The Newport Historical Society (NHS) announced today that a new exhibition, Newport 1775: Whose Side Are You On? will open on Thursday, May 15, as part of a two-year celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence. The exhibition will be open to the public free of charge, thanks to the support of the Maya L. Auchincloss Revocable Living Trust, with additional support from Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Evans.
On display at the Richard I. Burnham Resource Center through December 2025, Newport 1775 will explore the choices of ordinary people in Newport and how they shaped history.
“Newport 1775: Whose Side Are You On? doesn’t just retell an important chapter of American history; it invites the community to experience and understand it on a deeper, more personal level,” said Rebecca Bertrand, executive director of the NHS. “Centered around the stories of real people who lived in colonial Newport, this interactive exhibition is one of many upcoming programs that illustrates the outsized role that our city played in the American Revolution. We invite everyone to join us this year and next to learn this shared history and celebrate the revolutionary spirit that is still a part of Newport’s identity today.”
Visitors will be asked to choose a side upon entry – Patriot or Loyalist – and examine that choice as they interact with the exhibition, which includes a 17th century Franklin printing press and a touch-screen display with copies of the Newport Mercury, an early American colonial newspaper that helped inform public opinion at that time.
The exhibition was curated by historian and author Donald Johnson, an associate professor of history at North Dakota State University, whose first book, “Occupied America: British Military Rule and the Experience of Revolution,” argues that the everyday abuses and hardships of military occupation doomed attempts by British soldiers and statesmen to re-incorporate the colonies into the Empire.
“Many of us grew up with stories of the American Revolution starring larger-than-life figures like George Washington or Benedict Arnold, but the experiences and decisions of ordinary people also played a critical role in the founding of the United States,” said Johnson. “It has been a privilege to work with the NHS to create this exhibition, and I hope it will spark conversation and inspire people to learn more as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence.”
On Thursday, May 22, Johnson will host a Tavern Talk that corresponds with the exhibition. The lecture begins at 6:30 p.m., with a reception at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase on the NHS website.
The NHS is also grateful to the Rhode Island Society of the Sons of the Revolution, the Rhode Island Society of the Order of the Founders & Patriots of America, the Rhode Island Society of the Society of Cincinnati, and the General Society of Colonial Wars – Rhode Island Chapter for their contributions to the exhibition.
For more information on Newport’s semiquincentennial celebrations, visit www.NewportHistory.org/250