The Newport Historical Society in Rhode Island announced that a private collector has donated to them two separate collections, including a total of more than 100 documents, related to Rhode Island’s early history. One collection reflects the state’s response to President George Washington and Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton’s call to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion. The other details the state’s response to President Thomas Jefferson’s call for troops under the Insurrection Act. The donor acquired both archival collections at Raab.
“Overall, these two collections demonstrate the complexity of early American defense and Rhode Island’s active role in national preparedness. The documents, a valuable addition to the NHS’s holdings, showcase two moments that tested the balance between local action and federal power; the state’s participation in enforcing federal authority under Washington during the Whisky Rebellion, and safeguarding national sovereignty under Jefferson’s Insurrection Act,” writes Sydney Dufresne for the NHS.
President Washington and The Whiskey Rebellion
Dated to 1794, this collection contains the original returns of men and arms for the state of Rhode Island created by the Adjutant General of the State of Rhode Island, Robert Rogers, in response to President Washington’s decree that each state organize, arm, and equip a militia in response to the violent Whiskey Rebellion. “They also offer a compelling glimpse into how communities like Newport participated in the federal government’s early assertion of power,” writes Defresne.
Thomas Jefferson and The Insurrection Act
Dated to 1807, this larger collection contains a dense archive of letters and documents, many very large and detailed, of Samuel Bridgham, then the Adjutant General of the State of Rhode Island. In anticipation of potential conflict with Great Britain, which was interfering with American trade during the Napoleonic Wars, President Thomas Jefferson called up a militia to defend against the seizure of American merchant ships. “Ultimately, these documents offer valuable insight into how Rhode Island prepared for and contributed to national defense efforts during Jefferson’s administration,” writes Defresne.
