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Adult Guardianship and Local Politics in Rhode Island, 1750–1800

In: Standard of Living

Author

Listed:
  • Ruth Wallis Herndon

    (Bowling Green State University)

  • Amílcar E. Challú

    (Bowling Green State University)

Abstract

This essay asks two main questions. (1) How did Rhode Island town leaders use adult guardianship during the turmoil of the Revolutionary Era? (2) What factors explain each town’s use of adult guardianships? Every town elected six councilmen each year to take care of local problems; these leaders had authority to enact discretionary guardianships to restrain and protect propertied adults whose behavior had caused complaint. Our analysis of data from 14 Rhode Island towns shows that town councilmen overall increased their use of adult guardianships significantly between 1750 and 1800. Guardianships declined during the height of warfare (1775–1781) but increased significantly after the war. Hopkinton showed the greatest use of this legal process and Providence the lowest. We found no significant correlation between a town’s use of adult guardianship and that same town’s population, wealth, or geographic region. The common factor appears to be the stress and disorder of the era. We investigated Hopkinton more closely and found that the town councilmen in this newest Rhode Island town put adults under guardianship in heavy-handed ways, especially in the 1780s and 1790s, often bypassing less intrusive and punitive solutions. The Hopkinton councilmen, we conclude, went to an extreme in using adult guardianship, but their actions were part of a widespread effort by Rhode Island town leaders to restore order in their communities after the Revolutionary War.

Suggested Citation

  • Ruth Wallis Herndon & Amílcar E. Challú, 2022. "Adult Guardianship and Local Politics in Rhode Island, 1750–1800," Studies in Economic History, in: Patrick Gray & Joshua Hall & Ruth Wallis Herndon & Javier Silvestre (ed.), Standard of Living, chapter 0, pages 185-209, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:stechp:978-3-031-06477-7_9
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-06477-7_9
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