Historian J.L. Bell will tell the thrilling story of Leslie's Retreat, the first armed resistance to the British crown, and its connections to Marblehead.

On Sunday, February 26, 1775, about 250 British soldiers marched through Marblehead, sent by the royal governor to search for weapons. When that column of redcoats stalled at a
drawbridge in Salem, their commander ordered locals to let them pass. Militia companies assembled to stop them.

This talk digs below myths of Leslie’s Retreat to highlight eyewitness accounts of a day the Revolutionary War might have begun, but didn’t.

J. L. Bell is the author of The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War.  Bell’s website, Boston 1775, offers daily updates of “history, analysis, and unabashed gossip about the start of the American Revolution.”

It’s Autumn, 1774. Massachusetts is confined, punished & neglected by the Royal Government. Tyranny sparks hopes of Revolution! When Patriots meet secretly in Salem, enslaved Africans want to take the talk of Liberty at face value. Can they? Join the forbidden assembly!

Attending “In Open Rebellion” is your chance to imagine yourself amidst Salem’s Patriots, Loyalists and enslaved Africans as the seaside town prepares for a secret Provincial Congress. Learn what Africans may have been thinking about the impending revolution, hear songs from the time period and be surrounded by the Revolutionary energy of Salem’s liberty-aspiring inhabitants.

In Open Rebellion was commissioned in 2024 by the Essex National Heritage Commission to be written by Kristina Wacome Stevick. Attend the world premiere, February 23, 2025. Be surrounded by Adeniyi Samuel as “Caesar”, and Colin LaMusta, Caleb Palmer, Carl Schultz, Hannah Spangler, Brigid Warner-Streff, and Jon Warner-Streff as the Patriot and Loyalist citizens of Salem, as the candlelit Old Town Hall transforms into the historic meeting house–just a stone’s throw from the site of the October 1774 secret meetings! Directed by Samantha Searles. Produced by History Alive, Inc. www.historyalivesalem.com

Free and open to the public!

Registration required, register here!

Funded by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

12:30 & 2:30pm Salem-Marblehead Trolley Tour lead by Judy Anderson starting at St. Peter’s San Pedro Episcopal Church

Trolley boards at 12:15 and 2:15. Everyone with a reservation must be on the trolley by 12:20 or 2:20. Remaining seats will be available on a first-come first-served basis. So, be present at St. Peter’s Church before 12:20.

Tickets are free, but space is limited. Tickets may be reserved here!

Join us as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of “Leslie’s Retreat,” a pivotal moment that marked Salem’s first stand against British authority and helped spark the American Revolution.

The Grand Reenactor March will happen at 11am, before the march, there will be a speaking portion at St. Peter’s San Pedro Episcopal Church. Note that the spectacle will be an event for the public to view from North Bridge. The general public will NOT march with the reenactors! Those interested only in seeing the parade should plan to be at North Bridge at 11am sharp on February 22. This is a once in a lifetime event, not to be missed!

On February 26, 1775, just weeks before the shots at Lexington and Concord, Salem witnessed what could have been the first battle of the American Revolution. When British Lt. Colonel Alexander Leslie and his troops attempted to seize colonial weapons, they were met with remarkable resistance at Salem’s North Bridge—where courage, diplomacy, and level-headed leadership prevented bloodshed but demonstrated American resolve.

Experience history come alive as we recreate this dramatic confrontation at its original location. Watch as historical reenactors portray the tense standoff between British troops and Salem’s citizens.

Be part of this remarkable commemoration as we honor the courage, wisdom, and restraint shown by both sides during this critical moment in American history. This event offers a unique opportunity to witness and understand how Salem’s citizens stood firm in defense of their rights while avoiding the outbreak of war—if only for a few more weeks.

Free and open to the public!

Join us for an afternoon discussing one of the lesser-known skirmishes of the early Revolutionary War. Colonel Timothy Pickering was present on that day and at his home 250 years later, we’ll gather together local historians and pull out objects from our archives and more as we discuss the events of that storied day and Pickering’s role in it.

Zoom Lecture!

Sunday, March 14 — Jennifer Ratliff

Unheralded and Unknown They Sleep: Salem's Forgotten Almshouse Burial Ground

Please register at pickeringhouse1@gmail.com.

Salem is often celebrated for its history of millionaire merchants and their mansions, but there is another side to the city’s past, that of Salem’s poorest residents: the aged, disabled, ill, or transient, that were relegated to a harsh life at the City Almshouse.

The last almshouse built in Salem, opened in 1816 on Collins Cove to provide housing and support for the city’s impoverished, many of whom were expected to work the adjacent City Farm to offset the cost of their stay. This site was active for over a century and included a small burial ground which would have served as the only option for those who were unable to afford a funeral or that had no family to claim their remains. Unfortunately, few know of this land’s former purpose and significance, as there is very little evidence of the Almshouse or its burial ground. Join us to learn more about the important history of this site and how we can preserve its memory.

Salem historian Jen Ratliff has dedicated herself to uncovering and sharing the forgotten stories of our collective past. While earning a B.A. from Salem State University in Public History, she created multiple exhibits and digital projects for both Salem Maritime National Historic Site and Salem State University, spotlighting items from their archives and the unique stories behind them. Jen is currently pursuing an M.S., concentrated in Archives Management, from Simmons University. She shares her love for local history on her blog, History by the Sea, as well as her Facebook group, Salem History Exchange.

Don't miss Professor Joanne Pope Melish speaking about Charlotte
Forten and Race in the "Free" American North, as we celebrate Forten's
legacy.

Celebrating Charlotte Forten
https://www.salemstate.edu/calendar/celebrating-charlotte-mar-02-2021

We invite members of Salem State University, and the broader
community, to join us in celebration of the life and accomplishment of
Charlotte F. Forten. The program will include performances and a
virtual discussion, Race in the “Free” American North in the 19th
Century, led by associate professor of nineteenth century U.S. history
at the University of Kentucky Dr. Joanne Pope Melish.

Register for this virtual event.
https://salemstate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__ngTVzf6TI247pDtSruHwQ

Come celebrate the 245th anniversary of Leslie's Retreat, a milestone moment in Salem’s involvement in the American Revolution.

Choose to march with invading redcoats or resistant colonial militia in Salem’s fourth annual community celebration of “Leslie’s Retreat,” the 1775 powder alarm in which Essex County militia and townspeople stopped a force of British regulars from stealing their cannons. The re-enactment is followed by an informal reception*,

If you’d like to join the redcoats, don your favorite red jacket or scarf or period attire, and meet at Hamilton Hall at 11:15am to march to Leslie’s Retreat Park on the North River.

If you’d like to stick with the colonists, gather at First Church at 11:30am at the conclusion of the regular service (all are welcome to join the regular service at 10:30am!) and march to stop the regulars at the North River. Homemade costumes and musical instruments are most welcome.!

In the event of foul weather, redcoats will march, but the re-enactment will take place inside The First Church in Salem, ​316 Essex Street​.

*Reception will begin at roughly 12:00pm at First Church following the re-enactment.

Other events:

Women of Purpose, 315 ½ Essex Street.
1-3pm Meet Patriot and Loyalist women and learn about their important roles in the war effort.

4-7pm 2nd annual Toast the Resistance with Larry Young & Friends- O'Neil's Pub 120 Washington St Sing along to 18th century tunes while you raise a glass to the resistance. Family friendly

A special thanks to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, who will ring alarm bells from the church steeple to commemorate the event.

Sponsored by the Leslie's Retreat Committee, Leslie’s Retreat & Salem Resistance, First Church in Salem, Hamilton Hall, Historic Salem, Inc., Salem Night Tours, The Pickering House, The Salem Athenaeum, Salem Night Tours, O'Neils Irish Bar, Wicked Running Club, Abbott Public Library, Old Marblehead Houses, Custom House Marine Museum, The Witch House and Salem Historical Society

On January 1, 2020, the National Park Service, the City of Salem, Essex National Heritage Commission, and the Salem Historical Society invite locals and community members to participate in First Day Hike, a national initiative established by America’s State Parks to get people outdoors and connecting with places in their own backyards. This will be the fifth year that Salem community members have participated in First Day Hike.

This year’s hike will begin at 12:00pm at the National Park Service Regional Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty Street. This year’s hike will focus on the importance of the Custom House to Salem’s history. David Moffat from the Salem Historical Society will lead the hike through the downtown district stopping at a few of the locations of past Custom Houses along the way. The hike will finish at the 1819 Custom House at Salem Maritime National Historic Site, followed by an optional walk up and back on Derby Wharf. This event is free and open to hikers of all ages. 

“I would like to thank the National Park Service and the Essex Heritage Commission for organizing this First Hike event. It has become a new Salem tradition and a great way to start off the New Year,” says Salem Mayor Kimberly Driscoll.  

“Join your community by tromping around town as part of the First Day Hike.  We've done this for five years, so now it’s a custom! This year, plan to unwrap the history of Custom Houses in Salem,” says Salem Maritime National Historic Site Superintendent Paul DePrey.    

Essex National Heritage Commission CEO Annie Harris says, “Over the past five years, Salem’s First Day Hike has become very popular and we are thrilled to partner on this wonderful event that gets people outside, enjoying the rich heritage of their community.”

In 2019, close to 55,000 people from across the nation kicked off the New Year with a First Day Hike. While State Parks entice millions of visitors year-round, a First Day Hike in many states offers a family-friendly event with a unique perspective of what nature has to offer. America’s State Parks is the website host for First Day Hikes in 2020. Find additional information on hundreds of First Day Hike opportunities across the country at www.stateparks.org.

The story of Salem shipping often focuses on the truly successful like the Derbys, the Crowninshields, and the Cabots. What about those captains who were just trying to get by? What were the stresses and realities of a life at sea in Salem at the turn of the nineteenth century?

Come hear the story of Nathaniel Hathorne Sr., Nathaniel Hawthorne’s father, one of the less fortunate of Salem’s scions. David Moffat, local historian, museum professional, and co-founder of the Salem Historical Society, will explore his life through the records of his voyages, his home, and his legacy reflected through the prism of his son’s literary career.

Trustee and co-founder Diana Dunlap at the Jeremiah Lee Mansion at Marblehead Museum for a talk entitled “Cinders and Suds: Servant Life at the Lee Mansion.” Diana will be at the mansion from 10:00-4:00 as she discusses how a midday meal was prepared and how chores were conducted to maintain the household of one of New England’s wealthiest families.

On Wednesday evening, September 25, author Robert Booth, one of our new trustees, will be giving a talk at the Ipswich Historical Society focusing on the Smithsonian’s reinterpretation of feminist and African-American history regarding the Choate-Caldwell House originally located at 16 Elm St. Ipswich, which now resides at the Museum of American History as their largest single artifact on permanent display. The talk will begin at 7:30.

Members of The House of the Seven Gables are invited to enjoy the Salem Celebrates the Fourth fireworks display as well as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthday from the seaside lawn.

Please feel free to bring your own picnic, blanket, and lawn chairs for a front-row seat to the City of Salem’s extraordinary fireworks display over the harbor. A cash bar will be provided from 6:00-9:15pm. NO outside alcohol is permitted on the grounds. Cake to celebrate Hawthorne’s birthday will be cut and served at 8:00pm.

This event is by invitation-only and only for members of The House of the Seven Gables and their friends and family.

To become a member of The House of the Seven Gables, please visit 7gables.org,

You are hereby summoned to Salem Common at 9:00 a.m. for the reading of the Declaration of Independence. Erik Rodenheiser will read the document while accompanied by Bob Kendall on the piano. Music and audience singing will be led by Maureen Dalton.

Join Historic Salem, Inc. in celebrating 75 years of Historic Salem’s preservation successes and recognizing their partners in preservation!
​
Indian, Indonesian, & Chinese small plates​
Dancing
Cash bar

Creative cocktail attire.

Tickets are $75 for HSI members and Christmas in Salem volunteers, $100 for non-members.

RSVP by May 24th and be entered to win a complimentary House History & Plaque to keep or to give as a gift!

Tickets available online.

Join the Friends of the Downtown Salem Historic Cemeteries at Charter St Cemetery in the morning for a clean up and public outreach with information about current conservation efforts and distribution of flyers about the cemetery's history. At noon they will move to Howard Street and repeat the process there! They will have water and lemonade for all of the thirsty workers, and will provide gloves and trash bags, but participants are welcome to bring their own! Please note that there is a city wide clean up happening that day, so please check in with the Friends when you arrive so they can teach you how to safely navigate the sites. Thank you!