Rhode Island's Revolutionary Communities

In 1772, Rhode Island burned the British ship the HMS Gaspee. This was the first act of aggression against the British in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War. 

The Gaspee Affair wasn't the only time Rhode Island was first to take action. 

The Act of Renunciation, passed on May 4, 1776, officially repealed Rhode Island Colony's allegiance to King George III and revoked the "Oath of Allegiance" mandated in 1756. 

Members of the assembly no longer said "God Save the King" or took their oaths under his authority.

Rhode Island was again first. Passage of this Act preceded the Declaration of Independence by two months and solidified Rhode Island's stance against British Rule. 

The Declaration of Independence was first printed in the Philadelphia print shop of John Dunlap on the evening of July 4, 1776.

Following the arrival of the Dunlap Broadside, on July 12, 1776, Solomon Southwick, printer for the Newport Mercury, received payment for producing 29 copies for the towns of Rhode Island.

On July 6, 1776, a copy was forwarded to Governor Nicholas Cooke of Rhode Island. 

In response to the fear of varying loyalties throughout the colonies', Rhode Island passed a loyalty oath, or Test Act, in 1776 which required men to declare their loyalty to the colony and willingness to aid in the colonies defense.

Suspected Persons records preserved at the RI State Archives document the investigation of individuals suspected of aiding the enemy or of activities considered unfriendly to the united colonies. 

Privateering encompassed two levels of participation. A Letter of Marque authorized armed merchant ships to challenge any likely enemy vessel that crossed its path during the course of a commercial voyage. 

A Privateer Commission was issued to vessels, called privateers or cruisers, whose primary objective was to disrupt enemy shipping. The ideal target was an unarmed, or lightly armed, commercial ship.

This list of Rhode Island Privateers contains information on each vessel and its capabilities, or, in the case of a capture of another ship, the name and date of capture, and any information about the commandeer and type of vessel. 

The First RI Regiment, 1781-1783, is widely known as “The First Black Regiment” after its creation at the request of General James Varnum. 

With recruitment low and the Revolution ramping up, Varnum requested permission from General George Washington to recruit African American men to form a new regiment. Washington did not object, and Varnum began recruiting in the spring of 1778. 

This record book of the Regiment, provides descriptive records of 585 recruits who served, including date enlisted, age, height, occupation, nativity, residence, hair color, complexion, &  length of service. It includes Black men, Indigenous men, and later, white men.