This is a dynamic virtual session for educators, presented by Michelle Walker and Dr. Frederick Zilian. It explores Rhode Island’s pivotal role in the American Revolution and its early defiance of British authority.
The session opens with the 1772 burning of the HMS Gaspee, a bold act of protest that occurred before the Boston Tea Party. Educators learn how economic pressures, smuggling, and colonial unrest led to the attack and how the royal investigation ultimately failed to punish anyone involved.
The workshop then shifts to the Battle of Rhode Island, where local forces—including the 1st Rhode Island Regiment of mostly African American soldiers—stood against the British.
Participants gain access to primary sources, timelines, lesson plans, and field trip ideas, making it an engaging resource for teaching Revolutionary War history through a local lens.