The Newport Historical Society has received a $245,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to rehouse, catalog and digitize 2,000 documents from its 18th and 19th century collections.
The award comes through the NEH’s “Rediscovering Our Revolutionary Tradition” initiative, and the society is one of two Rhode Island recipients. The project, called Newport’s Archives of the American Revolution, is already underway.
“Every document we digitize presents an opportunity for us to preserve Newport’s history locally and simultaneously open it up to the world,” said Executive Director Rebecca Bertrand.
The money pays for a scanner and an AI-powered tool that converts handwritten and printed documents into readable digital text, along with two additional years of remote research support for people who can’t visit in person.
Sen. Jack Reed, who sits on the Appropriations Committee and works annually to fund the NEH, said the project would help researchers and general readers understand everyday life, commerce and culture in Revolutionary-era Newport. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Rep. Gabe Amo also praised the award, with Amo tying it to the nation’s 250th anniversary and Rhode Island’s part in the Revolution.
