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.

Rochambeau Statue – Newport Harbor

Statue of Rochambeau in Newport, Rhode Island

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 Burning of the Gaspee by Charles DeWolf Brownell

The Battle of Rhode Island – The Gaspee

Protest Events

Plaque for Fort George on Goat Island, explaining the attack on the St. John in 1764

By 1750 Newport, Rhode Island was the fifth largest city in the British North American colonies, and the third busiest port.

Newport

Reenactment Actors march alongside a British Officer

Newport was the fifth largest city in the colonies with a population of about 9500 and the third busiest port.

Departure

General Washington in Newport. New Materials for the History of the American Revolution by J. Durant. Henry Holt, New York, 1889.

On March 6, 1781, General Washington visited Count de Rochambeau to consult with him concerning the operation of the troops under his command.