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Thomas Wilson Dorr was born in 1805 and died in 1854. He was a U.S. lawyer and political figure. His most significant achievement occurred in 1842 when he drafted a liberal constitution for Rhode Island which was passed by popular referendum. Prior to this only landowners could vote, which was becoming a problem with increasing migration to cities. However, his constitution and the referendum was extralegal and not recognized by the state government.
In 1842, two elections were held in Rhode Island under both Dorr's constitution and the existing state charter. This led to the creation of two rival state governments. The federal government refused to intervene in this affair and armed conflict soon followed. The Dorr Rebellion was quickly crushed and Dorr fled the state.
The old order recognized the need for a new constitution and enacted a new one in 1843 which contained some of Dorr's concepts. In 1844, Dorr returned to Rhode Island and was arrested. He was convicted of treason against the state of Rhode Island. His punishment of solitary confinement and a life of hard labor was widely condemned. He was released in 1845, regained his civil rights in 1851, and pardoned in 1854.
Rhode Island's state government includes Dorr in its list of governors. He has been credited for being a progressive consitutionalist. His legacy is marred, however, by his opposition to Irish immigration.
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