A firsthand view of an 1845 political clash between Rhode Island and Maine.
This volume presents the Rhode Island General Assembly’s resolutions in reply to Maine’s actions, along with extracts from Supreme Court opinions that framed treason, indictments, and state sovereignty during a turbulent period of American history.
The text offers a window into how lawmakers debated federal and state powers, the role of the judiciary, and the rights of citizens amid political upheaval. It combines official resolutions with legal commentary, anchored in the events surrounding Thomas W. Dorr and the state’s reaction to Maine’s stance.
- Official resolutions that articulate Rhode Island’s constitutional safeguards and inter-state concerns.
- Extracts from court opinions on indictments, treason, and the powers of the state’s sovereign authority.
- Historical context for 1840s debates about government structure, legality, and civil rights.
- Primary-source language that reflects the tone and reasoning of lawmakers and judges of the era.
Ideal for readers of 19th-century American history, legal history, and primary-source government documents seeking a grounded view of state-versus-state tensions in the early republic.