Defending the Bay: Rose Island and the American Revolution with Michael Simpson
Drawing on marine and terrestrial archaeology, historic maps, journals, and newly interpreted primary sources, Rose Island’s Public History Program Manager Michael J. Simpson will explore the island’s role in the 1778 Rhode Island Campaign, from the British occupation of Newport and the construction of a hastily built battery, to the scuttling of the former HMS Endeavour and the first shots exchanged between British and French forces in the American Revolution, all setting the stage for the Battle of Rhode Island just weeks later.
Michael J. Simpson, M.A., A.M. is the Public History Program Manager for the Rose Island Lighthouse & Fort Hamilton Trust, where he researches and interprets the island’s rich history through exhibits, lectures, and public programming. He holds graduate degrees from Brown University, New York University, and St. John’s College, and currently teaches United States history at Johnson & Wales University. He also serves as a Trustee of the Cocumscussoc Association at Smith’s Castle. His work focuses on Indigenous history, archaeology, Rhode Island’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and the American Revolution, and public history, with an emphasis on using original research and place-based interpretation to reveal the stories by traditional narratives that have shaped Rhode Island’s past.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
6:00 pm
Free
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