06/04/2026
Upcoming Program: “How Liberty Is Sweet: Black Loyalists in Newport During the Revolutionary War” with Dr. Jane Lancaster
As historian Benjamin Quarles observed, the loyalty of Black Americans in the Revolution “was not to a place nor to a people, but to a principle, freedom.” In Newport—where nearly twelve percent of the population was Black and almost a third of white households enslaved at least one person—that principle confronted the realities of war, uncertain futures, and the dangers of self-liberation.
Drawing on the context of British proclamations offering freedom to enslaved people, including the Phillipsburg Proclamation of 1779, this Tavern Talk will discuss the options that were available to Newport’s Black residents as the British army prepared to depart – remain in enslaved conditions in Rhode Island, or leave with the retreating British forces in pursuit of freedom.
Dr. Jane Lancaster’s research explores this pivotal and often overlooked chapter in Newport’s Revolutionary-era history, highlighting the courage, agency, and complex decision-making of Black Loyalists seeking liberty in a time of profound upheaval – those who stayed, those who left, and the broader movement of an estimated 20,000 Black individuals who liberated themselves during or after the war.
📅Thursday, June 11, 2026
📍Richard I. Burnham Resource Center | 82 Touro Street, Newport
🎟️Admission $15 – $20 per person | *Student Discounts now available $10 with valid student ID
🕰️6:30pm to 7:30pm; doors open at 5:30pm for a complimentary reception
