The Pursuit of History: The Siege and Liberation of Boston

August 7–8, 2025 | Boston, Massachusetts | SOLD OUT

The siege of Boston, the first campaign of the Revolutionary War, was in some ways the whole war in miniature. Though the British military won the only pitched battle and maintained control of the seas, those victories came at great cost. Meanwhile, George Washington was almost unwittingly learning what it took to be commander-in-chief. Alternately frustrated and anxious, he shaped the Continental Army, assessed the generals appointed under him, and found new ways to take the war to the enemy.

The Pursuit of History: The Siege and Liberation of Boston focued on the history of 1775 and early 1776 as the Revolutionary War embroiled Massachusetts.

The Pursuit of History: The Siege and Liberation of Boston was the third in our series of in-depth, small-group events on the creation of our nation 250 years ago. This event is scheduled in conjunction with History Camp Boston on August 9–10, allowing attendees to spend four straight days exploring the past. We welcomed attendees from across the country.

Event Program

Joe Bagley’s Walking Tour of the Bunker Hill Battlefield and Charlestown

One highlight of The Pursuit of History: The Siege and Liberation of Boston was the walking tour of the Bunker Hill battlefield and Charlestown with Joe Bagley, Boston’s City Archaeologist. Joe provided this outline of his tour along with some rare historic images that you can download (below) to see exactly where we were and how that ground looked in 1775 and since.
— John Bell, Program Director

Presenters + Guides

Program Director J. L. Bell

J. L. Bell is the program director for this and other Pursuit of History Weekends on the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. He is the author of The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War and shares daily articles on his Boston 1775 website. John will provide a map-based overview of the first campaign of the Revolutionary War and associated military actions, and he’ll lay out the important lessons General George Washington learned in his first months as commander-in-chief—as well as sharing gossip about the places we visit.

Mary Adams

Mary Adams has worked in public history for her entire adult life, starting as an interpreter for the National Park Service. She is currently the Homeschool Program Developer for the New Hampshire Historical Society, sharing stories of that state’s notable citizens such as General John Stark. Pursuit of History Weekend attendees already know Mary for cheerily managing the logistics of all our outings.

Joseph M. Bagley, MA

Since 2011 Joseph M. Bagley, MA, has been Boston’s City Archaeologist, managing digs, curating artifacts, and educating the public about the history under their feet. His recent projects include the “Reconstructing 1775 Charlestown” website and an ongoing dig in that historic neighborhood. Joe is the author of A History of Boston in 50 Artifacts and Boston’s Oldest Buildings and Where to Find Them.

Charles Bahne

After coming to the Boston area to study urban planning, Charles Bahne built a career sharing his enthusiasm for the city and its history. He is the author of The Complete Guide to Boston’s Freedom Trail and Chronicles of Old Boston, along with articles on various topics. With decades of experience designing and leading historical tours, Charlie lives in Cambridge and, yes, he had to memorize “Paul Revere’s Ride” as a sixth-grader in the Midwest.

Dr. Samuel A. Forman, MD, MBA, MPH

Dr. Samuel A. Forman, MD, MBA, MPH, is a historian and Harvard University faculty member. Sam is the author of the award-winning biography Joseph Warren: The Boston Tea Party, Bunker Hill, and the Birth of American Liberty and Ill-Fated Frontier — Peril and Possibilities in the Early American West. He is also a long-time member of the Lexington Minute Men, recreating the experience of a New England militiaman in 1775.

Mehitabel Glenhaber

Mehitabel Glenhaber is a program assistant at the Paul Revere House Memorial Association, teaching educational programs for students and adults and regularly contributing to the association’s publications and blog. For over three years they have portrayed Hannah Mather Crocker as a tour guide on the Freedom Trail and reenactor at the Paul Revere House.

Emily Holmes, MA

Emily Holmes, MA, is the Education Director at the Paul Revere Memorial Association. Emily began her career in museums as a part-time interpreter at the Paul Revere House while in college, and after completing a Masters in History Museum Studies she returned to the museum, eventually becoming the Education Director in 2008.

Tegan Kehoe

Tegan Kehoe is the Research and Adult Program Director at the Paul Revere Memorial Association, joining in 2023. She was previously the Exhibit and Education Specialist at the Russell Museum of Medical History and Innovation. Prior to that, she worked at three other sites interpreting Revolutionary and early American history in Boston: the Old South Meeting House, Old State House, and USS Constitution Museum.

Nina Zannieri, MA

Nina Zannieri, MA, has been the Executive Director of the Paul Revere Memorial Association since 1986. She has held leadership positions in several professional organizations including the American Alliance of Museums, the New England Museum Association, and the American Association for State and Local History. In 2015 she received a NEMA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Schedule + Sites

Wednesday evening

For those who are coming in early, we’ll have an informal get together and “Pre-Amble” in the evening, starting at a local tavern/bar/restaurant and then walking some of the Freedom Trail. Very informal. Details to come in e-mail when we get close.

Thursday

We’ll meet at the Bunker Hill Museum near the iconic stone tower marking the fortified area that provincial soldiers tried to defend from British troops on June 17, 1775. Our first speakers will orient us to the geography of the siege of Boston and to the men who led the Patriots in the Battle of Bunker Hill—the bloodiest fight of the entire Revolutionary War. Then we’ll go out to explore the sites of fighting in Charlestown, guided by those experts and the archaeologist overseeing the latest investigations of the terrain.

For lunch we’ll visit the Warren Tavern, a restaurant opened in 1780 as Charlestown was rebuilt after being burned to the ground during the battle.

In the afternoon, we’ll take a road trip to little-known sites that the Continental Army used during the siege, including Prospect Hill, Fort Hill, and the Dillaway-Thomas House. (The Dorchester Heights site is undergoing a thorough restoration in advance of the 250th anniversary of the evacuation of Boston in March 2026. If that location is accessible, we’ll visit it as well.)

Dinner will be at the Union Oyster House, which has been a restaurant for only about two centuries, but in 1775 was a Loyalist merchant’s shop and a Patriot newspaper printing office.

Friday

We’ll meet at the Mariners House hotel in Boston’s North End. In the morning, working in groups, we’ll visit the Paul Revere House, the oldest residence to survive in central Boston and the home of the active Patriot and his large family. We’ll examine a historic letter that illuminates how the Revere family split up to weather the siege. And we’ll enjoy a first-person interpretation of one of the Revere’s neighbors, Hannah Mather.

Weekend Option—History Camp Boston

Siege and Liberation of Boston attendees can also register separately for History Camp Boston on Saturday and the History Camp tours on Sunday. Some Siege and Liberation speakers will be presenting on different topics at History Camp Boston. See here for more information.

Feedback from The Road to Independence Spring Attendees

Our guests came from Michigan, Illinois, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Arizona, Virginia, Maryland, Kansas, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New Jersey for three days of talks, walks, special tours, and dinners.

“The mix of talks and walks, the unforgettable dinner at Carpenters Hall with the surprise appearance of Elizabeth Powel, Benjamin Franklin, and friends, the Declaration of Independence presentation, the Christ Church tour, museum tours—all of it was absolutely engrossing.

I’ve been to Philly half a dozen times, but The Road to Independence gave me a whole new appreciation of this very walkable city.”

— Valerie, Illinois

“The speakers, tours and activities were great and provided me with a deeper appreciation of the events leading to and following the Declaration of Independence. I was especially impressed with the dinner in Carpenter’s Hall—and the reenactors—what a memorable evening.

I know that putting together a weekend like this requires a lot of thought and effort to coordinate all the different pieces and to ensure the participants are having a great experience. I wanted to reach out to you, and to everyone else who was working behind the scenes, to let you know that I very much appreciate the effort and feel that it was a great success.”

— Dave, Massachusetts

The Pursuit of History for America’s 250th

From Rebellion in New England (1774 Cambridge in 2024) to A Farewell to Arms (1783 New York City in 2033), join the most respected authorities in the field as we travel to two cities every year to understand not just what happened 250 years ago but why it happened.

This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is limited to 40 attendees and each event usually sells out within days. Those who have attended previous Pursuit of History Weekends have the first opportunity to register. 

View the entire series of programs through 2033 >

Sign-up for our weekly Pursuit of History | History Camp mailing to be notified. We also include updates on our weekly History Camp Author Discussions and our annual History Camp Boston.

Supporting The Pursuit of History

Contact Lee Wright, President of The Pursuit of History to learn more about how you can support the mission and programs of The Pursuit of History, the non-profit organization behind The Pursuit of History Weekends, History Camp, and weekly History Camp Discussions.