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American Revolution and Revolutionary War

A Revolutionary War Marriage Abandoned: Andrew Bruce and Henrietta Overing
8 years ago

A Revolutionary War Marriage Abandoned: Andrew Bruce and Henrietta Overing

A chapter in Henrietta Overing Auchmuty’s life has been overlooked by history. Perhaps she would’ve wanted it that way, for it is a story of romance turned into heartbreak …
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Maritime Skirmishes in Narragansett Bay, 1763-1769
8 years ago

Maritime Skirmishes in Narragansett Bay, 1763-1769

As a British colony located on the Atlantic Ocean, Rhode Island’s wealth grew by utilizing the ocean’s vast resources. Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay is roughly two hundred and fifty square …
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Three Recent Historical Novels with Revolutionary (and Slave-Holding) Rhode Island as the Backdrop
8 years ago

Three Recent Historical Novels with Revolutionary (and Slave-Holding) Rhode Island as the Backdrop

This is the third article in a row providing book reviews of recent Rhode Island history books. Surprisingly, each of the three books here is a historical novel that …
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Rhode Island Militia Battles the Dreaded British Captain James Wallace on Prudence Island
8 years ago

Rhode Island Militia Battles the Dreaded British Captain James Wallace on Prudence Island

The American Revolution was fought from Maine to Illinois, hundreds of military encounters occurring in what eventually became the United States of America. Among those events were two skirmishes on …
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Middletown Historical Society Produces Study of the August 1778 Siege of Newport
9 years ago

Middletown Historical Society Produces Study of the August 1778 Siege of Newport

[From the Editor: In December 2016, the Middletown Historical Society published a 364-page report for the National Park Service, “The Siege of British Forces in Newport County by Colonial and …
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From Slaves to Soldiers Book Review by Christian McBurney
9 years ago

From Slaves to Soldiers
Book Review by Christian McBurney

From Slaves to Soldiers: The 1st Rhode Island Regiment in the American Revolution, by Robert Geake (Westholme, 2016)

Author Robert A. Geake, an established author of early Rhode Island history …
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British and Hessian Forces Occupy Newport and Aquidneck Island in 1776
9 years ago

British and Hessian Forces Occupy Newport and Aquidneck Island in 1776

Just more than two hundred and forty years ago, British, Hessian and Loyalist forces landed and occupied Aquidneck Island, beginning a nearly three-year occupation with devastating consequences for Newport and …
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“Citizen” James Varnum and His Fight for the Veterans of the Revolutionary War
9 years ago

“Citizen” James Varnum and His Fight for the Veterans of the Revolutionary War

In the glory of victory, within the early histories of the American republic, only a handful of heroes were chosen for public adulation and heroic mention. One of these heroes …
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July 19, the Real Rhode Island Independence Day
10 years ago

July 19, the Real Rhode Island Independence Day

From 1974 to mid-1977 when I served as volunteer chairman of the Rhode Island commission to celebrate American independence (ri 76) one thorny issue involved the correction of the long-held …
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Building the Replicas of Revolutionary War Ships Rose and Providence
10 years ago

Building the Replicas of Revolutionary War Ships Rose and Providence

Here is a brief account of the historical significance of the warships Rose and Providence during the Revolutionary War. Late in 1774, the British sent the 24-gun frigate Rose, under …
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