​​​​2026 Special Events for America's 250th
 

We've set a goal of having a Stitch-A-Thon, meaning continuous stitching from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. to help reenact the day long event organized as a political protest and economic boycott by Anna Harrington on August 31, 1769.

 

Lend your voice or pull up a chair (or blanket!) to listen to inspiring speeches and stories about women and girls who contributed to America's story.

 

LexSeeHer is looking for volunteers to help with our all day Stitch-A-Thon (10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.) as makers and readers.

 

Bring your own yarn, or share our resources.

 

Herstoric Background:
The 45 bold women and girls who gathered at Anna's home beside the Town Commons were referred to in the Boston newspaper as "Ladies." They organized and persisted in the face of unwelcome tariffs. They took out their grandmothers' spinning wheels and made their own yarn and "homespun" cloth. This was one way they could implement a boycott of imported cloth. 

 

For some women in the region, spinning was a matter of public protest, and for others it was a way to earn a living. Lexington was home to both enslaved and free Black women in the years leading up to the American Revolution. Though male political leaders gained fame for speaking out about liberty, they did not recognize the same rights for people of color or for women.

 

Under Massachusetts law, Black people could be bought, owned, and sold. An enslaved Black woman with children faced further inhumanity because an enslaver was legally allowed to take a woman's child away from her. A child born to an enslaved person was subjected to being treated as an object and property, and could be sold or given away by the enslaver.
 

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Cate Chester was a free Black Lexingtonian at the time of the American Revolution who managed to break the bonds of slavery. She and her husband were both hired to do work related to spinning by Lexington's Reverend Jonas Clark. At the time of the Battle of Lexington, Cate had two daughters, Ruth and Lucy.  Her daughters had a very different childhood than Cate. When Cate was a toddler, a white man traveled from Boxborough to Boston where she was living. The man purchased Cate in exchange for a box of butter. He took her back to his farm, where she was raised. Somehow Cate managed to negotiate with her enslaver for both her freedom and a piece of land. She then moved to Lexington. ​

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Cate and Anna are among the women represented in the Lexington Women's Liberty monument, and visitors are encouraged to consider their different lived experiences. Women's pursuit of liberty has historically been different for people based on aspects of their identity, including race, gender, class, educational experiences, religion, ability, location, and more.
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Bosworth Spindles 

Bosworth Spindles will return this year. Check out their beautiful drop spindles and tools and make a wish list. Arrive early for first choice!

  https://bosworthspindles.com​​​​
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