Curators of revolutionary history in Newport, R.I., are working to bring the state’s fight for independence to life through immersive exhibits, special tours, and programs.
The Newport Historical Society’s exhibit, “Newport 1775: Whose Side Are You On?,” transports people to Colonial Newport and challenges them to choose a side: Patriots or Loyalists?
Many of the town’s inhabitants fled as more than 7,000 British and Hessian troops took control of the booming port city during the Revolutionary War. The British occupation decimated the town, where the population fell from around 9,000 to about 4,500.
According to the Newport Historical Society, “Newport 1775″ shows visitors how uncertainty spread, information traveled, and opinions shaped life during the Revolution.
The state has also upgraded its segment of the 680-mile Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route from Newport to Yorktown, Va., that traces the path of General George Washington and French Lieutenant Comte Jean de Rochambeau.
Rebecca Bertrand, executive director of the Newport Historical Society, and Johnny Carawan, trail administrator for the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route, discussed upcoming plans to celebrate the country’s milestone anniversary.
Q: How does “Newport 1775″ tell the story of Revolutionary-era Newport?
Bertrand: The British occupied Newport from 1776 to 1779, and that really was a time of challenge for the town ... I think so many people focus on the broad, overarching stories of the American Revolution. What we tell in our interpretation of the stories from the Revolutionary War are the individual choices people were making. And it really was a town divided. From one door to the next, your neighbor could be on the other side of the debate. It was a big time of crisis for the city. We were blockaded, we were on an island, and a lot of what was happening was an economic crisis that was putting Newport in dismay.
Q: For those who remained in Newport, was loyalty during the occupation about safety or money?
Bertrand: I think it’s both. There’s certainly shots fired from cannons from boats right over your head. But then there’s also seeing soldiers walking down your streets. That’s not something that is making anyone feel safe.
Q: What can people see in Newport today that tells the story of the Revolutionary War?
Carawan: There’s still the presence of the historic structures that the Newport Historical Society maintains that gives you that sense of canvas from the 1700s, so that when you come there, you can almost see the same sight that Washington or Rochambeau saw.
What was Newport’s role in the war?
Carawan: You can definitely go down a rabbit hole. But Newport is the beginning of the end of the American Revolution. That’s one of the most mind-blowing things about the [Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route] trail. This is where the French arrived. And if it weren’t for the French, we’d probably have British accents.
Q: Why were Americans so wary about welcoming the French, despite the poor shape of the Continental Army?
Carawan: We were battling France just years before [in the French and Indian War]. So people are like, ‘Oh my God, the enemy’s coming again.’ It took Rochambeau doing a little bit of relationship building. When the French arrived in Newport, everybody was closing their shutters and locking up.
Q: How does the Washington-Rochambeau Route depict the story of soldiers, once looked down upon before the Revolution?
Carawan: It was like you’re the lowest level of society kind of thing. [The soldiers] just weren’t respected. It wasn’t until the Siege of Yorktown — the victory at Yorktown — that was a pivotal moment in American history. The troops marched out from Yorktown victorious. That was the last major land battle of the American Revolution. They were greeted with people cheering in the streets. There were balls thrown, parties. ... The soldiers were being celebrated, and they were looked at differently. One of the talking points I like to use in talking about the [Washington-Rochambeau] trail is that it’s one thing to declare freedom or independence, it’s another thing to go out and win it. That’s why you see our allies coming together. France came here and helped America. American troops were in rags. A lot of them didn’t have shoes. They had been wintering in really bad conditions. A French general said when they arrived, this was a suicide mission.
Q: Why are hands-on volunteer projects important for keeping the history of Newport alive?
Carwan: I received special funding through the National Park Service to do a volunteer event as part of a commemorative series. One thing that we found through research is that when youth and families are invited to do a volunteer project or they have hands-on immersive projects, they tend to be connected to that throughout their whole life. I try to tell people, “What you do here today, you can come back with your great-grandchildren and see the work you did." I call it “America 250, the next 50.”
Bertrand: We run walking tours through the historical neighborhoods where there are hundreds of spaces in Newport that were witnesses to the American Revolution. We love to take visitors through these sites and the same paths that people were walking in the 18th century. It’s an opportunity to teach people the Revolution from the ground.
Carlos Muñoz can be reached at carlos.munoz@globe.com. Follow him @ReadCarlos and on Instagram @Carlosbrknews.