This weekend, July 8-10, 2022, you can relive history when the French return to Newport, courtesy of the Newport Historical Society. In July 1780, thousands of French troops arrived in Newport, RI, marking the beginning of the Franco-American Alliance. The French played a crucial role in helping Americans win the War for Independence and aided local residents as they recovered from the harsh British occupation.
Living historians will portray recognizable figures, such as George and Martha Washington along with the head of the French army, Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau. Dozens of costumed living historians representing both civilians and French soldiers will discuss what it was like to build a relationship with this new ally.
Programming will take place outside of the Great Friends Meeting House, the Colony House and the Wanton- Lyman-Hazard House. On the lawn of the Great Friends Meeting House, visitors can step inside the wartime headquarters of George Washington by visiting the Museum of the American Revolution’s First Oval Office Project, a hand-sewn replica of Washington’s sleeping tent. Washington met with Rochambeau and other French leaders under canvas throughout the campaign of 1781.
Join costumed staff of the Museum of the American Revolution in immersive explorations of Washington’s tents and campaign equipment.
Additionally, the National Park Service’s traveling archaeology lab will be available on Friday July 8, 2022 and Saturday July 9, 2022. The NPS is also sponsoring a family scavenger hunt which allows participants who complete this activity to enjoy a free sail on schooner Adirondack II on the morning of Sunday, July 10, 2022.
About The Newport Historical Society
Since 1854, the Newport Historical Society has collected and preserved the artifacts, photographs, documents, publications, and genealogical records that relate to the history of Newport County, to act as a resource center for the education of the public about the history of Newport County, so after years of occupation by the British Army during the American Revolution, French ships appeared in Newport Harbor.
The 2022 French in Newport, July 8-10, 2022
11am-4pm daily
Admission is free, donations are welcome
This event is generously sponsored by the National Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association.
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