Harvard University
Source: https://www.harvard.edu
Archived: 2026-04-23 15:29
Harvard University
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“
A Prospect of the Colledges in Cambridge
in New England
,” William Burgis, 1726.
John Hancock
John Hancock received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College in 1754. He served as president of the Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence with his famously large signature.
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College in 1740, and a master’s in 1743. At the Continental Congress he emerged as an outspoken advocate for establishing independence.
John Adams
John Adams graduated from Harvard College in 1755. He attended the First Continental Congress as a delegate from Massachusetts and soon emerged as the leader of the pro-independence faction in Congress.
Revolutionary reorganization
Cambridge and Boston were key sites during the revolutionary period. A special self-guided, mobile tour from Harvard offers unique insights about notable places on and around campus and reveals the historical context behind them.
Take the tour
On May 1, 1775, Harvard undergraduates were dismissed early for the year. Two months later, General George Washington set up his first Massachusetts headquarters in Harvard’s Wadsworth House. Meanwhile, more than 1,500 soldiers moved into five other Harvard buildings nearby.
Classes resumed for Harvard students on October 5, but students reported to class 20 miles away in Concord, Massachusetts.
Learn more about the move
A New Nation: The Declaration of Independence
Click to Play Video
Harvard’s original copy
Harvard’s
Dunlap broadside copy of the original Declaration of Independence
is held at Houghton Library. John Hancock sent this copy on July 6, 1776 to General Artemas Ward, commander of the Continental Army in Boston.
William Ellery
William Ellery graduated from Harvard College in 1747. Practicing as a lawyer at the time of the Continental Congress, he was described as “somewhat cynical in his temper, but a faithful friend to the liberties of his country.”
Robert Treat Paine
Robert Treat Paine graduated from Harvard College in 1749 and began practicing law in 1755. Paine’s involvement in provincial politics began in 1770 when the town of Boston asked him to assist in the prosecution of the Boston Massacre trials.
William Hooper
William Hooper graduated from Harvard College in 1760. His father hoped he would pursue a career in the clergy, but Hooper decided to go into law instead. At the Continental Congress Hooper was described as “a sensible sprightly young lawyer and a rapid but correct speaker.”
Elbridge Gerry
Elbridge Gerry graduated from Harvard College in 1762, and received a master’s degree in 1765. His dissertation argued that the colonies should resist the recently passed Stamp Act.
William Williams
William Williams graduated from Harvard College in 1751. He served on the Connecticut House of Representatives and was active in the protests that preceded the American Revolution.
March 24, 2026
The American Experiment at 250
March 24, 2026
In the first in a series commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, scholars from Harvard Law School examined the challenges facing law and governance in the United States today.
The American Experiment at 250
March 25, 2026
The American Revolution: Lessons for the 250th
March 25, 2026
At a Harvard event, filmmakers Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein discussed their PBS documentary “The American Revolution” with Harvard faculty members Annette Gordon-Reed, Philip Deloria, and Vincent Brown who appear in the film.
The American Revolution: Lessons for the 250th
Open through December
Harvard and the American Revolution
Open through December
Through curated objects, documents, and narratives from the collections of the Harvard University Archives, this exhibit explores how the Harvard community helped shape—and was shaped by—the birth of the American republic.
Harvard and the American Revolution
Various dates through July
Gallery Talk: American Works of Art at the 250th
Various dates through July
Curator Horace Ballard leads a series of gallery talks exploring works that reflect the historical, social, and political forces that shaped the U.S.
Gallery Talk: American Works of Art at the 250th
Various dates through July
Lecture Series: Harvard in 1776
Various dates through July
Through the Department of History's “Harvard in 1776” series, experts revisit the years and months immediately preceding the British exodus.
Lecture Series: Harvard in 1776
Various dates through December
The Consent of the Governed: America at 250 and Beyond
Various dates through December
Harvard Kennedy School brings together leaders in politics, culture, academia, technology, and journalism to discuss the questions and challenges facing America as it celebrates its 250th anniversary.
The Consent of the Governed: America at 250 and Beyond
Opens May 18, 2026
War of Words: A Citizen’s Eye View of the Revolution
Opens May 18, 2026
A Harvard Library exhibit showcases the posters, pamphlets, newspapers, and images that brought news of the American Revolution to those who lived through it.
War of Words: A Citizen’s Eye View of the Revolution
May 25–October 18, 2026
Special Exhibit: Washington's Sash
May 25–October 18, 2026
George Washington created a system of colored sashes to denote rank, assigning “a light blue Ribband" to the commander-in-chief. A blue taffeta sash once belonging to Washington is on display at the Harvard Peabody Museum.
Special Exhibit: Washington’s Sash
Opens June 27, 2026
Collecting Wonders–Tomorrow’s Discoveries
Opens June 27, 2026
Among the millions of specimens in the collections at the Harvard Museum of Natural History are George Washington’s pheasants and a woodpecker from the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Collecting Wonders–Tomorrow’s Discoveries
Skip to main content
“
A Prospect of the Colledges in Cambridge
in New England
,” William Burgis, 1726.
John Hancock
John Hancock received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College in 1754. He served as president of the Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence with his famously large signature.
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College in 1740, and a master’s in 1743. At the Continental Congress he emerged as an outspoken advocate for establishing independence.
John Adams
John Adams graduated from Harvard College in 1755. He attended the First Continental Congress as a delegate from Massachusetts and soon emerged as the leader of the pro-independence faction in Congress.
Revolutionary reorganization
Cambridge and Boston were key sites during the revolutionary period. A special self-guided, mobile tour from Harvard offers unique insights about notable places on and around campus and reveals the historical context behind them.
Take the tour
On May 1, 1775, Harvard undergraduates were dismissed early for the year. Two months later, General George Washington set up his first Massachusetts headquarters in Harvard’s Wadsworth House. Meanwhile, more than 1,500 soldiers moved into five other Harvard buildings nearby.
Classes resumed for Harvard students on October 5, but students reported to class 20 miles away in Concord, Massachusetts.
Learn more about the move
A New Nation: The Declaration of Independence
Click to Play Video
Harvard’s original copy
Harvard’s
Dunlap broadside copy of the original Declaration of Independence
is held at Houghton Library. John Hancock sent this copy on July 6, 1776 to General Artemas Ward, commander of the Continental Army in Boston.
William Ellery
William Ellery graduated from Harvard College in 1747. Practicing as a lawyer at the time of the Continental Congress, he was described as “somewhat cynical in his temper, but a faithful friend to the liberties of his country.”
Robert Treat Paine
Robert Treat Paine graduated from Harvard College in 1749 and began practicing law in 1755. Paine’s involvement in provincial politics began in 1770 when the town of Boston asked him to assist in the prosecution of the Boston Massacre trials.
William Hooper
William Hooper graduated from Harvard College in 1760. His father hoped he would pursue a career in the clergy, but Hooper decided to go into law instead. At the Continental Congress Hooper was described as “a sensible sprightly young lawyer and a rapid but correct speaker.”
Elbridge Gerry
Elbridge Gerry graduated from Harvard College in 1762, and received a master’s degree in 1765. His dissertation argued that the colonies should resist the recently passed Stamp Act.
William Williams
William Williams graduated from Harvard College in 1751. He served on the Connecticut House of Representatives and was active in the protests that preceded the American Revolution.
March 24, 2026
The American Experiment at 250
March 24, 2026
In the first in a series commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, scholars from Harvard Law School examined the challenges facing law and governance in the United States today.
The American Experiment at 250
March 25, 2026
The American Revolution: Lessons for the 250th
March 25, 2026
At a Harvard event, filmmakers Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein discussed their PBS documentary “The American Revolution” with Harvard faculty members Annette Gordon-Reed, Philip Deloria, and Vincent Brown who appear in the film.
The American Revolution: Lessons for the 250th
Open through December
Harvard and the American Revolution
Open through December
Through curated objects, documents, and narratives from the collections of the Harvard University Archives, this exhibit explores how the Harvard community helped shape—and was shaped by—the birth of the American republic.
Harvard and the American Revolution
Various dates through July
Gallery Talk: American Works of Art at the 250th
Various dates through July
Curator Horace Ballard leads a series of gallery talks exploring works that reflect the historical, social, and political forces that shaped the U.S.
Gallery Talk: American Works of Art at the 250th
Various dates through July
Lecture Series: Harvard in 1776
Various dates through July
Through the Department of History's “Harvard in 1776” series, experts revisit the years and months immediately preceding the British exodus.
Lecture Series: Harvard in 1776
Various dates through December
The Consent of the Governed: America at 250 and Beyond
Various dates through December
Harvard Kennedy School brings together leaders in politics, culture, academia, technology, and journalism to discuss the questions and challenges facing America as it celebrates its 250th anniversary.
The Consent of the Governed: America at 250 and Beyond
Opens May 18, 2026
War of Words: A Citizen’s Eye View of the Revolution
Opens May 18, 2026
A Harvard Library exhibit showcases the posters, pamphlets, newspapers, and images that brought news of the American Revolution to those who lived through it.
War of Words: A Citizen’s Eye View of the Revolution
May 25–October 18, 2026
Special Exhibit: Washington's Sash
May 25–October 18, 2026
George Washington created a system of colored sashes to denote rank, assigning “a light blue Ribband" to the commander-in-chief. A blue taffeta sash once belonging to Washington is on display at the Harvard Peabody Museum.
Special Exhibit: Washington’s Sash
Opens June 27, 2026
Collecting Wonders–Tomorrow’s Discoveries
Opens June 27, 2026
Among the millions of specimens in the collections at the Harvard Museum of Natural History are George Washington’s pheasants and a woodpecker from the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Collecting Wonders–Tomorrow’s Discoveries