Boston Harbor Islands – Salem Happenings

Civil War Day: The History of a Country Divided

If you’ve picked up a newspaper lately, you’ve probably already realized that the United States doesn’t always seem so united. In fact, the two party system that we have in the U.S. has been working pretty hard to divide us since the time of George Washington (George Washington actually warned us to avoid political parties in his Farewell Address back in 1796, but no one really heeded his advice.) However, even though there’s no question that Americans have had their differences from the beginning and we certainly have our differences now, there has probably never been a time where our differences were more apparent than during the American Civil War. This is because the Civil War was the bloodiest conflict to take place on American soil since the country’s founding, and it was the only time in the history of the United States where brother regularly fought brother. As a result, it’s important to understand the history behind the Civil War in order put our differences into context and to ensure that we don’t repeat our past mistakes.

Fortunately, if you’re looking for a way to learn more about the history of the United States as it relates to the American Civil War, you need look no further than the National Park Service’s Civil War Day. The National Park Service’s Civil War Day, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 31st, 2016 from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. on Georges Island, will give you the opportunity to see what life was like during the Civil War. This event, through the performances of a talented group of reenactors, will allow you to meet the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment (the first all-African American regiment of the Union Army and one of the first official African-American military units of the U.S. Armed Forces), listen to the stories of a confederate prisoner, learn what it would be like to dance at an authentic Civil War Ball, and watch a baseball game played using the rules that were in use in 1860. For more information on the National Park Service’s Civil War Day, which is free to attend, please visit the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park Calendar.

It is important to note that while there is no fee for the program, there is a fee for the ferry to get to Georges Island. The fee for the ferry is currently $17 for adults and children over the age of 12; $12 for active military, college students, and seniors over the age of 65; $10 for children ages 3 to 12; and there is no fee for children under the age of 3.

Photo credit: dbnunley via VisualHunt / CC BY

Finding Dory Under the Sea

Disney’s latest animated film, Finding Dory, has been taking theaters by storm for over a month now, and if your kids are just as obsessed with the film as all of the other kids out there, you may be looking for a way for your children to get their Dory fix without taking them to see the movie again. Well, if you would love a relatively inexpensive way to entertain your Dory fans and teach them something at the same time, you may want to check out a program offered by Boston Harbor Now, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the National Park Service entitled “Under the Sea.”

Under the Sea, which will take place on Peddocks Island from 1:30 P.M. to 2:30 P.M. on Sunday (July 24, 2016), will give you and your family the opportunity to learn about all of the things that live under the water in Boston Harbor. This event, which will be conducted by a ranger from the National Park Service, will feature a discussion of the unique marine life that lives in the water around the island and the impact that humans have on these creatures, a guided hands-on exploration of the island’s beaches, and a touch tank that will give you a chance to actually get up close and personal with some of the smaller animals living in the water (tide permitting.) For more information on the Under the Sea program on Peddocks Island, which is free and open to the public, please visit the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park Calendar.

Please note that although the program itself is free, you will have to pay for the ferry to get to the island. The ferry currently charges $17 a ticket for adults and children over the age of 12; $12 for active military, college students, and seniors over the age of 65; $10 for children ages 3 to 12; and no fee for children under the age of 3.

Photo credit: Sidneiensis via Visualhunt.com / CC BY

The History of Labor Day

As you probably already know, this weekend is Labor Day Weekend. A time for people to relax, to say goodbye to the summer, and to light up their grills for one last hurrah before it’s time to put all of the outdoor stuff away again. In fact, as long as you’re not working this weekend, you’re probably already getting ready to do exactly that. However, even though you may be in the process of setting up your grill and getting ready to kick back (or at least wishing that you were), you may not really know the history behind why we celebrate the holiday in the first place. If this is indeed the case and you are interested in learning a little more about the history of the holiday, here’s some information about Labor Day and a few other events this weekend that will help you explore the history of the world.

Labor Day was declared a national holiday by President Grover Cleveland in 1894. However, the story of Labor Day actually begins 12 years earlier when a high-ranking member of a labor union began wondering why other countries, such as Canada, had holidays recognizing the working people that kept the country running, but the United States did not. Now, of course, there is some dispute as to which high-ranking member started the Labor Day movement and, therefore, which labor union helped establish it, but it was probably Peter J. Maguire of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and the American Federation of Labor or Matthew Maguire of the International Association of Machinists and the Central Labor Union.

Yet, regardless of who established the holiday, the first Labor Day parade and picnic was held by the Central Labor Union in New York City on September 5, 1882. This led a number of unions in other cities to hold similar celebrations in the following years, and many states began to recognize the day as a state holiday shortly thereafter. Then, only mere days after the end of a particularly tragic strike involving the railway workers of the Pullman Company , Congress decided to recognize Labor Day as an official holiday throughout the country to honor the working man (and placate the unions.) As a result, you can no longer say that you never got anything out of a union because they did actually get you another holiday (unless you work in retail in which case they probably only got you extra hours making sure that all the people off this weekend can go out and shop.)

Now, if you couldn’t possibly care less about the history of Labor Day or you’re simply more interested in the events that occurred 30 years before the creation of the national holiday, you may want to head over to Georges Island this weekend. This is because Georges Island is hosting two Civil War events this weekend that are specifically designed for kids. The first event, which is entitled the Civil War Dress-Up, will allow your kids to dress up in costumes that are very similar to the uniforms and clothing worn by soldiers during the Civil War. The second event, which is called the Civil War Lawn Games, will allow you and your children to try some of the games that people actually played during the Civil War. For more information on the Civil War Dress-Up, which will take place on Georges Island at 12:00 P.M. on Saturday (August 30, 2014), or the Civil War Lawn Games, which will take place on Georges Island at 12:00 P.M. on Sunday (August 31, 2014), please visit the Boston Harbor Islands website.

If, on the other hand, you like your history to be a little more removed from the present day, or as Weird Al Yankovic might say, you really “want to go medieval on their heiney”, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston or King Richard’s Faire may be more suited for your court. This is because the Museum of Fine Arts actually has a copy, one of only four in the world, of the original Magna Carta on display. This document, whose Latin name literally translates to “Great Charter”, was written in 1215 to establish a number of rights for the people of England that are very similar to the rights that the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Bill of Rights protects. As a result, if you want to see a document that is almost 800 years old and may have played a pivotal role in the creation of our government, you should definitely check out the Museum of Fine Arts Exhibitions page and head over to the museum this weekend.

However, if you would prefer your medieval/renaissance experience to be a little more whimsical with some modern-day flair thrown in or your just can’t resist a renaissance faire, you’ll be happy to know that King Richard’s Faire begins this weekend. King Richard’s Faire is, of course, a renaissance faire that features armor, acrobats, comedy acts, costuming, fire-breathers and fire eaters, games, giant turkey legs, jewelry, jugglers, jousting, magicians, minstrels, swords, tigers, rides, and a whole lot more. And, if you’re a AAA member, you can save $4 on your admission by printing a coupon on the AAA website. For more information on the Faire, which runs every weekend from now until October 19th, please visit the King Richard’s Faire website.

Photo credit: karen horton / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Friday Fun: Comic Books and Concerts

As we say “sayonara” to another summer month, it finally looks like we may be in for a weekend where we’re not going to be drenched in sweat or rain. Unfortunately, since we’re now past the halfway point of summer, there isn’t as much going on in the Boston area as there was a few weeks ago, which just sort of figures. In fact, you may have already realized that finding stuff to do this weekend is going to be a little more challenging than usual as your favorite app, website, and/or newspaper just doesn’t seem to have a whole lot listed. However, there are still a number of events going on in the area, and you should be able to find something for just about everyone.

If you’re a comic book fan, there is one major event that you should definitely check out in Boston this weekend. Boston Comic Con, which runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday at the Seaport World Trade Center, is one of the largest comic book conventions in the Northeast. This event will give you the opportunity to attend panels with well-known comic book artists, buy a wide assortment of comic-book related merchandise and artwork, check out all of the people in costumes, enter contests (including a cosplay contest), meet actresses from the Walking Dead and True Blood, meet actors from the Hobbit, play games, watch a variety of independent and zombie-themed films, and a whole lot more. Tickets for the convention are $25.00 for one day or $40.00 for both Saturday and Sunday, and you can purchase tickets and find out more about the convention at the Boston Comic Con website.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for something that is aimed more at younger kids than teenagers and kids at heart, you may want to head on over to Georges Island. Georges Island, which is actually an island located in Boston Harbor, is holding a Family Jam with Karen K and the Jitterbugs from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday, August 3, 2013.) This concert will feature kids music, dancing, kids crafts, and other kid-friendly activities. The concert and all of the activities are free, but you will have to pay $15 for each individual 12 or over and $9 for each person between the ages of 4 and 11 to take the ferry to the island (kids 3 and under are free.) For more information, check out the Boston Harbor Island website.