On Monday, November 13, URI Professor Emeritus Maury Klein, a nationally-noted author and historian, will take us through the events preceding the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln. The president’s arrival in the White House marked the climax of a decade-long struggle that threatened to tear the nation apart, setting in motion a chain of events that led to the outbreak of the U.S. Civil War in 1861. His talk will be taken from aspects of his 1997 book “Days of Defiance: Secession, Slavery and the Civil War.” Dr. Klein will look at the reasons why this most disastrous of outcomes was not and perhaps could not have been avoided.
Tennessee native Maury Klein earned his B.A. degree from Knox College in 1960 and his MA and PhD from Emory University. He joined the University of Rhode Island faculty in 1964 and remained there until his retirement in 2008. He was named a full professor of history in 1973. Dr. Klein states that, once deciding on a teaching career, he majored in history because it gave him the most freedom of subject matter in the classroom. Dr. Klein is the author of 18 books, articles in numerous magazines and scholarly journals, and contributions to blogs on a wide variety of subjects in American history. His published works range from military history to American business and the rail-road industry. Among his many awards is an Emmy for Best Writing for a Documentary entitled “Railroad Man: The Life and Legend of Jay Gould.” In 2011 he was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame.
As always, your guests are welcome. Come early and see some of the new U.S. Civil War artifacts exhibited at the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum.
Reservations must be received by 5:00 pm Friday, November 10. Call Scott Seaback at 401-413-6277 or email him at scott@ritemps.com.
TIME: 5:30 pm (social hour); 6:30 pm (dinner followed by program)
MENU: Traditional turkey dinner, dessert and coffee.
LOCATION: Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, 6 Main St, East Greenwich, RI, 02818.
FEE: $20/person including dinner
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