- This event has passed.
The Fate of the Day with Rick Atkinson
May 9 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
$60 – $85
Charter Books and the Newport Historical Society present Pulitzer Prize winner and #1 New York Times bestselling author Rick Atkinson, author of The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780.
Rick Atkinson
This special event will take place at Newport’s Colony House only a few weeks after the 250th anniversary of “The Shot Heard Round the World.” Rick Atkinson will speak about the tense middle years of the American Revolution, when George Washington’s army fought on the knife edge between victory and defeat. He will also discuss Newport’s occupation by the British army and the Battle of Rhode Island. His book, The Fate of the Day, covers the battle extensively.
Rick Atkinson
A question-and-answer session and book signing will follow the Interview and discussion. Ticket purchase will include a signed copy of The Fate of the Day. Additional signed copies as well as Rick Atkinson’s other titles will be available for purchase.
The Colony House
The Colony House, one of the oldest government buildings in the United States, lies in the midst of Newport’s 250-acre historic district. But access inside the imposing structure is usually limited to guided tours by the Newport Historical Socirty.
Once the seat of government, the Old Colony House In 1765 was the site of a Patriot celebration of the Stamp Act repeal (which then turned into a riot). The Royal Commission of Inquiry convened there to investigate the Gaspee affair in 1773. Then the Declaration of Independence was read from its balcony. Serving as barracks for the British and a hospital for the French, the building hosted a banquet for George Washington by the French commander, comte de Rochambeau, after the victory at Yorktown.
* * *
Learn more Revolutionary history in this complete guide to Revolutionary War Sites in New England. Brought to you by the New England Historical Society. Click here to order your copy in paperback, and here to order an ebook.
Images: Colony House By Kenneth C. Zirkel – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58527502.