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Brotherly Love
Murder and the Politics of Prejudice in Nineteenth-Century Rhode Island
Named an Outstanding Book on the subject of human rights in North America by the Gustavus Myers Center
Crime and punishment in nineteenth-century New England
On New Year's Eve in 1843, Rhode Island textile manufacturer Amasa Sprague was shot and beaten to death. Within two days, three Irish immigrant brothers—Nicholas, John, and William Gordon—were arrested and charged with murder. All three were eventually brought to trial.
Brotherly Love is a graphic reconstruction of the crime, its social and economic background, and the subsequent trials. The story reveals the antagonism between native-born Yankees, who commanded great power, and the growing number of Irish Catholic immigrants, most of whom worked in the textile mills. Indeed, the economic, political, and religious dimensions of the conflict are all evident in the trials.
The authors argue persuasively that the Gordons were victims of bigotry and circumstantial evidence, serving as convenient scapegoats to appease a community outraged over the murder of its wealthiest citizen. In telling the story of this notorious case, Brotherly Love reveals the politics of prejudice in nineteenth-century New England as played out in community and courtroom.
"An intriguing account of a New England rush to judgment in the Jacksonian
Era. . . . Well-researched local history on a still timely issue: the effect of class and ethnicity on criminal justice."
Kirkus Reviews
"This volume is an excellent courtroom drama. No book conveys more clearly the limits of eyewitness testimony and nineteenth-century forensics."
American Historical Review
"The Hoffmanns do a superb job of showing how Thomas Dorr's unsuccessful rebellion in 1842 against Rhode Island's government intensified prejudice against the Irish, who supported his campaign for democratic reforms. . . . Brotherly Love is a solidly researched and very readable monograph, suitable for student use in courses exploring political conflict, ethnic tension, and industrial development in antebellum New England."
Journal of American History
Charles Hoffmann is emeritus professor of English at the University of Rhode Island.
The late Tess Hoffmann was professor of English at Rhode Island College.
American History / Legal Studies
208 pp., 7 illustrations
LC 93-9959
$35.00s cloth, ISBN 0-87023-852-3
$22.95t paper, ISBN 1-55849-163-5
1998
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