Overview
Join experts from around the world for a one-day symposium on Newburyport’s Revolutionary War privateers.
Driven by patriot fervor and fortunes to be made (and lost), these privately-owned vessels disrupted British commerce and helped win the war. As we mark the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, explore privateering as a community enterprise in its international context, emphasizing the records and stories left behind.
Symposium Highlights 8:00am -4:00pm
It all starts at 8 a.m.!
Settle in with coffee and light refreshments before opening remarks that frame
Newburyport’s privateering story within a wider Atlantic war.
SESSION 1 Keynote
Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution
Eric Jay Dolin, Author and Historian
SESSION 2
The Spirit of Privateering Prevails Here: Essex County’s
Revolutionary War at Sea
Emily Murphy, Ph.D., Curator, Salem Maritime National Historical Park & Saugus Iron Works National Historic
SESSION 3
Allies and Rivals at Sea: The Continental Navy and Massachusetts Privateers Abby Schreiber, Ph.D., Curator, National Museum of the United States Navy
Midday Custom House Maritime Museum Visit + Lunch (included)
Enjoy lunch with vegan and gluten-free options, plus an integrated visit at the Custom House Maritime Museum that ties objects and archives to the day’s themes.
SESSION 4
Fast, Light, and Everywhere: New England Boatbuilding and the Geography of Privateering
Michael P. Dyer, Former Curator at Mystic Seaport Museum and the New Bedford Whaling Museum
SESSION 5
Reading Betsey’s Log: Newburyport Privateer Records and the Adventures of Offin Boardman
Graham McKay, Executive Director, Lowell’s Boat Shop
Bethany Groff Dorau, Executive Director, Museum of Old Newbury
SESSION 6
Prizes for All: Finding Newburyport and Neighbors in the Prize Papers, 1776-1783
Amanda Bevan, Ph.D., Head, Prize Papers Project, The National Archives, UK
After-Session Field Trips
4:30pm
Symposium attendees may choose one of these individually ticketed field trips.
$10 each | Limited capacity
1: Revolutionary Resting Places — Old Hill & Highland Cemetery Tour
Guide: Ghlee Woodworth | Capacity: 25 | Meet: Greenleaf Street gate
Read Newburyport’s Revolution in stone. Meet privateers, patrons, widows, and war-era leaders through symbols, epitaphs, and the stories behind the graves.
2: Streets of the Privateering Port — Walking Tour
Capacity: 25 | Meet: In front of the Firehouse Center for the Arts
A fast-paced walk through the places where privateering was financed, outfitted, celebrated, and mourned—connecting buildings, waterfront, and people.
3: Merchants, Mansions & Prize Money — Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm Tour
Capacity: 15 | Meet: 5 Little’s Lane, Newbury (brick porch)
Step into the world of Nathaniel Tracy and Offin Boardman. See how prizes built fortunes, fueled ambition, and left lasting marks on land and legacy.
4: Build the Revolution — Lowell’s Boat Shop + Bantry Bay Gig
Capacity: 20 | Meet: 459 Main St., Amesbury
Visit a living boat shop and get up close to an 18th-century-style gig under construction. Tools, timber, technique—and why traditional boatbuilding still matters.
Presented By:
Optional evening event (ticketed separately)
Tavern Night: A Revolutionary Night at the Tavern
7:00 PM
Location: Firehouse Center for the Arts
Songs, stories, and a moving panorama (crankie) celebrate privateering lore with Theater in the Open, The Portermen, theater, and 18th-century tavern tidbits.
About Us
Newburyport’s Road to Revolution explores the events and decisions, from the Battle of the Plains of Abraham and its links to Newburyport’s legendary Wolfe Tavern, to public “tea party” protests, that led inexorably to Newburyport’s early and ardent support of the Revolutionary cause.
