The Portsmouth Historical Society is proud to welcome the American Revolution Experience Traveling Exhibit to Portsmouth, marking the first time this national exhibit has come to Rhode Island. The free exhibit will be hosted at the Society’s museum at 870 East Main Road from August 21 through August 30.
Created through a partnership between the American Battlefield Trust and the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, the traveling exhibit uses twelve display panels, interactive digital kiosks, illustrations, artifacts, and first-person stories to explore the many people who experienced the American Revolution. Rather than focusing only on famous generals and well-known battles, the exhibit highlights the lives of women, Black soldiers, Native people, spies, mapmakers, drummer boys, and ordinary residents whose choices and sacrifices shaped the struggle for independence.
Bringing the exhibit to Portsmouth was a major effort led by Janice Hawthorne-Byrne, a member of both the DAR’s Battle of Rhode Island Chapter and the Portsmouth Historical Society. Working with local DAR leadership and the Historical Society, she helped secure support through Rhode Island 250 grant opportunities and coordinated the planning needed to host the exhibit during the nation’s semiquincentennial period.
The exhibit’s visit to Portsmouth also carries special local meaning. Aquidneck Island played an important role during the Revolutionary War, and Portsmouth is home to sites and stories connected to the Battle of Rhode Island, the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, and the broader fight for independence. By placing these national stories in a local setting, the exhibit invites visitors to better understand how Portsmouth’s own history fits into the larger American story.
In addition to the exhibit itself, the ten-day program includes special events, speakers, demonstrations, and family-friendly activities. Highlights include a genealogy workshop presented by U.S. Park Rangers, readings from Revolutionary War diaries by Portsmouth Community Theater, living-history demonstrations, programs on women’s history and historic textiles, presentations on Nathanael Greene and Thaddeus Kosciuszko, and a Family Day featuring 18th-century reenactors and colonial-life demonstrations.
The final day of programming, titled “Forgotten Patriots,” will focus on the significant and often underrecognized contributions of people of African descent to the American fight for independence. The day will include programming throughout museum hours, a presentation by Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes of the Center for Black History in Newport, and a patriotic performance by the Navy Choristers.
The Portsmouth Historical Society is honored to help bring this important exhibit to the community and grateful to the DAR’s Battle of Rhode Island Chapter for its leadership and partnership. This is a meaningful opportunity for residents, families, students, and visitors to engage with Revolutionary history in a more personal and inclusive way.
The exhibit is free and open to the public. To read the full EastBayRI article about the exhibit’s arrival in Portsmouth, please visit the link below.
Read the full article on East Bay RI News
