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The Hanging of Thomas Mount for Burglary in 1791
4 years ago

The Hanging of Thomas Mount for Burglary in 1791

On May 27, 1791, Thomas Mount, a white man born in New Jersey, was hanged in the small village of Little Rest, now called Kingston, in South Kingstown. What makes …
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List of Executions in Rhode Island, 1670 to 1845
4 years ago

List of Executions in Rhode Island, 1670 to 1845

By  •  Crime

[From the Editor:  The author of this terrific piece has been a great source of assistance for many historians and researchers at the Rhode Island State Archives for decades.  Ken …
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The Numbers Game: The Curious Numbering of Rhode Island’s Civil War Units
4 years ago

The Numbers Game: The Curious Numbering of Rhode Island’s Civil War Units

Firstly, I must confess that math is not my biggest strength. As a student at Coventry High School in the early 2000s, I sat through countless hours of algebra and …
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German U-Boat U-853 Stripped of Some of Its Major Artifacts
4 years ago

German U-Boat U-853 Stripped of Some of Its Major Artifacts

One of the significant stories of World War II emanating from the United States is the sinking of the German U-Boat 853 in Rhode Island waters on May 5, 1945, …
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The Founders of Brown & Sharpe and Gorham Manufacturing Companies
4 years ago

The Founders of Brown & Sharpe and Gorham Manufacturing Companies

Two of Rhode Island’s greatest companies in its history are Brown & Sharpe and the Gorham Manufacturing Company.  Each company showed remarkable innovation, produced incredible products, employed thousands of Rhode …
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Three Rhode Island History Books for Your Consideration
4 years ago

Three Rhode Island History Books for Your Consideration

Rhode Island history books keep flying off the presses!  This is not surprising, given the tremendously impressive and diverse history of Rhode Island.  It may be the smallest state, but …
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Were There Slaves Living on College Hill for Twenty Years?
4 years ago

Were There Slaves Living on College Hill for Twenty Years?

This is the story of the Reverend James Manning, Brown’s first president, his wife Margaret, and Lewis Manning, his slave. The manumission of Lewis Manning in 1784 is important for …
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Rhode Island’s Road to Rebellion Against Great Britain, 1764-1775
4 years ago

Rhode Island’s Road to Rebellion Against Great Britain, 1764-1775

In the afternoon of June 9, 1772, the sloop Hannah, a Providence packet commanded by Capt. Benjamin Lindsey, sailed forth from Newport up Narragansett Bay toward its home port. Very …
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Rediscovering Pawtucket’s Red Pollard
4 years ago

Rediscovering Pawtucket’s Red Pollard

In 2003, a dramatic movie about a Depression-era race horse and his oversized jockey became a top box office film hit.  This story of hope and perseverance was woven into …
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Long Buried and Forgotten: Finding Traces of Slavery in Rhode Island
4 years ago

Long Buried and Forgotten: Finding Traces of Slavery in Rhode Island

The opening page of Rhode Island blacksmith “Nailer Tom” Hazard’s diary includes an entry for June 21, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. At the time, the British occupied Newport. Hazard records …
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