In August 1765, Newport erupted.
Eleven years before the Declaration of Independence, Newport's 1765 Stamp Act riot was a product of increasing tensions between the colonies and Great Britain. In 1763, the end of the French and Indian War--the North American theater of a global war fought between Great Britain and France-- brought economic depression to many colonial cities and severe debt to Great Britain. In order to increase its revenue, Parliament passed the Sugar Act in 1764 and the Stamp Act in 1765. Many colonists hated the Stamp Act--they saw this internal tax on paper goods (as opposed to a tax regulating trade) as an overstep of Parliament’s authority. While the colonies had generally enjoyed little interference from Parliament, the Stamp Act prompted fierce debate over Parliament’s rights over the colonies, and the colonists’ own rights as British subjects. As the fifth largest town in the colonies, Newport was a center of colonial debate surrounding the rights of Parliament and their place within the British Empire.
Eleven years before the Declaration of Independence, Newport's 1765 Stamp Act riot was a product of increasing tensions between the colonies and Great Britain. In 1763, the end of the French and Indian War--the North American theater of a global war fought between Great Britain and France-- brought economic depression to many colonial cities and severe debt to Great Britain. In order to increase its revenue, Parliament passed the Sugar Act in 1764 and the Stamp Act in 1765. Many colonists hated the Stamp Act--they saw this internal tax on paper goods (as opposed to a tax regulating trade) as an overstep of Parliament’s authority. While the colonies had generally enjoyed little interference from Parliament, the Stamp Act prompted fierce debate over Parliament’s rights over the colonies, and the colonists’ own rights as British subjects. As the fifth largest town in the colonies, Newport was a center of colonial debate surrounding the rights of Parliament and their place within the British Empire.
It can be difficult to understand events like the Stamp Act riot. Why would a person support a tax that seems unfair? Why would a person intimidate their peers into exile? How does a peaceful movement erupt into a full-scale riot?
This interactive history adventure, part of Newport Historical Society's Revolution House project, addresses these questions by recreating the discomfort of making decisions without knowing their consequences. Follow fictional character Jeremy Swallow as he navigates revolutionary Newport—without the benefit of hindsight. Then, learn about the real people that Swallow and his decisions are based on.
This interactive history adventure, part of Newport Historical Society's Revolution House project, addresses these questions by recreating the discomfort of making decisions without knowing their consequences. Follow fictional character Jeremy Swallow as he navigates revolutionary Newport—without the benefit of hindsight. Then, learn about the real people that Swallow and his decisions are based on.