Dorr Rebellion

Dorr Rebellion
A polemic applauding Democratic support of the Dorrite cause in Rhode Island, 1844
Date 1841–1842 Location Rhode Island Result Charterite victory
Belligerents
Charterites	Dorrites
Commanders and leaders
Samuel Ward King	Thomas Wilson Dorr

The Dorr Rebellion (1841–1842) (also referred to as Dorr's Rebellion, Dorr's War or Dorr War) was an attempt by residents to force broader democracy in the state of Rhode Island. Led by Thomas Wilson Dorr, the movement mobilized his followers to demand changes to the state's electoral rules. Rhode Island was still using its 1663 colonial charter as a constitution, which required land ownership as a qualification to vote. The rebellion established a parallel government alongside the existing chartered government and wrote a new constitution for Rhode Island. Although the rebellion failed, it forced the rewriting of the state constitution to expand voter eligibility.