Every issue of our Rhode Island History journal contains articles about our state’s past that inform us about often overlooked characters, places and movements from the past. The lessons below use excerpts from the journal to to guide students through topics such as labor strikes, the Dorr Rebellion, and Slavery.
Unit Plans
How Narragansett Bay Shaped Rhode Island
Activities for your classes based on the role that Narragansett Bay has played in creating the Rhode Island in which we now live.
Cato Pearce 1790 Census
Using the 1790 Census to Document Slavery in Rhode Island.
They Didn't Shut Up: Women Labor Organizers
Al Sisti, a retired steelworker, reminisces about Anne Burlak, a union activist.
Building the College Edifice
Slave Labor at the College Edifice: Building Brown University’s University Hall in 1770, provides a fascinating glimpse into labor and business practices in Rhode Island just before the American Revolution.
A Call to Arms
Thomas Wilson Dorr’s Forceful Effort to Implement the People’s Constitution.
The Dorriad
Students analyze a poem for further exploration of the Dorr Rebellion