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Introduction
After his failed bid for Congress in August 1837, Dorr's connection to the abolitionist movement grew stronger. In December of that year, James Birney (1792-1857), the corresponding secretary of the American Anti-Slavery Society, wrote to Dorr to extend an offer to become an agent of the society. Although Dorr declined the offer, he did not do so out of fear of "personal consequences." Being a paid lecturer for the American Anti-Slavery Society was risky business, as evidenced in July 1837 when the prominent abolitionist printer Elijah Lovejoy was killed by a shotgun blast to the chest by an angry pro-slavery mob. Dorr believed he could better serve the organization by leading antislavery efforts in Rhode Island. Dorr would go on to serve on the executive committee of the Rhode Island Anti-Slavery Society.