In his talk Dr. Chaput will detail the history of the often forgotten 1842 Dorr Rebellion in Rhode Island - one of the most significant political and constitutional events before the Civil War. Chaput will explain how the politics surrounding Thomas Wilson Dorr's attempt at extralegal reform in Rhode Island affected politics throughout New England.
Erik J. Chaput received his doctorate in early American History from Syracuse University in 2011. His dissertation was the first full-scale history of the 1842 Dorr Rebellion in Rhode Island in nearly four decades. Dr. Chaput teaches United States History at Northfield Mount Hermon School in western Massachusetts. He is also an instructor in the History Graduate Program at Providence College.
Dr. Chaput's research has appeared in numerous publications, including Rhode Island History, Common-Place.org, American Nineteenth Century History, the Catholic Historical Review, and the Massachusetts Historical Journal. Dr. Chaput is also the principal reviewer of books on early America for the Providence Journal.
Location: Brooks Memorial Library Meeting Room
Wednesday January 25, 2012
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
The Dorr Rebellion: The Politics of the People's Sovereignty Before the Civil War