Sean Gray ’21, publishes two articles through the Rhode Island Historical Society’s online textbook, EnCompass.
Sean Gray ’21, a History major with a minor in Spanish and Philosophy had two articles published through the Rhode Island Historical Society’s online textbook, EnCompass. Sean’s articles, Governor Joseph Wanton and the Controversial Commission and Aaron Briggs: Willing Participant or Weary Prisoner? , explore the history of events leading up to the American Revolution and delivers insight of Rhode Island’s colonial history.
“I wrote about Rhode Island’s political climate before the American Revolution, exploring how the destruction of a British ship just outside of Providence in 1772 reshaped colonial politics. While Joseph Wanton, the colony’s wealthy governor, struggled to ease tensions between royal officials and rowdy colonists, an enslaved Black teen named Aaron Briggs tried to use the ship’s destruction as a means to attaining his own freedom. These contrasting narratives illustrate the idea that the American Revolution was a complex event that meant different things to different people.”
Sean interned with the Rhode Island Historical Society in the summer of 2018. Learn more about Sean’s internship experience and key takeaways that made his internship valuable on our Spotlight on PC History Interns webpage. Learn more about internships opportunities here. Congratulations on your publications, Sean!
