HUB History - Our Favorite Stories from Boston History

Working 9 to 5 in Boston, with Ellen Cassedy

In this episode, we sit down with Ellen Cassedy, co-founder of the 9to5 movement and author of Working 9 to 5: A women’s movement, a labor union, and the iconic movie, to

Introducing “Queer Boston’s Pursuit of Happiness,” with Joan Ilacqua

For months now, listeners have heard me talking about another podcast I’ve been working on, but I haven’t shared much about what it is. This week, we introduce the brand

Before Boston: Early Englishmen on Massachusetts Bay

Before John Winthrop’s Puritan Arbella fleet made landfall in 1630 and set the standard narrative of Massachusetts Bay, a rowdy and disparate cast of English traders, ecc

Warning Out in early New England, with Jonathan Beecher Field

In this episode, Clemson professor Jonathan Beecher Field helps us explore the history of poor support in early New England and the surprising practice known as "warning

Boston in 50 Maps, with Andy Woodruff

Andy Woodruff's new book Boston in 50 Maps goes beyond familiar compilations of public-domain historic maps of Boston, Woodruff’s work offers an engaging, data-driven loo

Hamilton and Burr in Boston

For fans of the Hamilton musical, many members of the cast of characters have appeared on the podcast in the past. We talked about the years when Angelica Schuyler lived

Rebels at Sea Revisited, with Eric Jay Dolin

In this episode, we mark the return of the tall ships to Boston Harbor when Sail Boston kicks off on July 11.  We’re also continuing the Revolutionary War theme that we k

Fifty Years Later: Where’s Boston? with Lauren Graves

In this episode, we’re turning the clocks back to 1976, when America and Boston were in the midst of a massive celebration marking the Bicentennial. While other ideas wer

Revolutionary Nightlife in Boston 1776

In this week's episode, Nikki sits down with J.D. Dickey to discuss his new book  Boston, 1776: A Rogue Tour of Revolution City. Written as a historical travel guide, Bos

A Firestorm in Dorchester

On May 22, 1964, sixty-two years ago this week, a fire that broke out on a back porch in Dorchester.  The Bellflower Street fire grew so fast and burned so intensely that

Boston’s 17th Century Interstate System

America’s first “interstate” highway was built to link Boston to New York City. The 17th century Boston Post Road is often overlooked in the city’s early history, but it

Paul Revere NOT on the Road to Concord

For Patriots Day this year, let’s talk about Paul Revere. Instead of focusing on his famous ride 251 years ago, let’s go into the back catalog to uncover some lesser know

The Duke: Weekly Conversations With The Last Honest Politician, with Scott Kerman

This week, we chat with Scott Kerman, whose new book about Governor Mike Dukakis is The Duke: Weekly Conversations With The Last Honest Politician: A Political Giant and

Loyalists in the Siege and Evacuation of Boston, with Dr. Patrick G O’Brien

What does it mean to lose your home to a war you hoped would never come? In the popular imagination, the American Revolution is a black and white story of “Good Patriots”

Boston's Independence Day: Evacuation Day at 250

026 marks the 250th anniversary of American independence, and here in Boston Independence Day comes early, on a holiday we celebrate every year on March 17 as Evacuation

The Original Crypto: 18th Century Burial Practices at Old North Church

At a time when most Bostonians were interred at burying grounds with familiar names like Copp’s Hill and the Granary, usually under slate markers decorated with winged sk

Religion and the Revolution at 250

In this episode, Nikki Stewart of Old North Illuminated and Dr. Kyle B. Roberts of the Congregational Library and Archives discuss the pivotal role of religion in the Ame

The Noble Train Arrives

January 1776 was a dark and scary time in Boston. By this time, the city had been on a wartime footing for nine months following the battles at Lexington and Concord the

Burgoyne’s Thespians and Boston’s First Theater Season, with Susan Lester

With the British military occupying Boston and patriots laying siege to the city, conditions in Boston deteriorated in the early weeks of 1776, with shortages of food, fi

Allan Rohan Crite: Griot of Boston and Urban Glory, with Michelle LeBlanc

Allan Rohan Crite was a world renowned artist who grew up in Boston’s South End in the early part of the 20th century. After enrolling in the Children’s Art Center and gr