September 19, 2013 at 4pm
Colony House, Washington Square
Free admission, donations welcome
RSVP at Eventbrite.com or 401-846-0813
The City of Newport was a true American city over a century before the Declaration of Independence was drafted. “From the founding principles of religious freedom and tolerance, through the build-up to the American Revolution and its conduct, to the Industrial Revolution and many subsequent developments, there is much in the American character and heritage that has its roots in Rhode Island,” Ruth Taylor the Newport Historical Society’s Executive Director describes.
The Newport Historical Society will explore this topic at the Annual Meeting. After reviewing the 2012-2013 fiscal year, guest speaker C. Morgan Grefe, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Historical Society, will present Turning Thought into Gold: How Freedom of Conscience Helped Make Newport an Early American Exemplar.
“After the issuing of the Royal Charter of 1663,” Grefe explains, “the language and liberties of the document helped to create an environment of free press, free speech, vocal and non-violent political disagreement, and non-government supported organizations providing charity (in the form of churches and then benevolent societies). By examining points of contact between people of diverse ethnic backgrounds operating in a post-Charter Newport, we can see how the melding of disparate cultures created a unique and dynamic cultural landscape.”
“Many ground breaking ideas that are integral to modern American culture were developed here in colonial Newport,” Taylor describes. “At the upcoming Annual Meeting, we are stepping into the future by remembering our rich heritage through the theme It All Starts Here.” Join the conversation and learn more about the Society’s plans.
C. Morgan Grefe has been at the Rhode Island Historical Society for more than eight years, serving as the Director of the Goff Center for Education and Public Programs for over six years. In the summer of 2011 she took the helm of the RIHS. Her work as a historian focuses on U.S. social, cultural and public history, with special attention on R.I. She holds a Ph.D. in American Civilization from Brown University and a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in the same. She holds an adjunct position in the History Department at Rhode Island College.