The exhibition tells the story of the Forbes family’s involvement in the 19th century opium trade, the trade’s links to the current opioid epidemic, and its lasting impact on US-Sino relations.
In the early 19th c., New England traders moved from slave-trading to selling opium to the Chinese in exchange for tea, an American obsession at the time. Other domestic products were exported from China for American use: silk, nankeen, porcelain, and artwork. Along with the Cabots, Peabodys, Delanos, Endicotts, Coolidges and other Boston Brahmin families, eleven members of the extended Forbes family were involved in the “China Trade,” spanning the years 1784 to 1887 and including the First and Second Opium Wars. Take a one-hour guided tour of the house to learn more about this formative period in the history of our two countries.
Advance online ticket purchases are encouraged, but walk-ins will be accommodated as space allows. Tours are limited to eight people per group. Fee: $19/person, $10/member, and $6/student. Card to Culture cardholders (EBT, WIC and ConnectorCare) are free.
Phone: (617) 696-1815
Email: info@forbeshousemuseum.org
Additional time info:
Guided tours are approximately one hour in length.
2023/02/03 - 2023/03/26
Forbes House Museum
215 Adams Street, Milton, MA 02186
QR codes throughout the exhibition provide translations into simplified Chinese. Tours are available by advance reservation in sign language and in French.