Black Soldiers of Liberty

Estimates have appeared in print for generations that 3,000 to 5,000 Black soldiers served in the American military in the Revolution.

“Bombs Bursting In Air”: Dedication of Butts Hill Fort, August 29, 1923

2000 attend dedication of Butts Hill Fort in August of 1923.

Captain Wallace Attacks Prudence Island

Revolutionary Rhode Island Share this Page Blog Post by Gloria Schmidt Gravestones are reminders of Revolutionary War Activities on Prudence Island Last Saturday I was part of a delegation from […]

Fort Building: Fascines and Gabions

Fascines and Gabions were the building blocks of Revolutionary War fort construction.

Portsmouth, RI – August 10,1778

The Orderly Book for the 1st RI Regiment gives us an idea of what was happening at Butts Hill as the Americans set up camp.

Local enslaved men fought in Revolutionary War

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.

Creative Survival: Africans as Mariners in Colonial Rhode Island

The introduction of African bondage was a transformative experience that lasted over a span of four centuries and shaped the settlement, economic, religious and cultural growth of the Western Hemisphere.

Should They Stay or Should They Go? Rhode Island Black Loyalists after the American Revolution

In late 1779 Newport’s black residents, free or enslaved, faced a predicament: should they stay or should they go? Should they choose freedom but risk an uncertain future under British protection, or should they stay enslaved in wartime Rhode Island?

Rochambeau Statue – Newport Harbor

King’s Park on Newport Harbor is the present location of a statute to General Rochambeau. The statue remains a symbol of the assistance that France rendered to the American colonies during the War for Independence.

The Gaspee

The Battle of Rhode Island – The Gaspee