VERMONT ELECTION SERMONS

For 60 years, the best preachers of Vermont gave their best sermons on the day of General Election, which was the name for the first day of the legislative session. These sermons represent a unique opportunity to view the history and character of early Vermont from a religious and social perspective. The custom stopped in 1834, then started again 18 years later for three years, before the practice of a full sermon was abandoned.

The first full study of these sermons is the subject of an essay under construction by Paul Gillies, a lawyer/historian who has previously written and lectured on Vermont legal and judicial history. Paul has spoken at the Homestead lecture series previously, and returns on October 15 to describe the sermons and the ministers who gave them against the backdrop of Vermont's struggle for statehood, through two wars, and the rising social movements of the era, including temperance, abolition of slavery, and the official support of religion.

Jan 27, 2025, 7 to 8 PM

Jan 28, 2025, 7 to 8 PM

Jan 30, 2025, 3:30 PM