Rhode Island Industry and the First World War
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Newport, RI ??? Is war good for business? It was 100 years ago. Join Morgan Grefe, Executive Director for the Rhode Island Historical Society at the Newport Historical Society on Thursday, May 17, 2018 at 5:30 to present a lecture on Rhode Island???s booming industry during World War I.????
Coming off the turn of the century, Rhode Island was the wealthiest state in the Union thanks to the concentration of industrial power in this tight geographic area. As the aughts wore on, a recession settled in and industrial powerhouses, like Brown & Sharpe got nervous. But on June 28, 1914, with one shot, Archduke Ferdinand was dead, and the world was thrust into war.??
What did that mean for Rhode Island??? Suddenly stagnant business was booming, new industries were created, and increased labor was sought–at a time when able bodied men were needed overseas.??
In this talk we will look at how one company, Brown & Sharpe (once best known for clock and watch making, such as the magnificent tower clock in the Newport Colony House), was shaped by the war, and the role the company played in the conflict.??
We will also explore how the war influenced industry in one city, Woonsocket, RI, examining not only the companies, but also the changing face and language of the workforce.??
??Morgan Grefe is the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Historical Society. She has been at the RIHS for 12 years, serving as the Director of the Goff Center for Education and Public Programs for 6.5 of those.
In the summer of 2011 she took the helm of the RIHS. Her work as a historian focuses on U.S. social, cultural, and public history, with special attention on Rhode Island.
She holds a Ph.D. in American Civilization from Brown and a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in the same.
While Grefe now concentrates on topics relating to Rhode Island???s social and cultural history, as well as the history education crisis in our state and nation, her academic work culminated in a study of historic prison tourism in the United States.
Till it???s Over, Over There: Rhode Island Industry and the First World War will take place at the Newport Historical Society Resource Center, 82 Touro Street, Newport, RI, 02840. To reserve your seat, please RSVP at newporthistory.org or by calling 401-846-0813.
About the Newport Historical Society
Since 1854, the Newport Historical Society has collected and preserved the artifacts, photographs, documents, publications, and genealogical records that relate to the history of Newport County, to make these materials readily available for both research and enjoyment, and to act as a resource center for the education of the public about the history of Newport County, so that knowledge of the past may contribute to a fuller understanding of the present. For more information please visit www.NewportHistory.org.