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The Liberty Trail—Rhode Island

Your Path on The Liberty Trail R.I.

Rhode Island played a vital role in the American Revolution, becoming the first colony to declare its independence from British rule. Its coastal communities and strategic harbors made it a target for British occupation, while Patriots and Loyalists struggled for influence across the colony. The arrival of French forces in 1780 transformed Newport into a major center of the Franco-American alliance, though an earlier attempt to drive out the British at the Battle of Rhode Island had ended in stalemate. From the colony’s first acts of resistance to the arrival of its French allies, Rhode Island helped shape the course of the fight for American independence.

Plan Your Visit

Granite monument/structure in remembrance of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment

Historic Site | Marker

1st Rhode Island Monument

W Main Road
Portsmouth, RI 02871

Monument dedicated to brave African American and Indigenous soldiers of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment

Stone face of the Artillery Company of Newport

Historic Site | Museum

Artillery Company of Newport Museum

23 Clarke Street
Newport, RI 02840

Museum dedicated to the history of the Newport militia

Early 20th century postcard depicting Butts Hill Fort in Rhode Island

Historic Site | Fort/Outpost

Butts Hill Fort

Fort Street
Portsmouth, RI 02871

Large earthwork fortification situated in Portsmouth, Rhode Island constructed by joint Franco-American forces.

Stone marker denoting the location of the Conanicut Battery in Rhode Island

Historic Site | Marker

Conanicut Battery, Jamestown, RI

120 Battery Lane
Jamestown, RI 02835

Situated near the original location of American earthworks, a marker stands recognizing the Conanicut Battery defensive position.

A large boulder with a bronze plaque attached commemorating the burning of British ships.

Historic Site | Marker

Equality Park

8 Equality Park West
Newport, RI 02840

Marker denoting the destruction of the HMS Liberty by colonists in 1769.

Bronze marker on boulder to commemorate spot of the burning of the Gaspee

Historic Site | Marker

Gaspee Monument

82 Peck Lane
Warwick, RI 02888

The Gaspee Monument is a historical marker and commemorative site marking the location where British prisoners from the schooner HMS Gaspee were taken ashore after its burning in 1772.

Historic Site | Marker

General Lafayette Marker, Bristol, Rhode Island (RI-3)

400 Thames Street
Bristol, RI 02809

Lafayette played a crucial role in maintaining coordination between the Continental Army under General John Sullivan and newly arrived French forces under Admiral d’Estaing. In the summer of 1778, the Continental Army planned a joint operation to expel the British from Newport. This was the first major Franco‑American combined operation of the war, and tensions were high. Just before the battle, a violent storm damaged d’Estaing’s fleet. The Admiral decided to sail to Boston for repairs—leaving Sullivan’s forces without naval support.

The Battle of Rhode Island took place on August 29, 1778. Sullivan’s army fought a disciplined retreat from Aquidneck Island after the French withdrawal made the original plan impossible. Through Lafayette's diplomacy he prevented a rupture between the French and American forces and secured d’Estaing’s willingness to sail south and continue supporting the war. Lafayette hurried back and rejoined the army at Tiverton during the retreat, helping reorganize the troops and supporting Sullivan’s decisions, which he praised as “well made” and honorable.

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.

Historic Site

General Lafayette Marker, Tiverton, Rhode Island (RI-8)

343 Highland Road
Tiverton Town Hall
Tiverton, RI 02878

General Lafayette Marker, Tiverton, RI

The Lafayette Trail

During the Battle of Rhode Island, which took place on August 29th, 1778, General Lafayette had been sent north to Boston, Massachusetts, to meet with Admiral D’Estaing and briefly meet with General John Hancock. Lafayette’s presence was required as a diplomat to coordinate the French alliance with Count d'Estaing. Despite Lafayette’s disappointment at having “missed the action” of the battle, he returned in time for the retreat, joining his troops in Tiverton, where they camped and regrouped after the battle.

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.

18th century home painted red that was the birthplace of famed artist Gilbert Stuart

Historic Site | Museum

Gilbert Stuart Birthplace

815 Gilbert Stuart Rd.
Saunderstown, RI 02874

This structure remains as the birthplace of famed artist and portraitist Gilbert Stuart.

Red facade of the Stephen Hopkins House in Rhode Island

Historic Site

Hopkins House

15 Hopkins Street
Providence, RI 02903

Former home to Declaration of Independence signer Stephen Hopkins

Stone marker denoting the location of Green End Fort

Historic Site | Fort/Outpost

Green End Fort

193 Vernon Ave
Middletown, RI 02842

Mostly intact Revolutionary War earthworks on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island.

Front of the Hunter House in Rhode Island

Historic Site | Historic House

Hunter House

54 Washington Street
Newport, RI 02840

Former headquarters of the French fleet in North America and the home of Loyalist sympathizer.

Colonial Home of General James Mitchell Varnum

Historic Site

Varnum House

57 Peirce Street
East Greenwich, RI 02818

Former home of Brigadier General James Mitchell Varnum.

A large brick building with white trim and classical details stands behind a tall white fence, framed by autumn trees under a partly cloudy sky.

Historic Site | Museum

John Brown House

52 Power Street
Providence, RI 02906

Former home of the founder of Brown University.

A small white historic building with four columns and green shutters stands at a roadside; the sign above the door reads “Kentish Guards 1774.”

Historic Site | Fort/Outpost

Kentish Guards Armory

1774 Armory Street
East Greenwich, RI 02818

Historic armory constructed in 1843 for the Kentish Guard in Rhode Island

World War 1 Memorial Tower at Motonomi Memorial Park

Historic Site

Miantonomi Hill

120 Hillside Avenue
Newport, RI 02840

Utilized by Native Americans for generations, Miantonomi Hill was a tactical position during the Battle of Rhode Island.

A three‑story brick brownstone building with symmetrical windows and a central stone‑framed entrance stands behind a black streetlamp.

Historic Site

Old State House

150 Benefit Street
Providence, RI 02903

One of the six remaining original, Colonial-Era state houses and the site of Rhode Island's renouncement of the British Crown.

Front view of the Portsmouth Friends Meeting House

Historic Site

Friends Meeting House

11 Middle Road
Portsmouth, RI 02871

Constructed at the turn of the 18th century, the Portsmouth Friends Meeting House thus witnessed several events, including the British occupation of Rhode Island.

Red wooden building used as headquarters for General Prescott

Historic Site

Prescott's Headquarters

2009 West Main Road
Middletown, RI 02842

Site of a daring and successful attempt to capture a British general in 1777.

Historic Site

Redwood Library

50 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, RI 02840

America's first purpose-built library that was subjected to damage during the British occupation of Newport.

Print of the Battle of Rhode Island.

Battlefield | State/County Park

Rhode Island

27 High Point Ave
Portsmouth, RI 02871

A noteworthy battle known for the first combined Franco-American operation of the war alongside the inclusion of integrated American units on the frontlines.

A small rocky island with a cream-colored lighthouse and red roof surrounded by water.

Historic Site | Fort/Outpost

Rose Island Lighthouse & Fort Hamiton

1 Washington Street
Newport, RI 02840

Location of coastal defenses constructed by joint Franco-American forces.

Building with a marker dedicated to the first colonial navy

Historic Site

Site of the First Colonial Navy

125 Main Street
East Greenwich, RI 02818

Marker that stands in remembrance of the creation of the first colonial navy

Facade of the two story Nathanael Greene homestead with an artillery piece in the foreground

Historic Site

Nathanael Greene Homestead

50 Taft Street
Coventry, RI 02816

Former homestead of former Continental Major General Nathanael Greene.

A beige building with brown trim and a columned portico stands behind a garden of bright flowers and neatly trimmed shrubs, bordered by a wrought‑iron fence and stone posts.

Historic Site

Touro Synagogue

85 Touro Street
Newport, RI 02840

The only purpose-built synagogue constructed that survived the American Revolution.

A small fortress like brick building sits on a street corner, with arched wooden doors, battlements, and a nearby cannon.

Historic Site | Museum

Varnum Armory Museum

6 Main Street
East Greenwich, RI 02818

Rhode Island museum with collections dating back to the 16th century

A light‑colored historic building with dark shutters and a central double‑door entrance sits on a corner lot, featuring three dormer windows on the roof and a short staircase leading up from the sidewalk.

Historic Site | Historic House

Vernon House

46 Clarke St
Newport, RI 02840

Home of the President of the Eastern Navy Board and the headquarters of the Comte de Rochambeau in 1780.

A grassy yard filled with blooming yellow daffodils stretches across the foreground. Behind the flowers stands a large historic red building with white trim, multiple windows, and a small columned portico at the main entrance.

Historic Site | Historic House

White Horse Tavern

26 Marlborough St
Newport, RI 02840

Historic tavern that provided shelter for British and Loyalist troops during the occupation of Rhode Island

Rhode Island Videos Along The Liberty Trail

Exploring the history and stories of the American Revolution.

Preview card for the Nathanael Greene In4 Video

In4: Nathanael Greene

An illustration of the burning of the revenue cutter Gaspee in Narragansett Bay

The Burning of the Gaspee: The Spark That Lit the Revolution

Thumbnail for newport video about french officers

French Officers that Died Fighting for the American Revolution Memorialized in Newport, Rhode Island