Inside the Archives Continues with Virtual Talk by Gabriel Loiacono
Explore Early Welfare in the U.S. with Stories of Five Rhode Islanders
RIHS Inside the Archives: How Welfare Worked in the Early United States with Gabe Loiacono [FREE VIRTUAL PROGRAM]
Thursday, February 24th, 7pm
(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) – The Rhode Island Historical Society continues its free Inside the Archives series Thursday, February 24th at 7pm with a virtual talk featuring Associate Professor of History Gabe Loiacono speaking about his work, How Welfare Worked in the Early United States: Five Microhistories.
How Welfare Worked in the Early United States explores the establishment of poor relief systems in early America by tracing the lives of five Rhode Islanders who operated or benefitted from those programs. Loiacono will discuss his research methods, the challenges of locating records of the poorest Americans, and how the RIHS archives helped him complete his work during a pandemic.
Registration is available at
How Welfare Worked in the Early United States is available for purchase through Oxford University Press. Individuals will receive 30% off of their purchase of the book with the code ASFLYQ6.
Loiacono is currently an Associate Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. As a graduate student at Brandeis University, he was surprised to learn about poor relief in early America. That story brought him to the Rhode Island Historical Society more times than he could count. With the help of several archivists there, he learned how to find and interpret old records. His recently published book How Welfare Worked in the Early United States: Five Microhistories, is based in good part on that research.
About the Rhode Island Historical Society
The Rhode Island Historical Society, the state’s oldest and only state-wide 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.
The headquarters of the Rhode Island Historical Society are located at 110 Benevolent Street, Providence, RI 02906. Information: (401) 331-8575. Website: rihs.org
Follow the RIHS on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.