To mark the nation's 250th anniversary, Historic Northampton presents two new plays. These one-act dramas take us into the lives of two Northampton residents in the years just before the American Revolution.

The Widow’s Land by Betel Arnold
In 1765, Bathsheba Hull, a Black woman living with her children in her home on an island in the Mill River, receives an eviction notice from Town officials. The Widow's Land follows her fight for her home, her position as a free woman in colonial Northampton, and her children’s future.

​Hold These Truths by Harley Erdman
In May 1774, Massachusetts is on the cusp of rebellion and ready to call for the first Continental Congress to be held in Philadelphia. Joseph Hawley, a Northampton lawyer and prominent Patriot, is nominated to represent Massachusetts. Hold These Truths explores Hawley’s life, his political ideals, and his struggles with depression as he decides whether to accept the nomination.

Both 40-minute plays will be performed every time andwill be followed by a brief talkback with the artists and a historian.