Colonial Newport: An American Experiment

colonial Newport an American experiment today Newport Rhode Island evokes thoughts of beaches mansions and a harbor crowded with pleasure boats but what was the city like hundreds of years ago Newport had its beginnings in a radical experiment in 1639 a group of English settlers envisioned a community in which government and religion were separate people were free to practice the religion of their choice and not compelled to follow a state-sponsored church the concept and practice of religious tolerance gave colonial Newport a nearly unmatched diversity and prosperity as people of many faiths lived worked and worshiped side-by-side the success of this experiment foreshadowed the freedom of religion that was eventually enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the new United States Newport sits on the island of Aquidneck derived from the Native American word meaning at the island the base around it is named for the Narragansett Indians who occupied it in the early 1600s the Narragansett generally made their homes on the mainland using the island in the summers for raising crops hunting and fishing in 1524 the Italian Explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano led the first recorded European visit to Narragansett Bay according to his journal the natives were welcoming and offered food and gifts to the sailors tragically the Native Americans were susceptible to devastating European diseases a hundred years later when the first English settlers arrived deadly epidemics of measles and smallpox had ravaged the population of Native Americans and devastated the social and political structure of their communities in Europe the Protestant Reformation shook established churches and governments to their core the Monarchs of certain states such as France and Spain remain determined that they and their subjects remain in the Roman Catholic Church in England Henry the eighth created the Church of England as his state religion in a break with the Catholic Church in Rome some English citizens felt that this new Anglican Church retained too much of the trappings of Catholicism and were determined to uphold more devoutly Protestant forms of worship such beliefs were not tolerated in England and many emigrated to the new world to be able to follow their beliefs separatist pilgrims Puritans and other reformers settled in Plymouth and Boston in what became Massachusetts however disagreements and disputes over the role of government in religion persisted even amongst the colonists there in 1631 a minister named roger williams emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony seeking religious freedom but he quickly grew frustrated by the strict dogma of the Puritan Church the authorities in Massachusetts soon banished Williams for his radical support of secularism his view of a society where government operated independently of religion in other words a separation of church and state in 1636 Williams founded the town of Providence at the head of Narragansett Bay to realize his secular ideal Massachusetts authorities also banished the radical preacher and hutchinson a free thinker she rejected Puritan theology by preaching that faith alone could allow anyone to ensure their salvation Hutchinson and her followers found sanctuary in their against at bay with the help of roger williams they purchased a quid neck Island from the Narragansett Sachems canonicus and me antinomy which they renamed Rhode Island in 1638 at the islands northern end they established the settlement of Pocasset now known as Portsmouth these early Rhode Island settlers had a respect for Native Americans that was uncommon in other colonies roger williams believed that all land belonged to its original inhabitants unless it was sold as settlements expanded conflicts developed between settlers and Native Americans over their ways of life and use of the land in less than two generations after the first Europeans arrived in New England the violence of King Philip's War brought to an end peaceful relations between the Native Americans and the colonists of Rhode Island in April of 1639 nine men and their families left Pocasset and moved to the southern end of a quit neck Island where they founded a settlement called newport they agreed to support what they called liberty of conscience a toleration of religious practice where inhabitants would not be prevented from practicing the faith of their choice they laid out the great common of Newport near a deep protected Harbor and a natural freshwater spring which today's Spring Street is named for this area later known as the parade became the heart of colonial Newport and is now known as Washington Square the town thrived although the first settlers farmed the land Aquidneck Island poor soils and Narragansett Bay's deep sheltered Harbor pushed colonists towards the sea it was not long before trading vessels left the harbor and sailed the Atlantic Ocean traveling as far as the Caribbean South America and Africa Newports strong and expansive economy based around the ocean helped Newport stand out amongst neighboring settlements Newport and the other towns around the bay eventually united as the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations granted by King Charles the second the colonies charter of 1663 was exceptional for its time some historians believe it influenced the authors of the United States Constitution for the first time ever a European monarch officially sanctioned a policy of religious tolerance one of Newports founders John Clark a doctor and minister who sailed to England who secured the charter probably wrote much of this historic document it stated that the colony was established to hold forth a lively experiment that a most flourishing civil state may stand yay and best be maintained with a full Liberty in religious concerns no person within the said colony shall be in anywise molested punished disquieted or called into question for any differences in opinion in matters of religion with the charter of 1663 Rhode Island's experiment in religious freedom was codified and legalized and its colonial government was more democratic than that of any other American colony in 1739 a new colony house to hold government meetings was built in Newport on the parade marking the city as the de facto capital of this open-minded society the active seaport and promise of religious freedom drew a diverse population to colonial Newport many of the founders were Baptists Protestants who believed that only adults should be baptized in 1664 John Clark organized the First Baptist Church a group later split from this church and created the seventh day Baptist Church they believed that worship should take place on Saturday the seventh day of the week rather than on Sunday Newport came to be a permanent refuge for groups who were persecuted such as the religious Society of Friends the friends also called Quakers were shunned in England and outlawed in Massachusetts their ideas threatened both social and religious hierarchies in Newport they were not only welcomed they became prosperous building the Great Friends Meeting House beginning in 1699 they soon made up half of Newports population Newports also gave Jews mostly originally from Spain and Portugal a chance to practice their faith openly generations earlier the Spanish Inquisition had forced many Jews into exile in the Caribbean and South America these new immigrants came north with lucrative trade connections as a result some of the most prominent people in colonial Newport were Jewish such as Aaron Lopez for a time in the mid 18th century the city's wealthiest merchant in 1763 the Jewish congregation built an elegant synagogue later named in honor of Judah Toro just up the hillside from the colony house the Anglican Church or Church of England entered the religious environment of Newport somewhat late establishing a congregation only in 1698 this church though quickly grew as a center of British royal influence and in 1726 the congregation built the Magnificent Trinity Church Congregationalists with ties to Puritanism were also present in Newport they first arrived on a mission to save Rhode Island from what they considered to be it's shameful mixture of religions the Boston preacher Cotton Mather had called the colony a cesspool or sewer of religious practice but the Congregationalists in Newport soon became lively supporters of religious liberty yet Newports exceptional religious tolerance did not necessarily translate to social or political equality a rhode island colonial law barred from citizenship both the Jews and Catholics and Newport denying them two right to vote or to hold political office the greatest inconsistency in this otherwise tolerant society was the institution of slavery which oppressed Africans african-americans and some Native Americans with respect to religion slaves often practiced the faith of their owners many though may have practiced some Native American or African religious traditions as well by the 1760s a number of enslaved and free people of color and Newport were gathering for their own spiritual meetings this led to the formation of Newports African Union Society in 1780 the earliest benevolent aid organization for people of color in America colonial women generally had less power and independence than men but in Newport things were somewhat different some women supported themselves and their families by working as tavern keepers schoolteachers nurses or seamstresses Newports population often had more women than men because of the nature of its maritime trade where sailors were often away at sea women were said to be usually amongst the most devout members of Newports numerous and diverse religious congregations from about 1700 to the 1770s Newport blossomed as a wealthy cosmopolitan port city this colonial Golden Age was the result of international trade connections and cultural diversity both rooted in Newports commitment to religious toleration in 1702 the town began to build long wharf a public dock extending from the parade into the crowded harbour there were more than a dozen yards for ship construction and special buildings for rope winding and sail making in this Golden Age Newport became the fifth largest city in the colonies behind only Boston Philadelphia New York and Charleston the harbour was home to vast numbers of ships that sailed to other colonies in North and South America and across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe and Africa Newport was a great Center for importing raw materials such as whale oil and mahogany lumber and exporting finished products like candles and furniture the most profitable export though was rum distilled from molasses imported through the triangular trade with the Caribbean and Africa Newport traders sold rum in the colonies and across the Atlantic the profit was used by them to purchase goods and slaves on the west coast of Africa these African slaves were then sold to labour on massive sugar plantations in the West Indies and molasses a byproduct of sugar cultivation was purchased and shipped to Newport to produce more rum slavery was an important element of life in colonial Newport at its height about one-third of all families were slave owners and nearly 10% of the population was of African descent slavery in Newport though differed from slavery on plantations slaves in Newport often performed highly skilled labor and even learned to read and write they often lived in addicts and Gerrits of their owner's home and were permitted to attend meetings like those of the African Union's xiety they worked to overcome their enslavement in many ways and the number of free people of color and Nieuport grew throughout the 18th century by the 1770s many slaves had been voluntarily freed by their owners some such as the well-known pastry chef duchess camino purchased freedom for themselves and their families as free people some former slaves such as the stone carver Zingo stevens owned homes and property and were influential community leaders men often escaped slavery or poverty in colonial newport by joining the crew of a ship bound for sea large profits could be made because merchant ships frequently smuggled their cargo past british tax collectors during times of war privateering in which colonial ships were given special permission from the king to reign foreign vessels was common privateering without this royal license though was piracy the infamous pirates Thomas - and Captain Kidd made regular stops in Newport where they found a ready market for their ill-begotten goods many merchants and traders became wealthy from overseas commerce some privileged new Porter's learned professions such as banking medicine or law elite families lived in mansions overlooking the harbor and on large country estates they enjoyed imported European goods silks China and other fine furnishings most colonial new quarters however worked in trades such as sail making blacksmithing masonry carpentry and making candles barrels or other vital products highly skilled craftsmen created goods for both wealthy new Porter's and for export William and Thomas Clagett built exquisite clocks and silversmiths such as samuel vernon wrought serving pieces used in churches and private households stone carvers at the John Stephens shop which is still in business today created beautifully hand-carved gravestones in addition to more mundane the artistry of Newport furniture makers especially members of the interrelated Quaker families the Townsend's and the Goddard's was well known colonists prized Newport desks bookcases tables and chairs and today collectors consider them to be some of the finest furniture made in colonial America with the patronage of the wealthy the fine arts also thrived influential artists such as John's my Bert Robert feek and Joseph Blackburn painted portraits of elite families and individuals Gilbert Stuart a native Rhode Islander spent much of his exceptional career in Newport Stuart was a leading portraitists of the founding fathers and his famous image of George Washington appears on the u.s. one dollar bill musical performances were also common in colonial Newport especially after an organ was sent from London to Trinity Church in 1733 several teachers offered music lessons one of them was okra Marmee rapoo Naraku was a slave it is believed that the money he earned teaching music helped him purchase his freedom he also helped to found the African Union Society traveling theatre troupes even briefly performed a new port an art form roundly rejected by Puritans elsewhere in New England Newports affluent culture was shaped by intellectual pursuits and a cosmopolitan connection to the world of ideas James Franklin the older brother of Benjamin Franklin brought the first printing press to Newport it provided books broadsides and almanacs for the growing colonial city the Newport Mercury started by James's widow Ann and her son was one of the earliest newspapers in America Dean George Berkeley a famous British philosopher helped a group of new porters form a literary and philosophical society funded by the Quaker merchants Abraham redwood the group then founded a Membership library to gather together a collection of books opened in 1750 the redwood library and Athenaeum is now the oldest library in the United States still operating in its original building one of the first librarians at the redwood library was Ezra Stiles minister of Newports second Congregational Church Stiles wrote detailed entries in his Diaries providing historians with a wealth of information about life in colonial Newport and the build-up to the American Revolution another Congregational minister Samuel Hopkins preached that local wealth had come at an unacceptable cost the sufferings of Africans and their children Reverend Hopkins and the Quakers in Newport became active abolitionists they encouraged those colonists who were beginning to seek independence from British tyranny to see that the forced servitude and cruelty of slavery contradicted the very values of liberty and democracy they were promoting the American Revolution put an end to Newports colonial Golden Age although many residents remained loyal to the king others actively resisted British rule when British troops occupied Newport and closed the harbor in late 1776 commerce came to a grinding halt merchants fled and fifty years of economic depression followed during this time little building took place and as a result much of the colonial city has survived to the present day more 18th century buildings are found in Newport than in any other city in North America Newports cemeteries streets and homes provide a remarkable record of its colonial era Newports common burying ground one of America's oldest town cemeteries includes an area known as god's little acre the largest colonial African burial ground in the United States in downtown Newport much of the colonial city's dense urban core is still evident neighborhoods of wooden houses crowd each other along narrow streets same street the main road for business and shopping in colonial Newport remains a lively thoroughfare today evidence of the farms that once surrounded the city center can be seen in Toro park where the old stone mill dating probably to about 1660 still stands on lower Broadway the wanton Lyman Hazzard house begun in 1697 is one of Newports oldest standing homes the White Horse Tavern on malboro Street serves food and drink just as it did over 300 years ago across the street the influence of the Quakers is still visible in the great Friends Meeting House the oldest surviving house of worship in Rhode Island visitors can also contemplate religious liberty at Touro synagogue the oldest in America or at the seventh day Baptist meeting house one of the oldest Baptist churches in America such prominent architecture recalls Newports colonial prosperity on the parade now Washington Square the colony house still stands proudly where it was erected by master builder Richard Monday who also drew inspiration from English models in the stunning interiors and elaborate spire of Trinity Church on Queen Anne Square Peter Harrison often called America's first architect includes the neoclassical redwood library Touro synagogue and the brick market these historic structures are reminders that colonial Newport saw itself as a stable and sophisticated part of the British Empire although the road to independence rocked this assumption and ended the lustrous golden age the architecture of Newport still speaks volumes about the colonial era of this city by the sea the founding of Newport was an experiment in religious tolerance that helped shape America colonial Newport showed the world that not only could it religiously diverse society work it could flourish Newports example may have been in the minds of the founding fathers as they guaranteed freedom of religion in the bill of rights when you visit Newport the past is all around you evidence of the unique experiment that made colonial Newport such an extraordinary place you

Channel: Newport Historical Society

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Keywords: Newport Historical Society, Newport, Rhode Island, Roger Williams, Narragansett Bay, Narragansett People (Ethnicity), Providence, Anne Hutchinson, Aquidneck Island (Geographical Feature), Portsmouth, Colony House, Great Friends Meeting House, Brick Market, Touro Synagogue, Redwood Library, Common Burying Ground, Gods Little Acre, Old Stone Mill, Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House, Whitehorse Tavern, Trinity Church, Documentary

Id: YwnZTHatDbo

Length: 24min 19sec (1459 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 09 2014