Boston Public Library 250

The Boston Public Library (BPL) is presenting its first major exhibition in nearly a decade. "Revolution! 250 Years of Art and Activism" in Boston will open October 23, 2025. Featuring more than 100 artworks and documentary materials from the BPL’s renowned Special Collections, the exhibition explores America’s evolving struggles for freedom, civil rights, and belonging. The exhibition is part of Road to Revolution, the BPL’s three-year cycle of programs leading to the anniversary of the American Revolution in 2026.

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In the Leventhal Map and Education Center’s exhibition Terrains of Independence, maps will offer the entry point to a reconsideration of the Revolutionary War through the lens of locality and place.

In 1775, a collision of word-historical forces, driven by ocean-spanning empires, conflicts over trade and settlement, and new ideas about society and government, came together in the spark of the American Revolution. Yet although both the causes and the consequences of the Revolution were grand in scale, the war ignited in the tinderbox of a very specific local geography: Boston and the surrounding towns of Massachusetts. 

From April 3, 2025, through March 2026, we invite you visit our gallery to explore the American Revolution using maps and geography to ask the question "Why did it happen here?"

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In an effort to highlight Boston’s diverse historical resources, the Boston Commemoration Commission has compiled a list of repositories, historical collections, projects, museums, and other places where people can learn about Boston's history. With support from the Boston Public Library, this list will be made publicly accessible as The Boston Historical Collections and Resources Database, a simple, searchable database on the Library’s website. We envision this as a launching point for Boston residents and visitors alike who seek to deepen their understanding of our shared history. This is envisioned as a living resource, and once it is publicly accessible, users will be able to fill out a similar web form to help us fill in any gaps. If you have any questions or concerns, please email communityhistory@bpl.org.