Pioneer Valley History Network

The Pioneer Valley History Network is a resource for local history organizations in western Massachusetts—and the public they serve.

• Click the Sites link to learn more about these organizations.
• Check out and attend upcoming events.

PVHN welcomes your history-related questions and genealogical inquiries!  Contact us at: pioneervalleyhistory@gmail.com

• Learn how your favorite historical society can benefit from PVHN’s Summer Themes, Gatherings & Workshops, and Special Projects.
• Get involved!
• And let us know your thoughts below:

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STATEMENT

The members of the Board of Directors of the Pioneer Valley History Network feel that it is critical in light of recent sobering incidents in our nation that we make the following declaration:

• Prejudice and bigotry has been an unfortunate part of our country’s and region’s history and continues to this day. We support peaceful protests that promote dialogue and meaningful change.
• We encourage all our members to expand their interpretation to include the voice of unrepresented or little represented individuals and groups of their area – whether that be race, class or lower economic populations.
• We are stewards of our story and many voices broaden the perspective to make it more a relevant message to our audiences.
• All our members should strive for inclusive training for themselves and their staff to insure diversity and equality in their interpretation.

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HISTORY CAMP PIONEER VALLEY 2020 CANCELED

Acknowledging our responsibility towards the health and well-being of both the attendees and presenters at the Pioneer Valley History Network’s “History Camp Pioneer Valley,” it is with great sadness that the members of the Board of Directors, during their recent monthly meeting, have determined to cancel the 2020 edition of this popular and well-received event. Please continue to monitor our website and FaceBook page for updates and announcements of future opportunities for our region. Remember, history is what is happening now all around us.

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REVOLUTION HAPPENED HERE: OUR TOWNS IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

The Pioneer Valley History Network (PVHN) is excited to announce its newest project, “Revolution Happened Here: Our Towns in the American Revolution.” Funded through a newly-awarded grant from Mass Humanities, the project will bring together a collaborative team of our region’s historical societies and museums to create an online exhibit and related programming that tells the story of the American Revolution as it unfolded in western Massachusetts. Visitors to the “Revolution Happened Here” web exhibit will discover how the American Revolution, while a globally transformative event, was fundamentally a grassroots movement – intrinsically local and intensely personal.

PVHN is a consortium of, and advocate for, the many small historical organizations in our region of western Massachusetts that archive and steward much of the region’s history. Frequently run by volunteers, these institutions often have limited public hours and few resources. The Revolution Happened Here project encourages and enables even the smallest organizations to participate and share their town’s unique stories and treasures with a wider audience to help tell a larger, region-wide history. Often unknown outside their communities, these compelling 18th century artifacts and documents will also give voice to myriad, diverse histories of individuals and groups often marginalized in traditional, top-down histories of the Revolution – people of color, both free and enslaved of indigenous and of African descent, indentured servants and apprentices, the poor; women, children, loyalists, and prisoners of war.

The “Revolution Happened Here” online exhibit will interpret artifacts and documents, grouped by topics and themes, and provide interactive opportunities for users to develop a deeper understanding of the American Revolution. An interactive map will enable visitors to locate each story and object as they explore what happened town by town. The database and website exhibit will be expandable to accommodate future participants and materials.

PVHN invites all historical institutions in the Pioneer Valley and surrounding areas to participate in the Revolution Happened Here project. To learn more contact PVHN at: revolution-happened-here@pvhn.net

This program is funded in part by Mass Humanities,
which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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