This July 4 will mark the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence — and thus the nation’s 250th birthday. Festivities and events to commemorate the first quarter-millenium of the United States are being planned all across the country, but what’s happening here in Marblehead is truly special. That’s because this historically rich town, with its 300-plus Colonial-era homes lining the streets, played a decisive role in the patriots’ victory against the British during the Revolutionary War, a fact which the Marblehead 250 Committee plans to highlight in a variety of ways.
The 250 Committee, composed of several local community leaders and historians, has put together an exciting year of programming to commemorate the anniversary, with exhibits, talks, interactive events and even a Revolutionary War reenactment all taking place in Marblehead throughout the year. Find the full list of events at marbleheadmuseum.org/mhd250/#mm-mhd250-history.
Marblehead 250 will have something for everyone, from a lecture on Marblehead’s own Elbridge Gerry (vice president under James Madison and ultimate origin of the term “gerrymandering”) to a day of living history called “Marbleheaders in the Revolution,” where historical reenactors will portray figures from Marblehead’s past, and attendees will have a chance to participate in a town meeting and decide whether Marblehead should take up the Revolutionary cause or remain loyal to the Crown.
Our understanding of the past is always changing, and with today’s greater emphasis on diverse perspectives and stories, Marblehead will be focusing much more on its own history of the people of color, women and religious minorities who contributed to the town’s history than it did in past celebrations, like the Bicentennial in 1976.
Lauren McCormack, executive director of the Marblehead Museum, explains: “[The Bicentennial] was really a celebration of the generals and the white men, particularly the generals and the officers and the wealthier folks… and certainly this time around, at 250 years, we are very much cognizant of the lesser-known individuals who served: women on the home front, the Jewish man who served in Glover’s Regiment [Abraham Solomon] … and of course, there were a number of African-descended individuals, both free and enslaved, who also served. Part of what we’re doing this time around is to not only be cognizant of that but to celebrate their contributions as well.”
McCormack also highlights the contradictory history of Marblehead’s heroes when explaining the Brick Kitchen and Slave Quarters exhibit at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion, which will open to the public on June 1: “People like Jeremiah Lee, who were ardent patriots, giving their treasure and sometimes their lives to the cause, often used the vocabulary of slavery to argue for liberty and yet at the same time, were enslaving people in their own homes.”
Larry Sands, captain of the Glover’s Regiment reenactors — who will set up their encampment at Fort Sewall on July 18 — comments further on Marblehead’s diverse past, explaining that Glover’s Regiment, which was composed of 600 men from Marblehead, was “an integrated regiment, at a time when other units were not integrated. In part I think it’s because we were sailors and fishermen and used to serving on ships with people from all over the world. We were comfortable with all sorts, people of all different ethnic, racial, religious backgrounds … They served Glover’s well through the years, and we’re happy to represent that in how we do our events.”
Given that Glover’s Regiment saved George Washington’s life on three separate occasions (the Evacuation of Long Island, the Battle of Pelham, and the Crossing of Delaware), the town of Marblehead — and its diverse history — clearly played a crucial role in this nation’s founding.
Marblehead’s 250 events have already started and continue through December.
