionary period--Charles Willson Peale, John Singleton Copley, John Trumbull, Benjamin West, and Gilbert Stuart- ...
See our calendar for all events

From our Blog

“A Remarkable Deception”: The Cardiff Giant Hoax

In the autumn of 1869 the peaceful valley of Onondaga, in central New York, was in commotion from one end to the other. Strange reports echoed from farm to farm. It was noised abroad that a great ...

This Week @ MHS

Here are the events scheduled for the week ahead: - Tuesday, 7 February, 5:15PM : First up this week is a seminar from the Early American History series. "The Coromantee War in Jamaica: Charting the ...

Read more from our blog

Have you seen?

T. K. Lothrop's cows in meadow at Beverly Farms [second view]