Each week American Artifacts takes viewers into archives, museums and historic sites around the country. The American Antiquarian Society in Worcester, Massachusetts, is an independent research library founded in 1812 by Revolutionary War patriot and printer Isaiah Thomas. American History TV visited the library to look at their early American political collection, including ballots, cartoons and party newspapers.

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Each week American Artifacts takes viewers into archives, museums and historic sites around the country. The American Antiquarian Society in Worcester, Massachusetts, is an independent research library founded in 1812 by Revolutionary War patriot and printer Isaiah Thomas. The library's collection includes more than four million items and focuses on printed materials dating from the first European settlement of American through 1876 and the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. American History TV visited the American Antiquarian Society to look at some of the highlights from their collection. 

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Boston's Christ Church - better known as Old North Church - was built in 1723. The church is best-known for its steeple, where one night in 1775, patriots hung two lanterns to signal that British troops were moving by water out of Boston, leading to the first shots of the American Revolutionary War. American History TV toured the church - and in this portion - we follow in the footsteps of the lantern hangers, venturing into areas off-limits to the general public.

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Boston's Old North Church is best-known for its steeple, where one night in 1775, patriots hung two lanterns to signal that British troops were moving by water out of Boston -- leading to the first shots of the American Revolutionary War. But the church has other stories to tell – and we’ll hear many in this second part of our visit to Old North Church.

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USS Constitution launched in Boston in 1797 and was named by President George Washington for the Constitution of the United States. The ship gained fame during the War of 1812, defeating British warships in three sea battles and earning the nickname “Old Ironsides.” American History TV visited the USS Constitution Museum, located at the same pier in Boston where the ship is docked today. The museum’s president, Anne Grimes Rand, gave us a tour of some of the museum’s exhibits and artifacts, which trace the history of the ship from its construction, to its role in the in the War of 1812, to the present day. 
 

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USS Constitution launched in Boston in 1797 and gained fame during the War of 1812, defeating British warships in three sea battles and earning the nickname “Old Ironsides.” American History TV visited the USS Constitution Museum in Boston, located at the same pier where the ship is docked today. The museum's president, Anne Grimes Rand, gave use a tour of an exhibit looking at the lives of sailors aboard USS Constitution during the War of 1812.

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Granary Burying Ground in downtown Boston was established in the year 1660 and is the city’s third oldest cemetery. It’s also the burial site of several notable American Revolutionaries, including Paul Revere, John Hancock and Samuel Adams. American History TV visited the cemetery with Kelly Thomas, program manager for the City of Boston’s Historic Burying Grounds Initiative.

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Each week American Artifacts takes viewers into archives, museums and historic sites around the country. Granary Burying Ground in downtown Boston was established in the year 1660 and is the city’s third oldest cemetery. American History TV looked at the oldest graves in the site, as well as the tomb of the judge in the Salem Witch Trials. We also learned about the images engraved on headstones in the 350-year old cemetery. Our guide for the tour - Kelly Thomas of Boston’s Historic Burying Grounds Initiative.

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50 years ago, on April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” while being held in prison for his involvement in a city-wide civil rights protest called the Birmingham Campaign. King’s daughter, Bernice King, CEO of the King Center in Atlanta, joins Alabama’s governor, Birmingham’s Mayor and others for the unveiling of a historical marker aside the Birmingham Jail.

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Birmingham civil rights campaign. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his famed “Letter from Birmingham Jail” after being arrested for taking part in the protests. The campaign gained national attention after local officials used dogs and water cannons on kids after they took to the streets in what was known as the “Children’s Crusade.” A panel of authors and historians recall the turmoil of the time, as well as how Birmingham has chosen to remember its past. This event was part of the Alabama Historical Association’s annual conference.

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