Premiere of Documentary Film: "1778: Battle of Rhode Island" and Christian McBurney Lecture
Thursday, July 16th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM
The 18-minute long documentary traces Rhode Island’s path from a colony anchored by the bustling seaport of Newport and the communities around Narragansett Bay to a society transformed by the American Revolution. Beginning before the British occupation, it highlights a thriving Newport and Narragansett Bay, where intense Atlantic trade collides with rising tensions with the Crown. As British troops seize Newport and Aquidneck Island, the story moves into years of occupation and upheaval—fortified streets, divided neighbors, and the 1778 Battle of Rhode Island that brings the war directly to Aquidneck Island. Featured are the contributions of the First Rhode Island (Black) Regiment, a unique Continental regiment of formerly enslaved men who gained their freedom by enlisting, and bravely fighting, for the duration of the war. This battle marked the first engagement of the American and French alliance, which was key to the Revolution's victory.
The Col. Burton C. Quist Lecture Series: Christian McBurney: Causes of the American Revolution
Christian McBurney will present "Causes of the American Revolution: Why did the thirteen colonies declare their independence 250 years ago?" Yes, “no taxation without representation” was a real thing, but there was much more too. This talk is intended to address the underlying causes of the American Revolution by looking at political, economic, social, demographic, geographical, immigration, racial, and ideological factors. Christian McBurney is the author of eleven books, six on the American Revolutionary War and nine on Rhode Island (four are on both). His next book will be on Rhode Island's "Black Regiment." He is also the editor and publisher of a leading Rhode Island history blog at smallstatebighistory.com. Christian resides with his wife near Bethesda, Maryland, and they have a second home in West Kingston, Rhode Island.
This talk is our 4th Annual under the banner of “The Col. Burton C. Quist Lecture Series”, in memory of our late founding Director, friend, and mentor who passed away in January, 2023.
