Schedule
The Hive runs from 8:30am - 4:30pm each day. Doors open at 8am.
NOTE: This schedule may change slightly before January 24th. Check back for updates!
Saturday, January 24
8:30 – 9:30 am. Hands – on Sessions
9:30am – Welcome and Updates from The Massachusetts Army National Guard, Minute Man and the Friends of Minute Man
10:00am - [keynote presentation] What's the News from 1776?
Bob Allison
1776 was the great year, and we know that on July 4 the Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, one of the great moments in world history. What had happened to make this possible, and what were the results for the newly-independent American states? Some stories you know, but history always surprises us.
11:00 am - After April 19th: Lives Forever Changed
Panel
The outbreak of war on April 19, 1775 was a watershed moment in the history of the American colonies, and especially in the lives of those who witnessed it firsthand. For those individuals, how were their lives changed? What came next? This session will feature a series of “mini-bios” of April 19th participants and how the course of their lives was forever changed.
12pm Lunch
12:30pm – Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”
Claire Bickers
Even after months of war, the question of independency was still something that many people were unsure of. Then, in early 1776 Thomas Paine published “Common Sense” and brought the question to a broad audience. Unpack the language Paine used to make his argument and why it had such an impact.
1:30pm – concurrent sessions
2:30pm – Arms, Ammunition, and Archaeology: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Understanding 18th-Century Ballistics
Joel Bohy
3:30pm – Privateering and the Revolution at Sea
Emily Murphy
We learn about the land battles that began the American Revolution in Massachusetts but less is known about the merchants and mariners who risked their livelihoods and lives to take the battle to the British on the high seas. Explore the world of the privateersmen and navy sailors who supplied one of Essex County’s major contributions to the revolutionary war effort.
Sunday, January 24
8:30 – 10:30 am. Hands – on Sessions
11am - Researching Historical Impressions
Maggie Parfitt, Alex Cain, Michele Gabrielson
Are you new to the hobby? Are you interested in further researching your particular historical impression? Learn about essential research techniques, sources of good information and where to find them.
12pm Lunch
12:30pm - Continental Army Uniforms 1776
Henry Cooke
1776 was a year of transition, and one of the challenges was clothing the one-year enlistment army spread between Canada and Georgia and no real system for clothing it, and some of the stopgap measures, especially in Massachusetts, which aimed to remedy it. Learn about Continental Army uniforms of 1776, and the transition from the citizen's army of 1775 with the Bounty Coat and its significance, to the more towards a more European looking army by 1778.
1:30pm – British Army Adaptations, 1776
Sean Considine
With war now begun in earnest, the British Army needed to adapt to meet the challenges of this new American war. Learn about the changes made in both clothing and tactics that transformed the British Army into a fast and formidable foe!
2:30pm – Our Changing Hobby: Exploring the Future of Revolutionary War-era Living History
Panel discussion
The hobby we love has been through many changes since 1975 and 2000, and it continues to evolve! What may the future hold for living history as we continue further into the 250th and beyond? Will battle reenactments remain a central fixture or will civilian events compete for space? What will historic sites and event organizers be looking for in terms of support? What would YOU like to see? In this panel discussion and facilitated dialogue, all are encouraged to share their thoughts!
