How New Bedford Shamed a 25-Year-Old Into Robert’s Rules of Order

There's a painting hanging in Cultivator Shoals in New Bedford that has caught my eye for the past year or two. It's a painting of Captain Henry M. Robert, a historical figure here that changed the way municipal governments operate across America.

Who Was Captain Henry M. Robert?

The Civil War was raging in 1863, and Robert was only 25 years old at the time. He was an engineer for the Army and was recovering from a tropical illness here in New Bedford.

Somehow, because his engineering background gave him a reputation for being a problem solver, Robert got roped into moderating a debate about how New Bedford Harbor should be defended.

The New Bedford Meeting That Went Off the Rails

A large crowd descended upon the First Baptist Church on William Street, one block away from New Bedford City Hall. One thing led to another, and the crowd became unruly, embarrassing the young engineer for his failure to keep order.

READ MORE: New Bedford City Councilor Shouted Down by Angry Crowd

He vowed to himself to never let that happen again.

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How Did Robert's Rules of Order Begin?

Henry Robert went on a mission to come up with a set of rules that would keep meetings on track, minimizing vitriol, which only throws the topic at hand off track.

Robert drew from organizations like England's Parliament, churches, boards, and other organizations. One important distinction Robert made was taking special care to acknowledge that what might be offensive to one group of people in a certain part of the world might be completely acceptable in another location.

Robert's Rules of Order were born, and they are still used to this day to conduct political business in places like the New Bedford City Council meetings, held just a stone's throw away from the birthplace of the decorum – a building which still stands, but now operates as a theater known as the Steeple Playhouse.