The Invention of Rum: A View from Rhode Island with Jordan B. Smith

On Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 5:30 pm, the John Brown House Museum, a Rhode Island Historical Society museum, will host scholar Jordan B. Smith to present the talk The Invention of Rum: A View From Rhode Island. This engaging lecture will share a new account of how rum was invented, made, sold, and consumed, and how that history connected Rhode Island to other parts of the Atlantic world. Smith will introduce attendees to a commodity that transformed cultures of making and drinking in large part due to its ubiquity and affordability. Moreover, he will illustrate how rum’s emergence as the quintessential Atlantic commodity tied together myriad innovations to inspire a broader reimagining of what commodities were and how they were made. This talk builds on Smith’s 2025 book, The Invention of Rum: Creating the Quintessential Atlantic Commodity.

Jordan B. Smith teaches early American and Atlantic history at Widener University, where he is an associate professor of history and the pre-law advisor. He is the author of The Invention of Rum: Creating the Quintessential Atlantic Commodity (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2025). Jordan received his BA in History from Carleton College and his MA and PhD from Georgetown University. His essays have appeared in Early American Studies, Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, and Commonplace. Smith and his family live in South Philadelphia.

General admission costs $10 per person and $5 for RIHS members. A combo book and admission ticket is available, and a book signing will follow the event. Doors open at 4:30pm for a book signing and reception, where a rum-inspired drink will be available.

Guests can register here.