19th century protest movement topic of next Pathways to Knowledge Lecture

19th century protest movement topic of next Pathways to Knowledge LectureNovember 04, 2001Judy Holmesjlholmes@syr.edu

“Unalienable Rights Denied? Opposition to U.S. Territorial Government in Orleans Territory, 1803-1809” will be presented during the next Pathways to Knowledge Lecture Series at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 27 in the College of Law Grant Auditorium. The lecture will be presented by history Ph.D. candidate Julien Vernet and is open to the University community.

The Louisiana Territory, purchased by the United States in 1803, was inhabited by French, Spanish and American settlers. The residents expected to become U.S. citizens in a new state. However, the system of government designed by Thomas Jefferson for the territory resembled a royal colony that denied settlers representation in the territorial government. The bill also included a clause that prohibited settlers from importing slaves. Planters and merchants considered this an attack on their property rights.

The settlers organized a protest against the territorial government and demanded immediate statehood. Vernet’s research focuses on an exploration of the leadership and goals of the protest movement.

Sponsored by Syracuse University’s Department of Science Teaching in The College of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School, the Pathways to Knowledge lecture series is designed to broaden the academic horizons of undergraduate students by inviting Syracuse University Ph.D. candidates to share their research.