The Rhode Island Historical Society, the state's oldest and only statewide historical organization, is dedicated to honoring, interpreting and sharing Rhode Island's past to enrich the present and inspire the future. Founded in 1822, the RIHS is an advocate for history as a means to develop empathy and 21st -century skills, using its historical materials and knowledge to explore topics of timeless relevance and public interest. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, it is dedicated to providing high-quality, accessible public programming and educational opportunities for all Rhode Islanders through its four sites: the John Brown House Museum, the Museum of Work & Culture, the Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center and the Aldrich House.
Description
Join the Rhode Island Historical Society on Thursday, January 8th, at 12:30pm for the virtual presentation "How the English Became Americans" from UK-based scholar Malcolm Gaskill.
Gaskill will share the sweeping story of the English experience in America during the first century of colonization. The first wave sought to recreate the English way of life, even to recover a society that was vanishing at home. Yet a variety of factors forced them to innovate and adapt or perish. As later generations acclimated to the wilderness, they evolved into something distinctive from the English lineage. In learning to live in an unforgiving world, they had begun a long and fateful journey toward rebellion and, finally, independence.
Malcolm Gaskill is Emeritus Professor of Early Modern History at the University of East Anglia. He taught history at British universities for nearly thirty years, and developed an interest in witchcraft trials, emotions, and the recovery of historical inner lives on both sides of the Atlantic. He is the author of seven books, including Witchfinders, Between Two Worlds, and the Sunday Times bestseller The Ruin of All Witches, the story of a witch-hunt in colonial Massachusetts, which was shortlisted for the 2022 Wolfson History Prize. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he writes regularly for the London Review of Books, and lives with his family in Cambridge, England.
Date & Time
Thu, Jan 8, 2026 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM