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KING'S CHAPEL

HISTORY PROGRAM BLOG

African American Congregants at King’s Chapel: The Power of Primary Sources

4/2/2020

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Compiled by Jennifer Roesch using research by Faye Charpentier

The King’s Chapel History Program is committed to continuing to include the voices of African Americans and other historically marginalized people in their interpretation and tours. When visiting the chapel, we encourage visitors to engage with these primary sources featuring these African Americans, beyond  the historic site's Black History Month programming.
​

This February in honor of Black History Month, the King’s Chapel History Program shared with visitors the stories of some of  our 18th and 19th century African American congregants. Inside the sanctuary and on social media, visitors explored how primary sources have informed our research and made it possible to learn about historically marginalized people through church and other archival records. African Americans have been marginalized throughout history not only through their omission in history books, but also through the lack of information found in archives. Thanks to the growing effort to digitize records as well as finding materials related to African American history, we have been able to begin to learn about the various lives of African Americans at King’s Chapel.

Here are some of the people we highlighted this month who had ties to 18th and 19th century King’s Chapel: 

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Dr. Thomas Bulfinch: Read the History Program's Latest Social Media Post

3/27/2020

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The latest installment in our "Medical Professionals at King's Chapel" social media features Dr. Thomas Bulfinch, an influential church member, lay leader, and accomplished doctor. In this post, read more about about Bulfinch's contributions to the medical field, his noteworthy career, and his role in King's Chapels transition from an Anglican to a Unitarian church.

​To read the full post, click on the social media icons below!

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“Unhappy Division:” King’s Chapel and the Evacuation of Boston

3/18/2020

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By William Stilwell

Historic Site Educator

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Each year in Boston, March 17 not only marks St. Patrick’s Day, but also Evacuation Day: the anniversary of the 1776 day when British troops evacuated Boston, marking the end of the Siege of Boston during the American Revolution. Historic Site Educator William Stilwell explores the impact of Evacuation Day on King’s Chapel as a faith community and how its ministers reflected on that period in the church’s history.

“Continue...thy favour to our sovereign lord King George, and all that are employed under him...Let no unhappy divisions disquiet his reign, or interrupt the internal harmony of his government.”
PictureThe Reverend Henry Caner
The Reverend Henry Caner spoke these words as part of a short prayer before his sermon, “The Great Blessing of Stable Times”, on August 11, 1763 at King’s Chapel to celebrate the end of the French and Indian War. Despite his optimistic words, thirteen years later in March of 1776 he would flee Boston without much more than the clothes on his back, leaving behind his congregation of nearly thirty years, never to return. As the King’s troops evacuated Boston, Caner and almost every other civilian loyal to the crown, including some from his own congregation, faced the gut-wrenching decision to disrupt their lives and abandon their homes as the Continental Army besieged Boston. ​


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Mourning and Memorializing a Colonial Anglican Family Member

2/6/2020

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By Jennifer Roesch and Faye Charpentier

History Program Assistant and Program Director

For centuries, the sanctuary of King's Chapel (New England’s first Anglican church and later on the first Christian Unitarian congregation in America) has been a site of celebration as well as mourning. When visiting the chapel today, one can view memorials in the sanctuary and family-owned tombs in the crypt beneath, both relics of love that have transcended time. The people that mourned and memorialized the notable King’s Chapel member Charles Apthorp provide just a glimpse of the many stories and customs associated with love and death in colonial Boston.
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Portrait of Charles Apthorp by Robert Feke (Cleveland Museum of Art)

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    Dive deeper into King's Chapel's 337 year history on the History Program blog.

    Currently welcoming over 260,000 visitors to the historic sanctuary annually, The King's Chapel History Program is excited to share the site's history more in depth and to a wider audience through this outlet.

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Est. 1686
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 www.kings-chapel.org |  58 Tremont St. Boston, MA 02108  |  617-227-2155 
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  • Home
    • About Us >
      • Welcome
      • Calendar
      • Clergy & Staff
      • Contact Us & Directions >
        • Send A Message
      • Employment Opportunities >
        • Director of Administration and Finance
        • Digital Media Assistant
        • Historic Site Educator
        • Visitor Experience Associate
  • Worship
    • Holy Week 2023
    • Sunday at 9 AM
    • Sunday at 11 AM
    • Lent 2023
    • Sermons
    • Special Annual Services
    • Book of Common Prayer
  • Music
    • Tuesday Recitals
    • Concert Series
    • Musical Inquiries
  • History & Tours
    • Plan Your Visit >
      • 2023 At A Glance
      • Guided Tour Offerings >
        • Group Tours
    • Explore Our History >
      • A Brief History
      • The Stone Chapel: Art & Architecture >
        • The Wooden Chapel
        • Georgian Architecture
        • Box Pews
        • Interior Colors
        • Memorials
        • The Chancel Windows
        • The Last Supper Painting
      • Crypt and Burying Ground >
        • Crypt >
          • Crypt Highlights: Crypt Entrance
          • Crypt Highlights: Tomb Structure
          • Crypt Highlights: The Stranger's Tomb
          • Crypt Highlights: Research and Family Connections
          • Crypt Highlights: Remaining Memorials
          • Crypt Highlights: Hand-Hewn Beams
        • Burying Ground
      • Religious History >
        • Online Exhibit: Independent Country, Independent Church
        • 334 Years of Ministry
      • Slavery at King's Chapel
    • Online Exhibits >
      • Queen's Chapel: Women's History at King's Chapel
      • Revolutionary King's Chapel: Online Exhibit
      • Literary King's Chapel
      • Uncovering the Past: Exploring Black History Through Primary Sources
    • History Events & Programs >
      • Past Events & Programs
      • Recorded History Programs
    • History Program Blog
    • About Us >
      • History Program Staff
      • Contact Us
    • Support the History Program
  • Community
    • News & Updates >
      • Parish Community News
      • Between Sundays Archive
    • Community from Home
    • Community Action Committee >
      • Anti-Racism Resources
    • Memorial to Enslaved Persons
    • Environmental Action Initiative
    • Join King's Chapel
    • For Members >
      • Annual Meeting 2023
      • Partner Church Sunday 2022
      • KC Bylaws
      • 2023- 2024 Church Leadership
  • Giving
    • Why Give
    • Ways to Give
    • Stewardship >
      • Pledge
  • Weddings & Baptisms
    • Weddings >
      • Dear Prospective Couple
      • Wedding Inquiry
      • Wedding Service
    • Baptisms
  • Space Rentals
  • Member Action Initiative