Lafayette Stayed Here!

Reynolds House, Bristol

Lafayette’s stay in Rhode Island during the Siege of Newport and the Battle of Rhode Island was just the first time the general came to the state.

The Battle of Rhode Island

Battle of RI 2003 reenactment

This overview of the Battle of Rhode Island argues that the battle is important to us because it was fought here.

Local enslaved men fought in Revolutionary War

Notice in Providence Gazette

For centuries, many towns failed to acknowledge the contributions of Black soldiers in the War of Independence. Only in 2021 were Jamestown slaves first identified by public historian Peter Fay and honored by the town. They had been sold to the rebel government and promised their freedom for serving.