Stephen Luce will speak on Puritans, Pirates, and the Portuguese on Thursday, May 23rd, at 6:30 PM, at the Portsmouth RI Historical Society Museum.
In 1630, Robert Rich, the 2nd Earl of Warwick, together with other prominent English Puritans, claimed the Spanish island of Santa Catalina, re-named it Providence, and started the Providence Island Company. They envisioned this small, isolated island as becoming the ‘Godly and profitable Puritan base of an English empire in Central America.’ However, by 1635, many colonists had turned to pirating by attacking Spanish and Portuguese interests. The story of Providence Island has centered largely around the Providence Island Company, its powerful investors, and the island’s use as a base for pirates. What has been missing are the names and voices of the Portuguese during Providence’s re-conquest from the English, along with Providence’s ties to early New England, including slavery. This presentation seeks to address those forgotten histories.
The museum is at 870 East Main Rd, Portsmouth RI 02871. The second-floor lecture hall is not handicap accessible. The lecture is free to Society members and a $5 donation for non-members. The museum, Old Town Hall, and Southernmost School will be open before the talk, and docents are available to answer your questions.
For more information, go to www.PortsmouthHistorical.org.
