March arrived like a lion in Newport this year—a fitting reminder that the voices of many women in Rhode Island’s history still roar today. This two-part “Voices” series highlights several remarkable, yet lesser-known, women of the American Revolution.
Alas, Not Every Lass was a Patriot
Mary Gould Almy (1735–1808) was born into a wealthy Newport Quaker family whose fortunes reportedly declined due to her father’s extravagant lifestyle. She was the great-granddaughter of one of the first governors of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and maintained Loyalist sympathies during the run-up to the American Revolution.
In 1762, she married Benjamin Almy at Trinity Church in Newport. (She is believed to have been his second wife.) The couple had at least eight children, and Benjamin sympathized with the Patriot cause.
In 1775, the Jahleel Brenton townhouse on Thames Street—located on the Parade grounds, now Washington Square—was confiscated by American patriots. Because of Benjamin’s political leanings, the Almy family took residence there. From 1778 to 1790, Mary operated a boarding house in the mansion while her husband served with the Continental Army.
The boarding house hosted many notable guests, including General George Washington, who stayed for one night on August 17, 1790. Despite her Loyalist sympathies, Mary preserved the silk bed covering where Washington slept.
Mary began a journal in the summer of 1778, during a pivotal moment in Rhode Island’s Revolutionary history. Her entries coincide with the arrival of the French fleet in Newport—an occupation she fervently disliked. Her diary recording this period is now part of the collection of the Redwood Library and Athenaeum.
Portsmouth historian Gloria Schmidt’s blog Portsmouth History Notes and Christian McBurney’s book Spies in Revolutionary Rhode Island offer additional insights. McBurney portrays Almy as hosting a Tory spy ring that passed intelligence about the French occupation of Newport.
If you liked Hamilton on Broadway, meet Angelica Schuyler Church
Angelica Schuyler was born in Albany, New York, in 1756, the eldest daughter of Continental Army General Philip Schuyler and his wife Catherine. Both came from prominent Dutch colonial families. During Angelica’s youth, the Schuyler home hosted many pre-Revolutionary meetings and war councils.
In 1776, she met John Barker Church, a wealthy British-born merchant who supplied arms and materiel to both the American and French armies. Fearing her father’s disapproval, the couple eloped in 1777 and eventually had eight children. They lived between England and America after the war.
By 1780 Angelica was in Newport, where she played the role of social diplomat when French forces arrived under the command of the Comte de Rochambeau. She befriended Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, and moved easily among generals, civic leaders, and soldiers—often smoothing complex conversations and translating correspondence.
She likely resided on Newport’s Historic Hill, near Vernon House at the corner of Clarke and Mary Streets, where Rochambeau established his headquarters.
Angelica’s circle included George Washington, Alexander Hamilton (with whom she shared what some described as “a friendship of unusual ardor”), Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Lafayette. Many of her letters to these figures survive and reveal her wit and intelligence.
Angelica to Thomas Jefferson:
“You and I, my dear sir, have no right to talk of friendship, for we have never quarrelled.”
Angelica to Alexander Hamilton:
“If you had been a woman, I would have made you the leader of our sex.”
Responding to Lafayette’s admiration of American women, Angelica later remarked:
“The American cause would succeed not only because of brave men like Lafayette—but because the women were determined to see it through.”
Block Island-born Patriot: Catharine Littlefield Greene
Catharine “Caty” Littlefield was born into a prominent family on Block Island in 1755. At the time, the island had far more sheep than residents, and wool was its primary export. Her father, John Littlefield, was a merchant, sea captain, and member of the Rhode Island legislature.
At age ten, with her mother seriously ill, Caty and her younger sister were sent to live with their aunt and uncle in East Greenwich. Her uncle, William Greene Jr., later served as Rhode Island’s second governor (1778–1786). Their home hosted many distinguished guests, including Benjamin Franklin and the family’s distant relative Nathanael Greene.
Caty married Nathanael Greene in 1774. Known for her intelligence and lively personality, she managed the family homestead in Coventry while her husband served in the Continental Army. As Greene rose through the ranks following the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Caty frequently traveled—sometimes while pregnant—to visit army encampments and provide morale and companionship to weary troops.
She famously danced with General George Washington for hours at Valley Forge and again at the Middlebrook encampment in New Jersey.
Caty was also in Newport in 1780 and 1781 during Rochambeau’s occupation. Later she moved south after her husband took command of the Continental Army’s southern forces.
Following General Greene’s sudden death from heatstroke in 1786, Caty faced significant debt he had incurred while financing troops during the war. With the young nation lacking a stable treasury, repayment was slow. Eventually, Alexander Hamilton helped secure funds to settle the debt. Caty later married her children’s tutor, Phineas Miller.
In Part II, Meet More Women Who Shaped Rhode Island History
In the next WUN Voices column celebrating Women’s History Month, we’ll learn more about the women spotlighted in the upcoming “Behind the Lines: Unsung Women of the American Revolution” conference, sponsored by The Brigade of the American Revolution, which will take place at the Portsmouth Friends Church. We’ll also explore an interactive way families and history enthusiasts can discover Revolutionary War stories rooted right here in the Ocean State via an innovative new GPS-driven app, www.RI250Quest.com.
Michele Gallagher is an advocate of local businesses, community leaders, and non-profits and is the founder of City-by-the-Sea Communications.