History Bites is a series of thirty minute lectures to inform and entertain, covering various aspects of the history of Amherst and the lives of those who once lived here.
The current season of History Bites is being presented on Zoom, with the help of our friends at Amherst Media, who are handling the technical aspect.
Thanks to the work of our dedicated trustees, you can view archived video of past History Bites lectures here.
The Fall History Bites series has ended, but we are planning the Spring 2021 series. All lectures are scheduled for noon on alternate Fridays. Here is the evolving schedule for lectures in the late winter and spring of 2021:
The Amherst Government Charter
February 26, 2021
Nick Grabbe
March 12, 2021
Maynard Seider
In his book, The Gritty Berkshires, Dr Maynard Seider tells how the Berkshires offer insight into so many crucial aspects of the American experience. Moving from the early 1800s to the present, Seider weaves a narrative that details the area’s vibrant immigrant history, slavery’s role in its textile industry, the battle for national unions and the ideological struggles with corporate elites over who best speaks for the community. Enriched by dozens of photographs, these stories focus on the voices of ordinary people as they often do extraordinary things.
Maynard Seider is an Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (formerly North Adams State College), where he taught 1978-2010
March 26, 2021
Dr Curtiss Hoffman
Scattered throughout the woodlands and fields of the eastern seaboard of the United States and Canada are tens of thousands of stone monuments. These stone constructions have been the subject of debate among archaeologists and antiquarians for the past seventy-five years. Dr Curtiss Hoffman of Bridgewater State University, the author of Stone Prayers, will share his findings and insights, based on an examination of over 5,000 sites.
Curtiss Hoffman holds a PhD from Yale University in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures (1974), and since 1973 has directed field operations at archaeological sites in southern New England. He is Full Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Massachusetts and is past president of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society and currently serves as the editor of its Bulletin.
Early Days at the Valley Advocate, pt 2
April 9, 2021
Chris O’Carroll and David Sokol