Puritans in the 21st Century: A symposium

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What do 17th-century Puritans teach us about Christian Nationalism, rights and revolution, multiculturalism, and American identity in 2026? 

Please join a day-long reappraisal of the role of the Puritans in America’s origin story as we honor the scholarship of Francis J. Bremer. Moving beyond simple adulation of Puritans as founders, leading scholars discuss topics from the politics of resistance to tyranny to coexistence with Native peoples to the language and myths of the stories we tell about the Puritans. Come hear why the Puritans still matter!

This is the first major gathering of scholars of puritans in more than 25 years. Join us in person and online, hosted by six of Massachusetts' leading historical societies: American Ancestors, Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Congregational Library, First Church Boston, Massachusetts Historical Society and Partnership of Historic Bostons.