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About Christian McBurney

Christian McBurney is an independent historian who has authored several books on the American Revolutionary War, including the following four with Rhode Island connections: Dark Voyage: An American Privateer’s War Against Britain’s African Slave Trade (Westholme, 2022); Spies in Revolutionary Rhode Island (History Press, 2014), Kidnapping the Enemy: The Special Operations to Capture Generals Charles Lee and Richard Prescott (Westholme, 2014), and The Rhode Island Campaign: The First French and American Operation of the Revolutionary War (Westholme, 2011). He has also co-authored World War II Rhode Island (History Press, 2017) and Untold Stories of World War II Rhode Island (History Press, 2019), and has authored Machine Guns in Narragansett Bay: The Coast Guard’s War on Rumrunners (History Press, 2023). Christian is the founder, publisher and editor of The Online Review of Rhode Island History (www.smallstatebighistory.com). He has authored a number of articles for the Rhode Island History and Newport History magazines and Pettaquamscutt Historical Society newsletter. For more information on these books and articles, see christianmcburney.com. He resides in the Washington, D.C. area, after being raised in Kingston, R.I., attending South Kingstown High School, and obtaining his undergraduate degree from Brown University. He frequently returns to Rhode Island to give book lectures and visit his family.
Latest Posts | By Christian McBurney
Ann Bates: British Spy Extraordinaire
2 years ago

Ann Bates: British Spy Extraordinaire

The popularity of spies in the Revolutionary War, led by AMC’s TURN cable television series and the bestselling book George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring that Saved the American …
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Rhode Island’s Millionaires in 1892 and How They Made Their Money
2 years ago

Rhode Island’s Millionaires in 1892 and How They Made Their Money

[Note from the Editor: The following list is excerpted from “American Millionaires, The Tribune’s list of all Americans reputed to be worth a million or more,” published by The Tribune …
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The Alexander Sails for California in 1849
2 years ago

The Alexander Sails for California in 1849

In my prior article, “Newporters Catch Gold Fever, Sail to California in 1849,” the story of the Audley Clarke’s voyage to San Francisco was detailed. When Newport mariners heard about …
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Newporters Catch Gold Fever, Sail to California in 1849
2 years ago

Newporters Catch Gold Fever, Sail to California in 1849

Newport never fully recovered as a thriving maritime port following the American Revolutionary War. Its merchants did well in the trade with India and China in the times around 1800. …
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Four Extraordinary Popular American Historians  from Brown University’s Classes of 1978 to 1983
2 years ago

Four Extraordinary Popular American Historians from Brown University’s Classes of 1978 to 1983

One of my favorite hobbies is reading popular and top quality American history books by authors who have deservedly built national reputations. By popular history, I mean the author is …
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Book Review: Meet Me at the Biltmore, 100 Years at Providence’s Most Storied Hotel
2 years ago

Book Review: Meet Me at the Biltmore, 100 Years at Providence’s Most Storied Hotel

There is a recent welcome addition to the library of Rhode Island history books. It is Meet Me at the Biltmore, 100 Years at Providence’s Most Storied Hotel, by …
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Rhode Island’s Whaling Industry, Once Led by Warren
2 years ago

Rhode Island’s Whaling Industry, Once Led by Warren

My last article was on the story behind the recent identification of the remains of the wreck of a vessel off the coast of the Patagonia region in Argentina, which …
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Remains of a Wrecked Whaling Ship from Warren Identified in Argentina
2 years ago

Remains of a Wrecked Whaling Ship from Warren Identified in Argentina

Wooden ribs are found barely exposed from the sand on a beach at low tide in the Patagonia region of Argentina. With the combination of marine archeology, historical research and …
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Rhode Island’s U.S. Senators and Congressmen Who Held Enslaved People
2 years ago

Rhode Island’s U.S. Senators and Congressmen Who Held Enslaved People

The Washington Post, in its January 16, 2022 edition, published a first-of-its-kind database revealing that more than 1,700 United States Senators and Congressmen once held enslaved people at some point …
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Rhode Island’s Four Stages of the American Revolutionary War
3 years ago

Rhode Island’s Four Stages of the American Revolutionary War

Rhode Island’s role in the American Revolutionary War that raged from 1775 to 1783 is wide-ranging and complicated. It is yet another example of how Rhode Island’s history is way …
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