BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — As part of celebrating America's 250th anniversary, archivists from 16 local institutions gathered Wednesday at the Massachusetts State Library for a pop-up event called 'Fragments of Freedom.'

Archivists are historians responsible for collecting, analyzing, and preserving documents that have historical and cultural value.

Wednesday's event was a showcase for 16 local institutions, including the JFK Library and Museum, the Massachusetts Historical Society, City of Boston Archives, and Harvard University, all under one roof.

Historical artifacts, documents, and records were on display at the Massachusetts State House's library.

Northeastern University's Reference and Outreach Archivist Molly Brown explained the significance of the artifacts on display. "The special collections are comprised of records that document neighborhood activism, neighborhood infrastructure, and growth and change in Boston," she said.

Meanwhile, Alyssa Persson, Processing Archivist at the State Library, said the collection of archives spans generations of vital American history, including the Civil War, civil rights, and women's suffrage.

"This is my personal favorite collection that we have," she said. "It is the Colonel Alfred Stedman Hartwell collection. One of his jobs was to investigate the inequitable recruiting and pay practices that were happening for black troops who enlisted."

Collections on display included letters written to President John F. Kennedy about the Birmingham bombings, and original newspaper clippings from 1776 reporting on the Declaration of Independence.

WBZ NewsRadio's Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.

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