Becoming Maine - a talk with Liam Riordan

This program was recorded on October 22, 2020. How did Maine become a state? This illustrated presentation explores the long statehood process in Maine that culminated in 1820 with separation from Massachusetts. That struggle engaged a range of challenging public issues that are still recognizable today. Four broad themes that bridge 200 years in telling ways include: the “two Maines” and sharp partisan conflict, the explosive place of slavery vis-a-vis the Maine-Missouri Crisis, Wabanaki sovereignty, the uncertain location and meaning of the international border.