What role did Rhode Island play in the Revolutionary Era? In 1763 at the end of the French and Indian War, Great Britain took control of a vastly expanded North American empire and turned its attention to more efficient control of that empire. The resulting period of expanded British control and colonial resistance led to the Revolutionary War and then to the formation of the United States of America.

In this class we will discuss conditions in Rhode Island contributing to revolution, conditions contributing to British loyalty, the economy in Rhode Island with consideration of the slave trade, the British occupation of Newport and the Battle of Rhode Island, contributions of Rhode Islanders such as Nathanael Greene, Esek Hopkins, and others to the War effort, Rhode Island’s role in the Declaration of Independence, and Rhode Island’s boycott of the Constitutional Convention and late entry as the thirteenth state.

Format: Collaborative model with participants expected to select a topic and (1) prepare a presentation and (2) lead a discussion on the topic. Class members are expected to prepare for class by reading the pre-class material identified in the class schedule and other material recommended by the individual session leaders.

Resources/Expenses: Required text: The Fire’s Center: Rhode Island in the Revolutionary Era, 1763-1790 by Florence Parker Simister, 1979.
NOTE: A handful of copies of the book are available for purchase on Amazon and other sites for $20 and up, but there are 41 copies available for loan, around the state, in the Ocean State Libraries system.