The Road Not Taken: John Brown Francis and the Dorr Rebellion

In this contextualizing essay, Dr. Erik J. Chaput and Russell DeSimone examine historical opposing views to Providence attorney Thomas Wilson Dorr and his attempt to reform the state\u27s archaic governing structure in the spring of 1842. Chief among these views is that of former Governor John Brown Francis, who urged both sides to find a compromise with each other. The essay, along with a collection of letters it accompanies on our Dorr Rebellion Letters project site, elucidates how the moderate faction within the Law and Order party; had this moderate voice been heeded Rhode Island’s Dorr Rebellion would have turned out quite differently and that there were alternative approaches that politicians might have taken. The Dorr Rebellion Project http://library.providence.edu/dorr The Dorr Letters Project http://library.providence.edu:8080/xtf/index.htm

The Road to Rebellion

In this essay, Dr. Erik J. Chaput and Russell DeSimone examine and contextualize the events surrounding the Dorr Rebellion of 1842 and the consequences that followed for those involved, primarily Providence attorney Thomas Wilson Dorr, who was the figurehead of one of the most significant constitutional reform efforts in antebellum American history. This essay, along with a collection of letters it accompanies on our Dorr Rebellion Letters project site, examines the momentous importance of the rebellion in terms of local Rhode Island history and national constitutional reform. The Dorr Rebellion Project http://library.providence.edu/dorr The Dorr Letters Project http://library.providence.edu:8080/xtf/index.htm

Dorr Rebellion Project Selected Bibliography

An annotated and traditional bibliography of research materials utilized by Dr. Erik J. Chaput and Rhode Island scholar Russell J. DeSimone in creating the script for The Dorr Rebellion short-form documentary and other resources on the Dorr Rebellion Project website. For those resources which are open access, an access link has been provided within the document. Visit the Dorr Rebellion Project website for more information: http://library.providence.edu/dorr

Prison Correspondence

This overview essay by SCE Professor Erik J. Chaput provides context for the drafting of the letters from Dorr to his mother Lydia. The essay provides a brief description of Dorr\u27s treason trial, his sentencing and the nature of his imprisonment in the state prison on the Providence cove. The Dorr Rebellion Project http://library.providence.edu/dorr The Dorr Letters Project http://library.providence.edu:8080/xtf/index.htm

Introduction to the Dorrite Women Letter Collection

In this introductory essay to the Dorrite Women Letter Collection, historian Erik Chaput outlines the significant role women played in the Dorr Rebellion. The openly partisan activism of Dorrite women highlights an understudied aspect of antebellum America. Much of the scholarship on women in the antebellum period focuses on abolitionism and connections to other Whig Party reform efforts. The vast majority of women associated with Thomas Dorr, however, were open supporters of the Democratic Party and were not connected with Rhode Island abolitionist societies. In the essay, Chaput highlights the activism of a key group of Dorrite women, including Ann Parlin, Abby Lord and Catharine Williams, who were connected to the suffrage reform movement in Rhode Island from 1842-1845. The essay also highlights the role women played in the Dorr Liberation movement (1844-45). The Dorr Rebellion Project http://library.providence.edu/dorr The Dorr Letters Project http://library.providence.edu:8080/xtf/index.htm

Starches, Sugars and Obesity

The rising prevalence of obesity, not only in adults but also in children and adolescents, is one of the most important public health problems in developed and developing countries. As one possible way to tackle obesity, a great interest has been stimulated in understanding the relationship between different types of dietary carbohydrate and appetite regulation, body weight and body composition. The present article reviews the conclusions from recent reviews and meta-analyses on the effects of different starches and sugars on body weight management and metabolic disturbances, and provides an update of the most recent studies on this topic. From the literature reviewed in this paper, potential beneficial effects of intake of starchy foods, especially those containing slowly-digestible and resistant starches, and potential detrimental effects of high intakes of fructose become apparent. This supports the intake of whole grains, legumes and vegetables, which contain more appropriate sources of carbohydrates associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases, rather than foods rich in sugars, especially in the form of sugar-sweetened beverages

Dr. Erik J. Chaput on Race and the Dorr Rebellion

In this interview, Dr. Erik J. Chaput, co-creator of the Dorr Rebellion Project, discusses the matter of race in relation to the Dorr Rebellion. Particular focus is given to the political beliefs of Thomas Wilson Dorr, his engagement with the abolitionist movement, and the perceptions others had of him. To view this video interview please visit the Dorr Rebellion Project web site’s video gallery: http://library.providence.edu/dps/projects/dorr/video.php