Transcripts For CSPAN3 Political 20240703

Director Public Programs for the Newport Historical society. This year, the 180th anniversary of the door rebellion, which is considered the most significant constitutional political event to occur in rhode Island History. During tonights lecture, dr. Chaput will explore the life of Thomas Wilson dorr and his attempt to overturn Rhode Islands existing government in the spring of 1842. He will focus heavily on the numerous newport connections to the story of dawes attempt at legal reform, including a lengthy trial, led to his imprisonment in 1844. A native Rhode Islanders erik chaput teaches at Providence College and at Western Reserve Academy. He holds a doctorate in American History from Maxwell School of citizenship and public at syracuse university. And he is the author of the people smarter. And is 1842 rhode island rebellion, which is available at newport history shop dot com. Dr. Chaput is the cocreator with historian rusty siman of the Award Winning dore rebellion project website in addition to his work on rhode Island History. Dr. Has published numerous articles on politics in the civil war era. Before we officially begin the presentation, i wanted to remind you to please type any questions into the chat. I will share them with dr. Chaput during the q a when he has completed his presentation. I would like to turn things over to erik chaput. Thank you very for that kind introduction. Its wonderful to be with you. Virtually. I wish i could do this in person, but hopefully in the near future i can. I can get back to rhode island as elizabeth i am currently in ohio. Im at western reserve to you right now from Western Reserve Academy in hudson, which is just south of cleveland by about 35 minutes. And i probably might not have been to get there anyway. Theres a big storm system that is coming our way off the lake and its going to impacting travel. So probably best actually that im on on zoom with you here this evening but its a true honor when my book came out and 2013 i had the opportunity to give a talk at the colony house. And i want to thank elizabeth for that, for many years ago. And to my friend bert lippincott, who my mentioned in certain points some of the material thats in the possession of the Newport Historical society that was instrumental for me writing and writing the book and for any teachers on the call at the end, i hope in the that we can talk a little bit about the door rebellion project website that ive had the privilege to be connected to for the last decade thats sponsored by Providence College. And weve done some recent updates for guides, all aimed at teachers. So once again, if youre any any educator on the call, please hang on. And id love to chat with you at the end about teaching and show you this cool website that problems college help to put together. A decade ago and weve done about four updates to the site and working on a fifth update right now to bring more material, you know, to help teachers get this material into the classrooms. Im going to share my right now and get and kind of get underway here once again. Please do hesitate to drop things into the chat room and be a privilege to kind of hang on a little bit longer here tonight and have a chance to have a dialog about the door rebellion or other aspects, American History that i will raise tonight. So let me start here. Im going to start in 1844. Elizabeth mentioned a moment ago, a betrayal of door. So i think thats a good place to kind of begin this evening a little bit in the colony house. So in june of 1844, in the upper chambers of the colony house in newport is famed washington square, Thomas Wilson dore stood trial for treason. Two years earlier or forcibly tried to implement the peoples constitution a document under which he was elected governor that he believed had replaced the antiquated colonial thought of 1663 prior to dawes election. The peoples governor in april of 1842, chief justice jobe durfee had departed from the rules of judicial propriety and toward the state, speaking out against the peoples constitution. Now durfee at tiverton, native the responsibilities of presiding a trial that could very well and with a trip to the gallows. The door door was on trial facing judge that just weeks before had sentenced the irish immigrant john gordon to the gallows for the murder of a massive sprague, a wealthy cranston door was well acquainted with joe durfee in the 1830s he appeared before him times as an attorney and i cases in 1833. As i was just mentioning to elizabeth a few moments ago, ive done quite a bit of work on and hopefully to have it in print soon door it was a lawyer actually hired the state in its sensational murder trial and durfee was the judge it a trial that was even more shocking. Those of you who might know anything about the avery, the horrible haystack murder of that same year, this trial took place a little bit later in 1833 and is certainly not as well known as that trial to, the horrible haystack murder, the trial about for mayberry. But dore participated, in numerous murder trials and other high profile cases and his time as an attorney, but certainly more than this trial of francis for the murder of Sally Burdick door knew, though, as he was in 1844 in front of durfee that his maybe of walking out of that courtroom a free man were not that good. There is little room for doubt the strength of dawes conviction that had the right to alter or their frame of government and indeed at the trial. He said it repeatedly, according to dorr, the signing of the declaration of independence and the success of the revolution itself meant that the right to revolution was an inherent right in the people which they could at all times peacefully exercise door took the opportunity in the trial once again to espouse political ideology, which he was very consistent about. From 1840 onward and in some ways it resembles how john brown approached his trial in 1859 after his failed attempt grade at harpers ferry. Of course, dorr would survive and not be executed and brown would be, though he would be convicted. It mattered little. Little however, for chief Justice Jeffries to the jury. Left no room for debate. It may be, gentlemen, that he really himself to be the governor, the state, and that he acted throughout under this delusion, however, it is defense to an indictment for the violation of any law for the defendant to come to court and say, i thought that i was. But exercising constitutional right and claim an acquittal on the grounds that i made a mistake. Jeffrey said there was no doubt that dawes actions constituted a levy of war. The door was found guilty. He was sent to providence by ferry on june 27th, 1844, where he entered the new state prison on the cold. And he had number, which was dawes, a famous from 1844, as his trial connected to the president ial election of that year the door and was known as prisoner number 56 this is from a collection at the hay library. During his time in prison on an interesting side note, he had a lot of time and painted these exquisite hand fans, which we have on the doorbell project website. And these are owned by risley. I think its important to out early in our time this evening that the citizens of Newport County a significant role in both the origins, the course of browns crisis and constitution as the rebellion came to an official end at the colony house in many ways but the citizens of Newport County played a role both the origins and the course of. Rhode islands crisis and constitutionalism duty. Pierce, one of doras closest political, whose papers are meticulously preserved at the Newport Historical society and i had the privilege of looking at them with the aid of bert lippincott, the wonderful archivist at Newport Historical pierce was, a prominent attorney and former u. S. Congressman of 12 years in washington. He was a prominent whig former state attorney general, and once again, papers are preserved at the Newport Historical society and a new project. Im working on an update to the diary building project website. Pierce is a character in our how we are chronicling the gag rule debate not only at the national level. The gag rule prevented essentially petitions from being fully debated and really read out on the floor of congress if they, with slavery at the state level. There was also significant discussion about the gag rule in 1837 and 38 and 39. And were looking at judi pierce as a central player because he was in congress at this point as a representative. But also was writing about this to other folks in the state. As well get into tonight the Rhode Island Suffrage Association and Thomas Wilson dorr were responding to. Another newport famous politician, benjamin hazzard, who nearly singlehandedly prevented rhode island from adopting a modern constitution. Born in middletown in 1770, hazzard represented newport of the General Assembly for 31 years. Once again, hazzard is also a key player in the update that were working on for the door project website, as hazzard supported the gag and espouses some very strict proslavery rhetoric on the floor of the rhode island assembly, that was really no different. You would see from a slaveholder from South Carolina in may 1842. Newport representative richard kay randolph played a crucial in derailing doras hopes of garnering federal support. The virginia born randolph was married to a famous newport anna marie lyman finally newport sizable militia was always at the ready to board the ferry to providence to put down militia units that were loyal to thomas dorr here tonight to learn a bit more about a man who was referred to as wilson by his siblings. So who was Thomas Wilson dorr . He was into wealth and privilege in 1805. Thomas dorsey as a young man destined to take his among Rhode Islands upper echelon, he studied at Phillips Exeter academy boarding school in New Hampshire, the most prestigious boarding schools at the time. The door went to it and. Certainly today he went on to harvard and then columbia law. It seemed that was destined to lead a life of leisure and civic. He would certainly earn his in the history books, but it was not quite in the way that his father, sullivan and his mother, lydia, had hoped. In the eyes of the citys elite, in the eyes of providences elite, by 1842, the year of the rebellion, the three year old thomas dorr was a saint harmonious, deluded demagogue, bent destruction. This comes so clearly as you read these letters that are preserved not only at the Newport Historical society around historical, citing the john hay library, let me read a portion of a letter for a moment from lydia in sullivan dorr, writing to their son. And thats the image of sullivan on the screen sullivan, daw and both said it grieves us to the heart to know that a son of ours arrived that so mature and age and so well versed in the laws of his country should be a participant in x calculate to to bring the state into destruction arouse passions which you cannot allay and which, god forbid, produce civil strife attended with bloodshed and murder. We beseech, we pray you to pause before you pass the rubicon and become engulfed in political degradation where our feeble prayers will not avail to save you disgrace and ruin doors. Parents really regarded him some ways as a one man bonfire of the vanities. So why rhode island . Why 1542 and why thomas this is an image of doors mother lydia from the rhode island that christie so the origins of what became known as doors rebellion, they deepen the states history. The political culture of rhode island was certainly unique. Democracy flourished in rhode island in 1663, colonial charter granted by king charles. The second, however restrictive clauses based on stringent qualifications prevented ways of immigrants, mostly Irish Catholics, in the 1820s and thirties, from entering the body politic. The charter restricted suffrage to those men possessing real estate figure set in the year 1798 at 134, thereby most of the population, the commercial and Manufacturing Districts who were renting their dwellings. The election of 1840 was a watershed moment. Huge rallies connected this election all across the country. Without question, though, certainly in rhode island, the rise of a stable two party system in the jacksonian period led to increased efforts by Political Parties to seek out groups of people that had previously been locked out of the political process. Workers labors, womens rights advocates began using the declaration of independence to justify their quest for equality in their opposition and security. Then the rhode island suffrage that was formed in this period, you can see the size of the crowd as to why dorr emerged that the intellectual spokesmen of the common man in this particular on screen he was many ways the preeminent reformer of his era in rhode island in the 1830s in the economic realm drafted a major piece of legislation that provided government regulation of state chartered banks. He worked for the abolition. She did the abolishment of imprisonment, death. He was an ardent abolitionist and antislavery advocate, serving on the executive committee of the rhode island antislavery society. He was also a leading educational reformer, pioneering the constructions of the states first high school. By the end of 1841, he had become leading figure once again in the Rhode Island Suffrage Association. Over three day period in late december. 1841, through the workings of this group, an overwhelming majority of Rhode Islanders, almost 14,000 in favor cast a ballot for what had become known as the peoples constitution. Again, it was being driven by Organization Convention that they held. Here are some political ribbons from the summer of 1841 that gives a sense of what the group is about. The people of a sovereign power will be we will have our rights. These were ribbons that would have been these are from the private collection. A dear friend of mine, russell, this man who lives in middletown and russell, i or the number of different articles together, the rebellion along with working on the diary billion project website. Anyone who works on rhode Island History in the 18th or 19th century has probable we talked to rusty sanborn at some point. Heres another one. Im an american citizen. This from a little earlier in the spring of 41. And just one more of these incredible ribbons again that were once the main item for a constitution in, equal rights, referring to the Suffrage Association and intellectual spokesmen thomas dorr, elijah potter, prominent lawyer. A larger part of jr. A prominent lawyer from south kingstown. I declared that those who have raised storm may not be able, though to govern it. Potter proclaimed his affinity for what he called the old under the charter that granted disproportionate amount of power to the agrarian areas of rhode island. But he recognized that there was a democratic tide that was sweeping the state, that could not be turned back. It is probably settled, potter said, that we must have free suffrage, but the way must it be brought about for potter in order for constitution change to be legal, it had to come from the sitting General Assembly and not an extra legal convention. Potters would be adopted certainly by wills. We get into in a moment the law and order party in rhode island, but also in many ways the powers of washington. The president. Ill come back to john tyler in a moment and eventually then the Supreme Court later in the year 1848. As you get into the spring of 42, there were two government in rhode island, one claiming legitimacy, a colonial charter that no mode for amendment the other claiming legitimacy from a constitu adopted by the majority of citizens. But in an extralegal plebiscite, the new Political Party had been created. Thats an image of of elijah potter. Youve never seen that before. And here is the man that was going into his third term as governor of the state, Samuel Ward King from johnston. He became the nominal head of this law and order instead. Have a lot of fun with images when. I was writing my book and dissertation and theres a wonderful archivist at the rhode island Historical Society named j. D. Came we often joke that we thought that Samuel Ward King looked like the guitarist that you might know well from the rolling stones. So we kind of played around a little bit with it, with the images time because we thought he looked like keith richards. I did not put that in the book, though. I was tempted to do that. Perhaps something to divide within the ranks of the law and order party door was fully confident in victory in april, early april of 42, he wrote to duty pearces good friend in newport about the high level he felt of support, mainly in providence county. He clearly expected his support to hold fast in the face of any type of opposition. They would see the charter government nor wrote this interesting what i was it a determined defense in return for the first blow is the purpose of the people woonsocket door said had been armed and equipped with 200 men. Yesterday another hundred men today, he told pearce. 200 farmers were present at lime rock this afternoon, who proclaimed themselves ready to rescue any officer the peoples government. Same for north providence, where i was born my parents to live organized tomorrow said door no more than hundred and 50 men of the military order can be found against us in this city, referring providence. The tories outdoor referred to as political, are alarmed and staring reports. This is a reference to brook to probritish during the American Revolution we all go for peace a door but the ticket will be sustained and violence will be reluctantly repelled, but with certainty. In his letter to pierce, dorr noted the state arsenal in providence, not heavily armed, fired. That went away in the back of your mind for just a moment. Dore was elected peoples governor on april 18th. On april 20th. Samuel working here the screen was elected to distribute his fourth term. He said 30 minute go is actually his fourth term in office. Joshua rathbun, a resident of tiverton dorr, that the majority of business men would do anything and everything than recognize the right of the people large to make an alter their government at will. Rathbone also outlined the nativist strategy that the law now two advocates were developing when dorr attempted to enfranchise sizable irish immigrant population and with the liberal suffrage provisions for white males in the peoples constitution an epidemic of nativism really infected the state of rhode island. Historian laureate of the state pat connolly has written the most about the nativist sentiment that was so much a part of the politics of the 1840s and the 1850s in rhode island. There was a very famous broadside that i believe i can show you, which that warned rhode island citizens that the peoples would place your government, your and political institutions, your Public Schools and perhaps your religious privileges under the control of the pope of rome, through the medium of thousands of naturalized foreign catholics. The nativist fears centering on rhode island catholic priests were. Not the exclusive providence, though, of male conservatives. In summing up the difference between the two constitutions that were under debate, a really a moffett, the wife of orson moffett, a providence keeper, wrote in her diary that the greatest between the two documents is foreigners are admitted to the affairs, the state almost unconditionally in the peoples constitution and the other not so they can be supposed have some interest in its welfare. Mata believed that the free suffrage that by free suffrage advocates we should be delivered up to the tender mercies of the Roman Catholic who can be bought and sold by their employers and were at the beck and call of their priests. So this was a significant issue once again. Pat connolly, this story, lord to the state was really the first in the 1970s to kind of bore down and explore the power of nativism in rhode island politics both pre during post and all the way up to the civil war. And later in the 19th century as well. I should point out issues of race were are were very prominent though this period as well as one thing i dive into very heavily in my book. So in addition to fears of in Irish Catholics that were out their doors ideology at first garnered a lot of support within abolitionist circles. Dorr himself was connected to our listeners organizations in the thirties and played prominent roles within the rhode island antislavery society, including serving on the executive committee. Africanamericans, for right reasons, looked at doors ideology to say that we want to be a part of this. They look to him for the ability to be able bring the right of suffrage to their community had been disenfranchized in rhode island since 1822. So they saw door a way to kind of claim their rights to citizenship and i should point out in this period before the dutch rebellion and after there was wide ranging conversations, africanamerican communities at what became known as these black convention all across the north in the 1830s and forties, about prerogatives and privileges and immunities, citizenship and large scale, you know, conventions, multiday all across the north. Im riding and working on some here in the reserve area of of ohio but a major topic was always once again suffrage so African Americans in rhode island and white abolitionists all across new england initially had high hopes that Doors Movement would enfranchise african that the Abolitionist Movement was not only concerned about ending slavery in the American South and concerned about the growth of the slave power that may be in the levers, you know, kind of political in washington they were about civil rights in the north thats often an overlooked and forgotten and this was a time period in which they were making about who was the you know, who was a citizen. And rights. Did they have and the dorie buying kind fits in with that unfortunate thing the peoples constitution a white only clause over doors. Objection fierce objection was eventually bedded into the document. This leads to a significant outpouring the peoples constitution from circles door that once in power that he could have that clause and that africanamericans indeed be enfranchised under constitution that was drafted once again in 1841 and december 41, with 14,000 Rhode Islanders supporting. But it africanamericans didnt see it that way. And certainly abolitionists all across north so colorful cast of characters a very prominent abolitionist i talk about in the book descended upon all quarters of rhode island to protest against dawes to call it racist, to call, you know, to him a hypocrite for talking about the rights of, the people, but to label it only for white people. So theres this argument about this question of immigrants and nativists. Theres a racial argument happening, major questions about citizenship. And women are also very active on both sides. There was no hint whatsoever women getting the right to vote and the peoples constitution and never came up for debate as question of black suffrage did. But were very active on both sides. And out for and against what door was doing. And it really was a transforming moment. So on the door website we do remember the story of females quite heavily on work or teachers to look at. Wrote a New Providence resident who watched doors inoperable procession go her home, informed son charles. A border actually at a utopian farm called brook farm. Not too far away that the open warfare was on the horizon in the spring of 1842. Ripley had actually been dawes classmate at harvard and wrote a newcomer viewed inauguration as an impending apocalypse evil. She said permitted by Divine Providence in order to cleanse. She said the state of its sins. What those signs were she seemed to indicate, were past sins. The connection of the state to the slave trade in 18th century was certainly sizable. Crowd the parade accompanying door on may three did not compare with the crowds that had attended some of these earlier rallies. Of those ribbons i had mentioned in the Spring Summer of 41. One reason is that support from the middle class had once joined with the ranks of mechanics and artisans and supported the peoples constitution began to erode some of this was certainly just out of fear of arrest and perhaps apprehension or ability for this to actually work. So apprehension for success. Local merchants, loyal the Suffrage Association were threatened and the screws were to be put on them without mercy. Landlords turned tenants out of their houses, along with discharging some men from employment for arms in defense of the peoples rights. That was a a letter i was quoting there from, an ally of door informing of what was happening to him as the employers began to threaten their employees once again, these employees would largely be immigrants. On may 4th, 1842, the charter government declared what was painfully obvious to most providence residents that a state insurrection existed. The General Assembly made formal request to president john tyler to interpose the authority or the power of the United States and suppress such insurrection, insurrectionary and lawless assemblages to support the existing laws and protect the state from domestic violence. Taking every precaution. Samuel war king also wrote to governor john davis of massachusetts asking him to have his states stand at the ready. Davis was a prominent whig. Weeks later. Dawes uncle Zachariah Allen took it upon himself to. Go to boston to orchestrate actually an arms deal with the massachusetts adjutant general. On may 4th. King samuel, working as he celebrating his inaugural as governor under. The Royal Charter. Things are really to heat up dore the advice of democratic in washington who had written to him was careful though this point in early may not to do anything that might incite violence and he was was receiving some letters including from Levi Woodbury from New Hampshire which of course, some of you may know this would not last. In writing my book on dore was struck by how true each side to the core values it claimed to be fighting, for it was the course of power recalcitrant state legislature against potency of the revolution. Every doctrine of Popular History seldom us with pure embodiments of contrast in political alternatives. But in the spring 1841, they were both on display in the military projections of both perspectives were pretty much committed to a collision when reading the letters from this period, along with his opponents from the doors opponents you really get a sense that they felt as if they were standing in the center of a windstorm and. Kind of the currents of history was kind of sweeping past them. They were this comes out quite clearly in their letters by midmay had let it be known that he had lost all patience with the moderates, were hoping for reconciliation. And there were many in his camp that were trying to bring about peace. Dore here in the sketch, an artistic sketch, a drawing from may 16th after he had returned from brief trip to washington. He did not get the support that he was he was looking for. Hes brandishing this sort of go door to door, had no military experience or background whatsoever. The sword was giving to him as stopped off in new york and that kind of hanging out near tammany hall area. If youve ever seen the movie gangs new york with martin scorsese, it would give you some i think of this time in the 19th century where dore was receiving from these radical democrats in new york and labor radicals. But he comes back kind of emboldened. But he didnt really any political excuse, any military experience that would enable him to deal with troops, but didnt stop as does turn to dark en 17th, 1842, the residents of providence, rhode island, were returning to their homes, but few were preparing for a restful nights sleep. Citizens were on edge, expecting the sound of cannon fire at. Any moment the shops and banks have closed all day. The citys cobblestone were filled with men in uniform from recruits engaged in their First Military drills. Two more senior militiamen might have gone back all the way to the war of 1812. Who who had performed decades of service in these. At first it was rumor and speculation. As the night wore on, credible witnesses reported the peoples governor was planning an assault on the arsenal on the west of the city. If door of this was to be his final battle door intended to go out with a another rumor had dore taking the public property newport after he captured the state. This was actually widely spread the impact of the late events was quickly felt on aquidneck edward carrington, a member of governor kings executive councils, sent a request for troops to newport, where the General Assembly was actually sitting. The time at this period in rhode Island History, the assembly rotated from different parts of the state, including from east greenwich, newport and providence at the early hour of 1 00 in the morning of tuesday, may eighth, 1842, many of the of newport were roused from their slumbers by the firing of candidate a beat of drums, reported colonel william swan of the newport artillery, a communique should arrive for governor king to swan with orders to muster his Company Without delay, and embarked for providence in a steamboat which had been dispatched for that purpose. While the newport artillery arrived too late to counter dawes forces, it lead the charge later that day of federal hill to dislodge the remaining writes at barrington. Anthonys all but at wells avenue, which you can still see to this now became the site of dawes headquarters until which the moment reach a crescendo in the Early Morning hours of may 18th commentators frequently to the state of civil commotion. Commotion, though, look like an all out war to many residents of the city. Providence militiamen William Bailey was convinced doors was motivated only by malice and revenge. Dawes goal, according to bailey, was to destroy lives property not taking chances. Bailey and this was something that many residents of providence did arrange for his family to leave the city. Many compared this time in their letters. Providence that didnt look like it could be a revolution of sorts. Rumors circulated that after recaptured the arsenal door intended to march across the city over to browning city to order to use the dormitory as barracks for his troops. From there, it was rumored the door would his men to seize public and private property redistribute it among the poor masses, establishing an agrarian socialism at 2 00 in the morning on may 18th, alarm bells and the cry of fire began to arouse providences sleeping inhabitants. Dorr might have recognized sound of the bells atop St Johns Episcopal Church in providence, where his family owned pew had had for many years with the street lights veiled by a heavy fog rising narragansett bay doors, men used providence elites living in large homes on the hills of the east side that are still there to this day, including doors beautiful home and benefit streets talked about seeing a column of lights marching off into the darkness. Lydia door washed with trepidation as her husband actually went off to defend the city in her son, sullivan jr went to join his his brothers the doors brothers in, the arson. Lydias family, in this sense was literally coming apart at the seams. A banner that was used of this time period giving a sense of door. I will not compromise the peoples rights. Heres an image, a sketch of the arsenal and troops setting up positions. This would have been troops loyal to doors or intending to fire into building image sketch of doors home. I had the privilege from the late moran to enter that house many years ago and to get a tour and actually see doors, bedrooms where he died in that that home. Mr. Moran was very kind about me as i was writing my book and educated quite a bit about. The doors family, 70 of 70 of doors men had successfully stolen two six pounder cannons in broad daylight from the united train of artillery in providence he now intended to make use of them if doors men had dragged cannon directly to the arsenal, they probably could have taken it without firing a shot. There was some delay. The was about a 50 by 60 foot structure with chip stone walls. It was constructed to withstand and shell, but its thatched roof could easily have been blown off or worse ignited perhaps, even burning those inside. The governor king called for additional reinforcements from the conservative enclaves of warren, bristol and newport. He went to the arsenal himself to encourage men to stand their ground. Shortly after 2 00 in the morning, dawes men had set up an encampment and they were very close as saw in that image a minute ago from the northeast. It cant be possible your brother intends to fire on this building as the providence militia men of sullivan, who was looking out the window at his older brother, i guess youre not acquainted with the breed young, sullivan was said to have, replied with his reduced numbers. Men began to run away in the night as they got some cold feet from standing behind. Door, door deemed it expedient. Try to fire in the arsenal with cannon before all of his men departed. Plan was sound, i guess for one important deal detail, the men had failed to properly the cannon when it started to rain. The damp wicks would not light when the cannons failed to ignite all of dawes men, including door fled into the night. His uncle. Eventually, the next day one of his uncles, philip them to get out of the city. Heres a headline as this became lampooned in the press. This is from the new york herald. It says killed zero, wounded zero, missing 481, scared 960, terrible, horribly. Seven 789 fainted on the battleground. 73. Woman in hysterics 22 temperance pledge broken before the battle, 330 governors missing, one. But it a very serious issue. The law and order Party Managed to lampoon door sketches a representative door is a fat napoleon with the butter knife, but durwood would would not stop. He would eventually come back. He out. He went down to new york, but he would come back and the state was still on edge all throughout rest of may and into june. Newport countys response to governor king, the civil war kings call for support was significant with every sending militia or volunteer to companies the the island absolutely stripped of men wrote and Maria Randolph took her daughter elizabeth, who was living in boston. In addition to the Newport Artillery Company under colonel swann. They were also the Newport Middletown volunteers. Volunteers from jamestown. Martial law remained in place for months in rhode island. Many of dawes followers were eventually rounded up and thrown in jail. Many spending time actually jail in newport as this came to an end in the month of may. And in see me in june in japan, in northern. So many of these prisoners were incarcerated in newport the most famous episode involved laborer, reformer, a voice of the common man of an intercept loser, an attempt to escape newports marble street jail. Luther actually set fire. His cell got out. As far as street, only to be apprehended minutes later as he had to charge clothing in black face. Obviously gave him away. But in prison, luther wrote, we have some of this up on door rebellion project website but there was a poem that he had penned dedicated to the suffrage ladies of rhode island entitled, the garland of gratitude. Women of rhode island became very active on dorsey in helping to care for these prisoners and to keep doors alive. It really felt of females. Many men were arrested, afraid to come out, afraid to being connected to the rebellion. So women organized, the organized clambake, most of these clambake took place massachusetts outside of rhode island for fear of arrest. But women really in this period, as you get into the summer and fall of 1842 after the rebellion is put down, you patch it, play a central a central role abolitionist William Lloyd garrison, his brother in law is actually rhode island george benson. He garrison is really writing quite frequently he remains upset at door for the white clause he never gave he never really believed or his argument that it wasnt his fault. The door became actually quite angry at these abolition later but garrison was concerned about the usages of martial law and these prisoners that were wallowing, many of them in newport door after dispatch it please this is out of the state again. He leaves some people hanging. There are some people that were quite angry at door for this. But he goes to New Hampshire, he lives in concord, out in the open. He becomes with Franklin Pierce, future president , United States, the governor living in the governors house for a while Henry Hubbard or probably both of them prominent democrats democrats. By the fall of 1842, the government convened another Constitutional Convention and, the ashford islanders, to vote on this. Although it is suffrage requirements, the reform constitution was a far cry. Those vision it mandated a one year residency requirement for freeholders, a two year resident residency requirement the native born without real estate, but. 134 worth of personal property. Naturalized citizens was still required to own 134 worth of real estate. The rural democrat elijah potter, noted in a letter to former governor John Brown Francis that the law and order party was okay with having african connected to this and africanamericans do it through a plebiscite and after this constitution is adopted get the right to vote. And potter makes it very clear this was true of a lot of conservatives that they were okay with africanamericans being part of the electorate, but they really wanted to keep irish out. So this, you know, the constitution was eventually approved by a lopsided margin of 7000 to just one. And eventually this of black suffrage was voted in favor for 4000 votes to 1700. So about a 2 to 1 margin door a one time while senior antislavery in the 1830s, a prominent one became very angry at the charter government for not going in in naturalized citizens or actually becomes the spectrum of of race and racism door begins to drift away from. His earlier pronouncements is more liberal views on race and really becomes more connected to the ideology. The Democratic Party that you would see victorious with Franklin Pierce and then later james buchanan. He believed that naturalized citizens white naturalized deserve the right to vote over African Americans. They deserved it first a door would not did not say that in the 1830s or even in the early part when hes running peoples constitution. So something changed for him. And i think a lot of it was very personal. He was upset at the attacks that he had been receiving from abolitionists, mainly William Lloyd garrison, the pages of the liberator and. He just couldnt look past it. And then kind of changed his mind about a lot of views had previously taken door comes back to the state in late october, october 31st of 1843, and he time in prison in newport province. But then hes put on trial. In 1844 as i mentioned the beginning and tonight newport hes eventually convicted of treason. Dawes the first man in history to be convicted of treason against state john brown is the second person to be convicted of treason against state. Dawes not executed, though he spends time in providence state prison in, providence a total of about 20 months incarcerated. And then hes released. He spends the remaining part his his years dying in 18 december of 1854 in that beautiful family home on a benefit benefit st solomon door worked tirelessly for dawes behind the scenes he sent a confidential and a petition to the speaker of the house. So at point come 1844 was Richard Randolph of newport, in which door was trying to get assistance for his son. I do not mean to justify my unhappy son, but i pray that a man of letters should not be caged with lowest felons, wrote sullivan went on to hint that there was something mentally with thomas door and this in the family letters do survive. This shows up periodically that was it was door unstable. Randolph replied four days later, stating that he had visited daughters in jail. Randolph showed door his fathers petition and recommended that he take an oath of allegiance to the president government in order to secure an release. The idealistic door, though, refused, according to randolph, dore considered a martyr to a most important principle. It impossible to help one who was not willing to help himself sit in the door to the door, see if he would eventually be released. In 1845, his incarceration must get the law. Not a party did not consider became a huge issue with. The president ial election of 1844 and indeed in many quarters in the north. The tagline became polk, dallas and door doors imprisonment was used used as a rallying cry for democrats and democrat would win that election. Its a pivotal election in American History. James would emerge victorious over henry clay. And then the question quickly becomes, you know, during polks presidency about, the mexicanamerican war, and the question of slavery so a pivotal, pivotal moment, you know, certainly a great historical what if if henry clay had won that very election, would the mexicanamerican war certainly catalyst on the road to the American Civil War have actually taken place. If clay and victorious but dawes incarceration in his rhetoric would once again skillfully used by the in that election and then his ideology of popular sovereignty would begin to play out in the 1850s over questions of settlement of the slavery question and territories. So things that id like talk about with my students on this for the teachers on the call a recently discovered letter that is in the collection of my good friend russell d simon from a group of rhode island women to door i think illustrates the era connection thats always fascinated me so much with this. As you read, its like a replay of the American Revolution was understood by both males and females. Eliza shaw. Sarah davis. Mary stein as in buffington and marie believe that dore endeavored to establish a constitution based upon the principles for which our fathers bled and died in 1776, believing as we do that, the principles with our fathers positive and broadly sovereign contending are none other than those declared in the immortal state paper, which proved a death warrant to the british king and his attempts to impose a tax. Of 0. 03 a pound on tea, some six years ago, and that the longer continuance under the servile to a government deriving its power from Royal Charter granted by that reckless wretched charles, and second from 200 years ago would stamp them with the return of the slaves. The door rebellion had a profound impact. I think on the state and on the nation. Its most Lasting Legacy was was embedded into a ruling in 1848. And i salute the reporting. It was also though for bringing the state its first constitution. It really drove shook up and the assembly does finally do this. In 1843, it forced or reinstatement of black suffrage. It provided for a platform for women to be involved in public political discourse. Heralding the beginning of i think of Womens Suffrage Movement and equal rights, it in many ways you see this coming out in full force women of course in the Abolitionist Movement have been involved with petitioning campaigns in the 1830s. But you really this activism on both Women Associated the whigs and the democrats in this case and certainly there was no tempest in a teapot. It had a bigger perspective it represents a great question of constitutional importance before the civil war, who were the rightful monitors of the Constitutional Order . Today, we take it for granted that function was the Supreme Court. But that question was far from clear, as historians, legal historians have written in recent years, including christian ritson, university of new Mexico Law School as fritz meticulously has laid out in his book, american sovereigns there were roles for Congress Executive and the court to play, and this relationship was, it was often uncertain and more outside of our modern understanding, completely clearly compelling. Think to americans in the 19th century and the 18th as well was. A possibility the role of the people. However, one conceived them as a check on unconstitutional actions legacy of the american. The legacy of the American Revolution. Question of sovereignty of the people in button issues in jacksonian america. Nativism, race, abolition, citizenship, the constitution were all part of the story. Barrett the politics that were connected in rhode island to the rebellion certainly affects the state. The 1840 goes on constitution disputes in the 1850s in clarendon good of those irish to be able to to vote goes on into the reason the strong nativist americans kind of the American Movement connected predated Republican Party and was anticatholic sediment really kind of would be driving a driving force and you see that so clearly with the door rebellion but wasnt so im going to kind of end there and i want to make sure i can turn my attention now to the to the chat room as i was wanted to keep this to about 40 minutes or so. So i went just a smidge over that. But i hope that can stay on the call and i could have an to converse with you via the chat feature of zoom and happy to stay on this longer as well so i thank you for your for your time tonight and i look forward to a little q a. Eric, so much for sharing all of your expertise and insights. I dont see any questions in the chat just yet, but i do have question. I was wondering if you could offer some insights into the parallels from the politics of that era to the state affairs that were experiencing today . Well, thank you. As you certainly can imagine, i think is i watched i remember on the night of january 6th, i was ive been a boarding School Teacher for many years after graduate school. So i was living and teaching at the at lawrenceville in new jersey. And after i pick my children from school, i had came back into the dorm. I remember we didnt practice traveling track and field coach. Ive coached track my entire time in boarding schools and during outdoor track and i just was kind of glued the tv in the common room as students began to flood in after classes and we began just to kind of sit and watch these. Unfold and real time. And that night, i got a couple of emails. You know, people were very curious, you know, to about this. And some journalists, you know, asking questions about other periods in American History. You know, ive obviously written a book on an insurrection. Im kind of scary moment and island. So i was getting a lot of questions that that night kind of comparing door, you know, to the present and in this case obviously to what had transpired on on january 6th and what was happening in providence. At the time. I hadnt, i never dreamed that would get to that point again. You know, i think when you look at what was transpiring in rhode. In 1842, we are often i think, taken by the law and order party perspective. They a heck of a job of of lampooning and a lot of images of course the cannons didnt fire and theres a lot of evidence that actually they might been tampered with to prevent loss of life or it could have simply just been the rain that had started to fall. And, you know, the proper covering of the cannons. But nothing happened. Thankfully, there was not loss of life. Could there have been . Absolutely. Every indication was that there could have been loss of life on an attack on the arsenal that could have dealt with the warzone family. So politics have reached a real a real breaking point. There was not, though people tried there was an ability to compromise. There was an inability to find a way to deal with this and the door rebellion how to take things that far eventually than the state will in the wake of this adopt the constitution. But it was a scary was a scary moment for sure. And people believe me, people providence did not think lightly of. This i mean later theres all these funny articles and pictures of door as a fat napoleon. But anyone living at that time really thought that there, you know, that this could be it that this whole city could go up in flames, that there could be massive riot that would, you know, extend beyond the west side of the city engulfed the entire city. The rumors very powerful. They were indeed rumors. They people believed them. And they lived in they lived fear and cooler heads did not did not prevail there we and the rebellion team we put up some interesting letters by governor John Brown Francis and he he was trying to broker there was there was a middle ground. He thought that things could be done. There was saner voices, if you will. But there was a lot of too on each side. And this sadly, the you was the result of this. And so certainly for our polarized world today and the dangers of what happened on january six and the attack on the capitol where you know people to dawes as a demagogue that he had you know got people riled up brought them over to the arsenal. What could have happened. So we certainly you know, theres lessons to be learned, you know, about that, you know, proper procedures. You know, to go through. I just watched the incredible interview with mike pence with in the mirror from abc talking about that night the actions not only of of you know and and what he did to help to make sure that that vote was going to take that night. There are some heroes behind the scenes, including some of doors uncles that tried calm things down, get him out of the state, which had an effect. But he does come back again and he didnt when to quit in june. A lot of them uncle certainly hoped he would just stay away and not come back. He did in june and he goes away again. And then he on a trial, he wants his out there. Did he ever think he could win at the trial . No. Think he knew that he was it was never to win. He wasnt stupid in that regard. I think he knew who he was facing as the judge. But that trial became for him to be on center stage again and in that sense, it worked quite perfectly in his later in prison and became a political weapon of the democratic the Democratic Party. So i as i said, i did write couple of pieces, i think. And, you know, people flat out me was doh, donald trump. I got that question quite a bit. I tried to shy away from from answering that as much as i as i could in the days following january six. But it you know, you can see the the dangers of Political Polarization and what that can lead to. And were certainly living in it and and have lived through that period. Now, actually speaking on your parent, piggybacking on your last comment, caroline asks, how do you assess doors personal motivation and drive as ego dominant or practical slash ideological . Thats a great question. I think its a wonderful question for students to unpack. Its that high quality of a question that youre asking there that we, myself and rusty simona, when we made the trevelyan project website, the help of the team at Providence College and first went live about ten or 12 years ago. Now that this is one of the central questions we want to people to try to get at you know what drove door was he and the you know i think theres a lot of comparisons once again you can make to john brown if know anything about john brown and his devotion to his cause that what he was willing to do. You what did brown have an ego . Sure. The door have an ego. Absolutely i think that kind of went i think that probably to a large degree which made them so dangerous, you know, really, i was just covering today with students, john browns relationship with frederick douglass. I mean, douglass almost decided that he go with with john brown to harpers and backed out with the last the last moment, though, on browns person there was a note that was found somewhat innocuous from two years prior of from douglass. And that douglass was about to put on douglass said douglass how to quickly get out of where he was in pennsylvania was near philadelphia at the time and run back home his stuff. And he left the country. But douglass almost went with brown. He was almost hooked in that have been douglass. He certainly would have been executed, just like brown was executed. So their ego, along with their ardent belief and the ability to articulate and door, was a brilliant, Brilliant Writer whos a good speaker. He had a deep education and a tremendous education for that period. And he was captivating anyone who really knew him closely, always about his powerful intellect is a Brilliant Writer and could you dont really i think bring a lot of people into his to his orbit and and he definitely did which was dangerous people went to prison for it. We do have other question from tom he says in your estimation, was there a effective path that door could have taken one without the threat of violence, for example . Thats another great question. Thank you, tom. Lets i see there that you typed in the former. So thank you. You know, this is why, you know, i do want to do what i do. You know, every every day teaching here at western reserve, i love my job and i love to teach at night as i have been for many years for Providence College. So could have taken a different path. Yeah i think i think there were some other other paths and the doorbell and project website we try to at this kind of the road taken is that we framed it you know there was some attempts and you know some key figures john brown for instance who in particular former governor who you know was to get the assembly to see a little bit the writing on the wall. And these are conservative democrats in the state. The Democratic Party is an interesting to look at in rhode island, adore himself by this point in the 1840s was a democrat whos previously whig when he was a state legislature, and certainly during his height of his antislavery career. But he comes to be connected to the democrats. But dora is, you know, of a branch of more radical or labor orientated branch of the democracy as. It was known the but rhode island had a lot of concern of active democrats in to the whig party of course. Do i once again was a former whig and whigs were a lot of whigs were reformers. The fell into that category but john brown, for instance, was trying to thread the needle if you will and to find a way for the assembly to call another Constitutional Convention and which they did do to put in it some provisions that would appease door the Suffrage Association, meet them half way, and maybe them into the fold and of course, this did not really work out. There were, once again, some hard liners on both sides. And this is where things begin to get out of hand as you get into the spring, as the rhode island rounders that have to to governors which to people going back to the governor to sit in assemblies and so forth but there was that path you call the road not taken on door rebellion project website and and i will stop sharing in a moment im just going to drop in that link for those on the call so you can actually check out the website love for people to look at it. Of course. Once again, its aimed at teachers to use with students, but gotten some wonderful communication over the years from you just researchers you know using the site. Were very fortunate. The link is now in the chat so you can click it. Were very fortunate to have so much support from different organizations in state to keep that site. We have a ground starkel has been absolutely wonderful in the early stages of this. Have some wonderful images from them. They really have been just incredible to you and morgan gretsky to partner with to make that website happen so take a look there. Tom. I think youll youll see some interesting things so i think thatll about wrap things up for tonight. I think were just about out of time. But many thanks and im if anybody wants to revisit this lecture, well be sharing it ot the fdr president ial library museum. And today im very pleased to welcome harvey kaye an emeritus professor of democracy and justice at university of wisconsin at green bay. Hes old friend here at the library, spoken before. We always love to have him welcome back. Harvey, thank you. It is such pleasure. And its and im going to now make clear to everyone. Congratulations,