Rhode Island

The Rhode Island tapestry panel captures the state's pivotal contributions to the Revolution.

The upper-left vignette presents a view of the Rhode Island coastline depicting three major military hospitals established by the French in 1780 - at a Baptist church in Newport, University Hall at the College of Rhode Island (now Brown University), and at a home in Poppasquash Point.

The French Commissioner of War was responsible for procuring all Rochambeau's army would need upon their arrival later in the year, including establishing military hospitals throughout the colony. The arrival of Rochambeau in Rhode Island in summer 1780 was known as the expedition particulière, an army of 5800 soldiers scheduled to land in the colonies that year.

Upon their arrival, approximately ten percent of the French army was sick with scurvy, dysentary, malaria, or cholera. Many French soldiers who died in Rhode Island were buried in unmarked graves in order to conceal the army's reduced manpower to enemy forces.

The Liberty Affair, a significant incident on the Newport harbor in 1769, is depicted at its climax on the upper right corner of the illustration. The Affair began in 1768 when British customs officials seized the sloop Liberty, owned by prominent merchant John Hancock, in Boston. The Liberty was repurposed by the Royal Navy to patrol the Rhode Island coast.

While patrolling the Newport harbor in July 1769, the Liberty's crew seized two Connecticut ships. Newport citizens viewed the Liberty's crew as mercenaries preying on fellow colonists. When Captain Packwood, master of one of the seized vessels, attempted to reclaim his ship, shots were fired, further inflaming tensions. A crowd of Newporters gathered, cut the Liberty's mooring lines, set the ship adrift, and threw all good overboard. The ship was eventually set on fire.

This act of defiance was one of the earliest and most vivid examples of colonial resistance to British maritime authority. The event underscored the willingness of Newport's citizens to take direct action against British enforcement and contributed to the growing revolutionary spirit in Rhode Island and throughout the colonies.

The center vignette highlights the Battle of Rhode Island, a landmark event marked by the collaboration of American and French forces. In 1778, this battle represented one of the earliest instances of military cooperation between the newly formed United States and France, whose support was crucial in the American fight for independence. The French provided much needed naval support and troops, aiding the Continental Army, which lacked sufficient training, supplies, and funding. France's involvement transformed the conflict into a global war, stretching British resources and aiding the American cause.

Featured in the foreground are soldiers of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, composed of African American and Native American soldiers. Facing manpower shortages, Rhode Island authorized the enlistment of enslaved Africans in exchange for their freedom, promising them the same pay, rations, and bounty as white soldiers. This bold decision led to the formation of a diverse and capable fighting force. Above the regiment, Anne-Louis Tousard, a French officer serving with John Sullivan's unit, is depicted running on Quaker Hill. During the battle, Tousard lost his arm in an attempt to capture the British cannon. His expertise later significantly contributed to the establishment of the military academy at West Point.