Delete comment from: Boston 1775

J. L. Bell said...

Yes, the eighteenth-century reading of the term “naked” is ambiguous, but I didn’t want to go into that. However much or little Russell was wearing, it was enough (or not enough) to get him expelled.

In 1790, Harvard adopted clothing guidelines for each class and required students to dress in a recognizable way on or off campus. The previous set of college laws had mandated such clothing only for commencement. Perhaps Russell’s escapade had something to do with that.

Sep 25, 2019, 7:02:27 PM

Posted to “Signally marked by idleness dissipation & intemperance”