Massachusetts Archives

The Massachusetts Archives are the central state archive of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and house the official records that document the actions of government and the history of the state. The building sits on the Columbia Point peninsula in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, right on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Boston. The architecture of the facility, which opened in 1985, was deliberately designed to recall the early forts along the surrounding coastline. The move from the original location in the State House followed the 1984 theft of the historic Massachusetts Bay Charter of 1629, a document that was later recovered. Today the archives are administered by the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

The archives preserve an extraordinary collection of historical treasures, including their own copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, as well as the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780. Among the most significant holdings are the original Massachusetts Bay Charter of 1629, extensive records from the Revolutionary War and Civil War eras, and treaties with Native American tribes. The collection also includes documents signed by historical figures such as George Washington, John Adams, and John Hancock, as well as records relating to witch trials and slavery. Alongside written sources, the archives also store physical artifacts, including the steel engraving plate Paul Revere used for his famous depiction of the Boston Massacre, as well as military equipment ranging from the Civil War to World War I.

For the public, the archives operate the adjacent Commonwealth Museum, where selected parts of the collection are on display. Admission is free, and the permanent main exhibition, titled "The Massachusetts Experiment in Democracy: 1620–Today," traces the state's democratic development from the colonial era to the present. A particular focus is placed on the experiences of different population groups, as the stories of four representative families with Native American, English, African American, and Irish roots are told. The offerings are rounded out by rotating special exhibitions that highlight further aspects of state and national history drawn from the archives' holdings.