Defending the Bay: Rose Island and the American Revolution with Michael Simpson
As the United States prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, discover why a small island at the entrance to Newport Harbor became one of the most strategically important places in New England. This special lecture offers a first look at two new outdoor exhibit panels, expanding on the 2025 exhibition Rose Island: In Peace and At War, developed for Rose Island through funding from the Rhode Island Semiquincentennial Commission (RI250). Drawing on archaeology, historic maps, journals, and newly interpreted primary sources, Public History Program Manager Michael J. Simpson explores Rose Island’s pivotal role in the 1778 Rhode Island Campaign.
Beginning with the British occupation of Newport, the lecture examines the construction of a hastily built battery on Rose Island, the deliberate scuttling of the former HMS Endeavour (later renamed Lord Sandwich) to block the approaching French fleet, and the exchange of cannon fire across Narragansett Bay that helped set the stage for the Battle of Rhode Island. Along the way, participants will explore how archaeologists have pieced together these stories, why the Endeavour represents one of Rhode Island’s most significant maritime archaeological mysteries, and how Rose Island connected Narragansett Bay to events that reshaped both the American Revolution and the wider world. Through the lens of one small island, Defending the Bay reveals how local places can preserve global stories of alliance, warfare, archaeology, and the enduring struggle for American independence.
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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