FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2026
CONTACT
Lauren Craig
Newport’s Role in the Revolution on Display in OCCUPIED!
New Exhibition Explores Three Occupations of Colonial Newport
NEWPORT, RI — On Thursday, February 19, the Newport Historical Society will debut its new America250 exhibition, “OCCUPIED! Newport and the Fight for Independence.” On display through the end of 2026 in the Richard I. Burnham Resource Center, OCCUPIED! explores the three occupations of Newport during the time of the Revolutionary War.
This engaging exhibition – which includes interactive maps, touch screen storytelling, and was recently featured in the New York Times – is part of the NHS’s ongoing programming to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence.
“Inside a square mile, Newport holds untold treasures, including some of the nation’s most consequential colonial landmarks. In this new exhibition, we uncover those stories and help visitors experience how the early days of our nation transformed our city – and the lasting consequences we continue to feel today,” said Executive Director Rebecca Bertrand.
During the Revolutionary War, Newport changed hands more than any other major seaport in North America. Valued for its deep-water harbor and strategic location, successive Continental, British, and French forces occupied the town during the conflict.
Designed by H2 Design Studio, “OCCUPIED!” builds on last year’s award-winning exhibition, “Newport 1775: Whose Side Are You On?” Both were curated by historian Donald Johnson, PhD, an associate professor of history at North Dakota State University, and author of “Occupied America: British Military Rule and the Experience of Revolution.”
“OCCUPIED! draws on cutting-edge historical research and the Newport Historical Society’s extensive artifact and manuscript collections to tell the story of a colonial city caught up in not just a revolution but a war that had both civil and global dimensions,” said Johnson. “Highlighting the experiences of both Newporters and the Continental, British, and French soldiers stationed on Aquidneck Island during the Revolutionary War, the exhibit stresses not just the abuses and privations of military rule but also delves into the friendships, business partnerships, and even romances that flourished between city residents and foreign occupiers. We hope visitors will leave with a new appreciation of the complexities and uncertainties of the struggle for independence and perhaps a new sense of empathy with those who lived through it.”
“OCCUPIED!” opens with a reception on Thursday, February 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for non-members, $5 for Newport Winter Fest bracelet holders, and free for NHS members. The exhibition is supported by the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, National Endowment for the Humanities, Rhode Island Society Sons of the Revolution, Rhode Island Semiquincentennial Commission (RI250), and The Society of the Cincinnati. Special thanks are also due to Nick Manganiello & Francine Carrick, Johnny Carawan from the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, and Dr. Iris de Rode.
For more information on Newport’s semiquincentennial celebrations, visit www.NewportHistory.org/250.