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A WEEKEND IN MAY LIKE NO OTHER!
THE BRITS ATTACK BRISTOL (and lose!)
and THE TALL SHIP OLIVER HAZARD PERRY IS COMING TO BRISTOL HARBOR!
Experience the educational opportunity of a tall ship sail on the official "Tall Ship Ambassador of the State of Rhode Island" and its arrival in Bristol Harbor or learn about the Bristol-Warren Regional School District's 8th Graders and their own unique education opportunity on the SSV Oliver Hazard Perry Tall Ship or watch reenactments of two Revoluntionary War events in Bristol or take a tour of the inside of this modern tall ship or have an early morning coffee with a sea captain or take in a hard cider or a whiskey/rum tasting or just grab a chair and a blanket and enjoy an evening listening to sea chanteys down at the water's edge.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO A CALENDAR LISTING OF ALL THE EVENTS ON MAY 16, 17 & 18.
Sponsored by the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society, the Battle of Rhode Island Association, and
the Bristol RI 250th Commission.
THE WINTER HISTORY BOOK CLUB
The Bristol Historical & Preservation Society and the Rogers Free Library have joined together to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the King Philip War with a three-session History Book Club.
Next up for books to read is the The Name of War by Jill Lepore. The discussion for this book will be held at 1 p.m. on April 5th -- in the Quiet Study Room at the Rogers Free Library, 525 Hope Street, Bristol, RI. Free and open to the public....no need to register, just stop by and join in the conversation!
On June 21, 1675, Pokanoket warriors killed seven colonists in Swansea in retaliation for a series of injustices suffered at the hands of the English. Generally considered the beginning of King Philip's War, this act led to a bloody conflict that involved every New England colony and Algonquian peoples throughout the region. Local tribes attacked more than half of all the settlements in New England and reduced about a dozen towns in Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies to ashes. By the end of the War in August of 1676, more than 600 settlers had died and 1,200 homes had been burned. An estimated 3,000 Native Americans died at the hands of the English.
- The first book for discussion was Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick.
- The second book for discussion was Diary of King Philip’s War, 1675-1676 by Benjamin Church.
- The third and final book for discussion is on April 5: The Name of War by Jill Lepore.
Copies of the books will be available for checkout at the Rogers Free Library circulation desk a month in advance of the discussion date.
BUS TOUR: African & Indigenous Maritime Narratives
BUS TOUR
BRISTOL TO MYSTIC:
A DAY OF DISCOVERY AND HISTORY
APRIL 9 -- 8:30 AM to 5 PM
The Bristol Historical & Preservation Society invites you to join us for a motorcoach trip to Mystic, CT, to view the exhibit Entwined: Freedom, Sovereignty, and the Sea, currently on display at Mystic Seaport and curated by Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes, our February 20th speaker. Afterwards, we will go to Stonington for private tours of the Lighthouse Museum and of the Stonington Borough itself.
OPEN TO BH&PS MEMBERS & THE PUBLIC:
$85 for BH&PS members and Early Birds.
$95 after March 10th.
Please click here to reserve your spot.
Our first stop will be the Mystic Seaport Museum, where we'll be greeted at the special exhibit Entwined by a docent, who will share insights into this amazing exploration of Indigenous and African ties to the waterways of “The Dawnland – New England.” The exhibit calls on visitors to think about history, water and spirituality in new ways.
Afterwards, you will have free time to explore other buildings on this museum campus.
Then our motorcoach will take us to the heart of Mystic - West Main Street – where you will have free time to enjoy lunch, perhaps do some shopping, or visit the Mystic Art Museum. From there it’s a short drive to the 170-year-old Stonington Lighthouse, where members of the Old Stonington Historical Society will open the Lighthouse Museum just for us, and then lead us on a one hour walking tour of the Stonington Borough, settled around 1750.
We’ll then board our motorcoach and head back to Bristol with an ETA of 5 p.m. and with new insights into our New England history.
DON'T FORGET TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT!
LECTURE: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23 @ 6 PM, ROGERS FREE LIBRARY
Join noted Quaker historian Elizabeth Cazden for this lecture commemorating the 350th anniversary of King Philip’s War. Open to the public, this free event will be held in the Herreshoff Community Room at the Rogers Free Library, 525 Hope Street, Bristol, RI. You will need to register in advance to reserve your seat as seating is very limited. See the RESERVE YOUR SEAT button below.
In June 1675, just before the outbreak of the War for New England (known colloquially as "King Philip's War"), a group of Rhode Island officials led by Quaker Deputy Governor John Easton met Metacom (also known as King Philip), the leader of the Pokanoket tribe, at the Bristol Ferry to try to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the dispute. Cazdan will discuss the events of that meeting, as described by both contemporary and later sources, and why it ultimately failed to prevent the fighting that would soon engulf the region.
Elizabeth Cazden is a retired lawyer and Quaker historian based in Providence, RI. She holds degrees from Oberlin College, Harvard Law School, and Andover Newton Theological School. She has written and spoken in both academic and public settings on Quaker history, with a special focus on New England Quakers' participation in the enslavement of Africans and in land expropriation from Indigenous communities. Her research has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities. Cazdan is an active Quaker, having served in many capacities for the New England Yearly Meeting as well as other national and international Quaker organizations. Cazdan is a direct descendant of John Borden, one of the participants in the meeting she'll be discussing.
Sponsored by the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society, the Sowams Heritage Area, the Rogers Free Library, and KPW350.
KPW 350, a grassroots community project, seeks to educate the public about the conflict best known as King Philip’s War in recognition of its 350th anniversary. This lecture is part of a series of partnerships and events that are planned around the 350th anniversary of King Philip's War. Visit KPW350.org for a calendar of events and a reading list.
Please do not forget to register for this lecture as seating is limited!
THE BH&PS IS CLOSED DURING OUR FLOOR RENOVATIONS.
QUESTIONS? IT'S BEST TO EMAIL US AT INFO@BHPSRI.ORG.
The BH&PS's main meeting room floor is still
under construction and we hope to be open
again by April or May. This means
we are closed to all visitors as well as to researchers until further notice.
Unfortunately, there have been unexpected construction costs and expenses. The asbestos lying under our old carpet cost far more (200% more!!) than expected to remove. And, we now we have to deal creatively with a sagging floor and a 2" drop between the thresholds between the rooms and the floor itself. It's turned into a giant project, way much more than was estimated and what we expected...and we haven't even made it to refinishing.
The BH&PS applied for and received a very generous Champlin Grant to renovate the floor. But with the latest updated estimate, our shortfall is now at a whopping $24,000!!! Therefore, we are looking for donations to help us make up some of the new costs and we would be grateful for your help!! Please click on the NEW FLOOR DONATION button below to make your donation. Thank you!!
OUR 2025 EXHIBIT WILL BE COMING SOON
COLLECTORS OF CURIOSITIES:
THE HISTORY OF THE WUNDERKAMMER
What do 200 year old Fijian war clubs, etched glass cups from the World’s Fair of 1893, 19th century wooden water pipes from Bristol, and a collection of sand from beaches all over the world have in common?
They are all in the BH&PS collections!
A Wunderkammer, or "cabinet of curiosities," was a collection of unusual, rare, and sometimes bizarre objects typically amassed by wealthy individuals or scholars during the 16th to 18th centuries.
In the spirit of the Wunderkammer, the BH&PS is bringing out some of our most interesting and diverse curiosities for our 2025 exhibit.
Check back here or on the Exhibit Page for dates of our opening and special events surrounding this exhibit. The exhibit will open as soon as the repairs to our exhibit room floor are complete.
Image: "The Curiosity Seller"
by Cornelious de Mann (1621-1706)
WALKING TOURS 2025
Check back in the spring for our 2025 WALKING TOURS when we will have lots of new tours as well as the return of old favorites with new routes and directions.
Check out our CALENDAR for dates and details.
The Society also has self-guided downtown walking tour maps, too. Pick up one at the Society during open hours or CLICK HERE to print one out.
THE BH&PS WINS PRESTIGIOUS HISTORY AWARD
The Timeline of Enslavement in Bristol, Rhode Island
The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) congratulates the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society, of Bristol, RI, for receiving an Award of Excellence for The Timeline of Enslavement in Bristol, RI. The Award of Excellence is part of the AASLH Leadership in History Awards, the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation of state and local history. It is the first time in more than four years that a RI project has been honored.
The Timeline of Enslavement in Bristol, RI is a 56 foot-long strip of fabric that lists in chronological order the names of those who were enslaved in Bristol, Rhode Island, between 1680 and 1808. All those identified occupy their own space on the timeline, regardless of how much or little is known about them. The approximately 600 entries represent approximately 475 enslaved individuals in total.
