Episode 3 | Road to War

The British empire begins enforcing taxes on the Rhode Island colonists that violate their right of political representation, igniting a series of voilent protests around Narragansett Bay.

25 minutes | 1763 - 1775

Hear About:

📜The ideas that drove Rhode Island to erupt into protests before the start of the Revolutionary War.

📜Protests that led to the burning of multiple British patrol ships in Narragansett Bay, riots in Newport, and the destruction of loyalists houses. 

📜How a Rhode Island native began his career in the military prior to becoming one of the greatest Generals of the entire Revolutionary War.

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Key Historical Figures Introduced
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Governor Stephen Hopkins

On and off Governor of Rhode Island, Stephen Hopkins published one of the earliest documents that articulated the rights the colonists were fighting for.  He would also go on to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
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Nathanael Greene

Born in Potowomut to a devout Quaker household who despised war, Greene was not expected to have a military career.  However, by the time the Revolutionary War comes to an end, he'll become known as one of the greatest mitiary minds in 18th century America. 

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Catherine "Caty" Greene

A Block Island native and wife of General Nathanael Greene, Caty will watch her husband leave her many times throughout the years so that he can go off and fights in the Revolutionary War.

Visit Locations From the Show
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Gaspee Point | Warwick, RI

The area known today as Gaspee Point was once called Namquit by the Narragansett People.  However, the name was eventually changed so that it could be named after the Gaspee Affair which took place in June of 1772.  It would be one of the most monumental protests of the entire revolution and contribute to the creation of the Continental Congress. 

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Nathanael Greene Birthplace | Potowomut, RI

Although the house is no longer open to public you can still visit the general area of where Nathanael Greene was born.   He was born on August 7th of 1748 and from a young age he proved to be an extremely driven individual.  Although his father, a devout Quaker, saw book learning as a wordly pleasure that would only lead one to sin, Greene spent much of his time teaching himself about various different topics.  Eventually, Greene will disobey his fathers beliefs once again when he decides to fight alongside his fellow colonists in the Revolutionary War.  

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Nathanael Greene Homestead| Coventry, RI

A few years before the Revolutionary War began, Nathanael Greene of Potowomut built a home in Coventry, Rhode Island.  Short after that, Greene joined the military just prior to the outbreak of war.  Due to his background he wasn't expected to achieve much while in the Army.  He was raised by a Quaker family who despised war, had no military experience when the Revolutionary War began, and had a limp that made his fellow soilers hesitant to even march with him.  However, as we'll eventually see throughout Season 2, Greene will overcome these odds and become one of the most skilled Generals of the entire Revolutionary War.  

Maps, Graphs, and Images
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The Rights of Colonies Examined by Stephen Hopkins

In November of 1764, Governor Stephen Hopkins published a radical pamphlet that was one of the first to explain how the colonists protests were focused on protecting their constitutional right of political representation.  Hopkins sums it up perfectly when he says "all laws, and all taxations, which bind the whole, must be made by the whole” or in other words - no taxation, without representation.

The Greene Family (2)

The Greene Family

The Greene family played a critical role in Rhode Island throughout the 17th & 18th centuries.  They helped to create some of the earliest towns, were the first Englishmen to settle parts of the colony, and even played core roles in the colony's government.  However, none of them top Nathanael Greene Jr. as he will go onto help America win the Revolutionary War just when it seems as though all is lost.

Learn More
Books:
  • Rhode Island's Founders: From Settlement to Statehood by Patrick T. Conley
  • A History of the Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island by Robert A. Geake
  • Rhode Island: A History by William G. McLoughlin
  • A History of Kingston, R.I., 1700 - 1900 by Christian McBurney
  • Colonial Rhode Island: A History by Sydney V. James
  • History of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, 1677-1960: With related genealogy by Martha R. McPartland (Author), S. Jerome Hoxie (Illustrator)
  • Washington's General: Nathanael Greene and the Triumph of the American Revolution by Terry Golway 
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