State historian to present lecture

Crises of 1818 to be subject on Jan. 27

The Litchfield Historical Society is hosting a lecture by the Connecticut state historian Walter Woodward, Jan. 27 at 3 p.m.

Connecticut in 1818 was in many ways similar to Connecticut in 2018: a troubled state that was seeking a new direction. The lecture will highlight the perfect storm of crises — environmental, economic, demographic, religious and political — that converged in the middle of the 1818s.

The outcome forced the state to rethink the ways it had been conducting affairs from the previous two centuries. The comprehensive nature of the problem, and the accidental events that ultimately produced the constitutional transformation offer essential insights for our equally challenging time.

Woodward is the fifth person to hold the position of state historian, which was created in the 1930s in preparation for Connecticut’s 300th anniversary.

The historian is appointed by the trustees of the University of Connecticut and is a faculty member in UConn’s Department of History.

Woodward is a scholar of early American and Atlantic world history, with an emphasis on Connecticut and New England.

His research interests cover a variety of subjects, including witchcraft, alchemy and the history of science, the use of music in early America, and environmental history.

He received a doctoral degree with distinction from the University of Connecticut in 2001. Woodward has served as state historian since 2004.

This lecture is free for members and $5 for nonmembers. Space is limited and registration is required. Payment is required with registration.

To register, call 860-5674501 or email registration@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.

For more information about this or other programs, visit www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.

The Litchfield Historical Society is at 7 South S., Litchfield.

Contributed photo Walt Woodard