S2E4 - Independence

1683 - 1723 | Throughout the late 17th and early 18th century, Rhode Island pirates contributed heavily to the Golden Age of Piracy and became such a nuisance that they almost got the colony's charter revoked.My Favorite Books on this Topic:Black Flag, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates by Eric Jay DolinPirates of Colonial Newport by Gloria Merchant*Map image from Rhode Island Boundaries by John H Cady.To learn more about this episode go to The Story of Rhode Island website

1784 - 1860 | With early abolitionists attempting to end Rhode Island's connection with slavery, the state's merchants and industrial leaders continue to find ways to profit off of the business of slavery right up until the Civil War.My Favorite Books on this Topic:Dark Work: The Business of Slavery in Rhode Island by Christy Clark-PujaraSons of Providence: The Brown Brothers, the Slave Trade, and the American Revolution by Charles RappleyeJames DeWolf and the Rhode Island Slave Trade by Cynthia Mestad Johnson*Map image from Rhode Island Boundaries by John H Cady.To learn more about this episode go to The Story of Rhode Island website

1638 - 1775 | From almost the moment Rhode Island was founded, indigenous war captives worked for the colony's earliest settlers without pay.  Then, in the 18th century, Rhode Island's relationship with slavery deepened when it began playing a dominant role in the American slave trade. My Favorite Books on this Topic:Brethren by Nature: New England Indians, Colonists, and the Origins of American Slavery by Margaret Ellen NewellDark Work: The Business of Slavery in Rhode Island by Christy Clark-Pujara*Map image from Rhode Island Boundaries by John H Cady.To learn more about this episode go to The Story of Rhode Island website

1781 - 1790 | With the Revolutionary War having come to an end, Rhode Island struggles to see eye to eye with their fellow Americans around what their new national government should look like, once again making them a group of outcasts.My Favorite Books on this Topic:Washington's General: Nathanael Greene and the Triumph of the American Revolution by Terry GolwayThe Glorious Cause by Robert MiddlekauffBattles of the Revolutionary War by W.J. Wood*Map image from Rhode Island Boundaries by John H Cady.To learn more about this episode go to The Story of Rhode Island website

1780 - 1781 | With the American's southern army on the verge of being defeated, an event that would likely lead to the patriot forces losing the Revolutionary War, George Washington calls on General Nathanael Greene to save the day.My Favorite Books on this Topic:Washington's General: Nathanael Greene and the Triumph of the American Revolution by Terry GolwayThe Glorious Cause by Robert MiddlekauffBattles of the Revolutionary War by W.J. Wood*Map image from Rhode Island Boundaries by John H Cady.To learn more about this episode go to The Story of Rhode Island website

1778 | With the French Navy no longer able to support the retaking of Newport, the American army on Aquidneck Island must hold their ground so that they can safely retreat back to the Rhode Island mainland. My Favorite Books on this Topic:The Rhode Island Campaign: The First French and American Operation in the Revolutionary War by Christian M. McBurneyColonial Rhode Island: A History by Sydney V. JamesWashington's General: Nathanael Greene and the Triumph of the American Revolution by Terry Golway*Map image from Rhode Island Boundaries by John H Cady.To learn more about this episode go to The Story of Rhode Island website

1778 | As the Americans prepare to retake the city of Newport with their French ally, they watch as a series of unexpected changes throw their plan into disarray.My Favorite Books on this Topic:The Rhode Island Campaign: The First French and American Operation in the Revolutionary War by Christian M. McBurneyColonial Rhode Island: A History by Sydney V. JamesWashington's General: Nathanael Greene and the Triumph of the American Revolution by Terry Golway*Map image from Rhode Island Boundaries by John H Cady.To learn more about this episode go to The Story of Rhode Island website

1776 - 1778 | After declaring independence from the British empire and with their towns coming under attack from enemy forces, the Rhode Island colonists learn that their war is far from over.My Favorite Books on this Topic:The Rhode Island Campaign: The First French and American Operation in the Revolutionary War by Christian M. McBurneyColonial Rhode Island: A History by Sydney V. JamesWashington's General: Nathanael Greene and the Triumph of the American Revolution by Terry Golway*Map image from Rhode Island Boundaries by John H Cady.To learn more about this episode go to The Story of Rhode Island website

1775 - 1776 | With British ships patrolling Narragansett Bay and their economy brought to a standstill the people of Rhode Island decide to make a bold statement directed towards King George III, letting their fellow colonists know that the time for reconciliation has passed.My Favorite Books on this Topic:Rhode Island: A History by William McLoughlinColonial Rhode Island: A History by Sydney V. JamesWashington's General: Nathanael Greene and the Triumph of the American Revolution by Terry Golway*Map image from Rhode Island Boundaries by John H Cady.To learn more about this episode go to The Story of Rhode Island website

1763 - 1775 | When the Rhode Island Colony watches their profits and rights as Englishmen come under attack, the people around Narragansett Bay ignite a series of protests that will eventually lead to war with the British Empire.My Favorite Books on this Topic:Rhode Island: A History by William McLoughlinColonial Rhode Island: A History by Sydney V. JamesWashington's General: Nathanael Greene and the Triumph of the American Revolution by Terry Golway*Map image from Rhode Island Boundaries by John H Cady.To learn more about this episode and more go to The Story of Rhode Island website