On the eve of the 251st anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, GBH, the City of Boston and the Charlestown Historical Society will host a special community viewing of the Bunker Hill portion of Ken Burns’ award-winning documentary on the American Revolution.
The event will take place on Tuesday, June 16, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Bunker Hill Museum Community Room, 43 Monument Square, street level, Charlestown.
The evening will invite residents from Charlestown, Boston and beyond to gather in the shadow of the Bunker Hill Monument to view the documentary segment together, followed by commentary and conversation with Battle of Bunker Hill historians, archaeologists, researchers and descendants of men who fought on June 17, 1775.
As part of the event, the Charlestown Historical Society will feature participants from its annual Brothers of the Battle of Bunker Hill descendant program and launch its newest public history initiative, Revolutionary Roadshow, which showcases family artifacts, heirlooms, documents, journals and ephemera preserved by descendants of Battle of Bunker Hill soldiers.
“At GBH, we are committed to bringing history to life through storytelling that connects people to the events that shaped our nation,” said Debra Adams Simmons of GBH. “This community gathering is a natural extension of the extraordinary work Ken Burns and his team have done to illuminate the American Revolution. It also draws on the spirit of discovery and personal connection that audiences have long associated with the Antiques Roadshow brand. We are thrilled to partner with the City of Boston and the Charlestown Historical Society to share these remarkable stories, artifacts and family histories on the eve of Bunker Hill Day.”
“Last year, descendants participating in Brothers of the Battle of Bunker Hill began arriving with extraordinary family treasures—letters, journals, weapons, artifacts and stories that had been preserved for generations,” said Julie Hall, President of the Charlestown Historical Society. “We quickly realized these items deserved to be shared with a wider audience. Revolutionary Roadshow was created to showcase those remarkable collections and reveal the deeply personal side of history. These artifacts remind us that the Battle of Bunker Hill was not simply an event in a textbook—it was experienced by real people whose descendants are still preserving their stories 251 years later.”
Featured historians and experts will include:
• Christian Di Spigna, author of Founding Martyr: The Life and Death of Dr. Joseph Warren, the American Revolution’s Lost Hero
• Donald R. Ryan, author of Colonel William Prescott: Heroic Commander of the Battle of Bunker Hill
• Dr. Timothy Reardon, whose research into lesser-known participants in the battle helped inspire Brothers of the Battle of Bunker Hill
• Joe Bagley, City Archaeologist for Boston, who will discuss past excavations at Bunker Hill and the archaeological work taking place this year
Descendants participating in Brothers of the Battle of Bunker Hill will also be on hand to share family stories and artifacts, including journals, records, military relics and a musket believed to have been recovered from the battlefield and preserved by the family of Benjamin Parker for more than five generations.