8 Bells Lecture | Kenneth Walsh: The Economic History of Newport, Rhode Island

Kenneth Walsh, "The Economic History of Newport, Rhode Island, From the Colonial era to beyond the War of 1812," Eight Bells Book Lecture, Naval War College Museum, Dec. 3, 2015.

Through the efforts of Roger Williams and the Rev. John Clarke, Rhode Island was the first secular state of its time. There was religious freedom and no effective control by Britain over the colony. A Free running economy developed based upon international trading developed, making Newport one of the biggest ports on the eastern seaboard. The book traces the economic ups and downs of the town.

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