Rhode Island

1 THE LONG 18TH CENTURY IN GREATER RHODE ISLAND “Historical amnesia has always been with us: we just keep forgetting we have it.” — Russell Shorto GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS PERIOD 1750 During the 1750s and 1760s the smaller sloops of 30 to 40 tons that had been the mainstay of the Nantucket Island whaling fleet would be gradually replaced by trying ships, ships large enough to house on-board tryworks. These ships would in essence become greasy, smutty, loathsome floating factories. 1. “Greater” Rhode Island would include relevant regions connected with the local culture, such as Block Island and the other channel islands that used to be considered part of this colony, contiguous areas such as New Bedford in Massachusetts, etc. “Rhode Island” had been an ambiguous designator, as it might refer to the moderately sized island in Narragansett Bay, or it might refer to the entire colony of which said island was a part, together with the extensive Providence Plantations on the mainland shore. Also, since the period of that ambiguity, there have been significant trades of land and towns between Rhode Island and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts — such as the entire city of Fall River. You need to deal with it. HDT WHAT? INDEX RHODE ISLAND ROGUE ISLAND [POOR JOB, 1750. AN ALMANACK FOR THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1750. By “Job Shepherd.” Newport, Rhode Island: James Franklin.] This is the first of the second series of Franklin’s almanacs. They were issued by James Franklin’s son James under the pen name of Job Shepherd. The only known copy lacks six leaves. In the preface to his 1751 almanac this pseudonymous “Job Shepherd” would write “And now, Reader, after having made this Publick Appearance, it must, on mature Consideration, appear very odd, what some think, and others affirm, that there is not, nor ever was, such a Person as I am living.” Stephen Hopkins helped to found the 1st public library in Providence, Rhode Island.2 The father of Gilbert Stuart (who also was named Gilbert Stuart) built a snuff mill in Rhode Island and began to ship his product — securely and sanitarily encased in dried animal bladders. TOBACCO A Quaker in Newport, one of the two major slave importing centers of the USA, was put under dealing by the elders of his monthly meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, on account of his firm’s continuing to engage in the international slave trade.3 Aaron Lopez, who would be known as the “Merchant Prince” of early American commerce, and his family, at this point arrived in Newport from Lisbon, Portugal, where as a Marrano4 he had been being required to use the Christian name “Don Duarte Lopez.” 2. Please don’t presume that “public” here means available for the use of free citizens of color. 680 Copyright 2013 Austin Meredith HDT WHAT? INDEX ROGUE ISLAND RHODE ISLAND (Probably, the family came to the port of New-York first and then went on up to Rhode Island.) The father of the family immediately underwent ritual circumcision. Within twenty years he would own or have interests in nearly a hundred sailing vessels. Aaron and his nephew Moses would wholly own 27 square- rigged vessels, including whale-ships — although they would lose nearly all of these during the Revolutionary War. Like the aforementioned Newport Quaker, he would be heavily involved in the international slave trade. He would be one of the original founders of and contributors to Touro Synagogue. 3. So, exactly who, by name, was this interesting Friend? We know that Friend Abraham Redwood needed to be dealt with by the elders of his meeting, on account of his refusal to give up the ownership of beaucoup black slaves on his sugar plantation in Antigua, but I have not heard that this Friend Abraham was engaged in any trade other than the sugar trade — so presumably this Quaker slavetrader of unspecified name was some other Newport Quaker. Below, for your interest, appears the rotting hulk of the slave ship Jem, as of the Year of Our Lord 1891 at Fort Adams near Newport on Aquidneck Island: 4. Marrano = a Spanish or Portuguese Jew of the late Middle Ages who converted to Christianity, especially one forcibly converted but adhering secretly to Judaism. “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project 681 HDT WHAT? INDEX RHODE ISLAND ROGUE ISLAND November 14, Saturday: According to the Maryland Gazette (Green), published in Annapolis, the Bristol, Rhode Island ship King David had encountered some difficulties from an unruly cargo: By Capt. Tarr who arrived a few days ago from St. Kitts, we have the following account that was sent him by Hamilton Montgomery, belonging to the ship King David of Bristol, bound from the coast of Guinea, viz. That on the 8th day of May last, the slaves on board the said ship rose about 5 o’clock in the morning, none of them being in irons on board.——The insurrection was contrived and begun by 15 that had for a considerable time been treated with the same freedom as the white men; and a great many of the latter dying, encouraged them to the design.——As the chief of these slaves spoke very good English, he often convers’d with the captain in his cabbin, where all the arms were loaded.——and consulting with his comrades, knowing the small strength of the white men, they at once flew into the cabbin, and secured the arms in a few minutes, kill’d the captain and five of the people, thereby putting it out of the power of the remainder of the ship’s crew to make any resistance, so that they got down the hold to save themselves. But the head of the Negroes call’d to them, and told them, if they would come upon deck and surrender, he would save all their lives; which they soon did, except the chief mate, who remain’d in the hold for some hours after; but sending down a white boy to acquaint him, if he did not come upon deck, they would come down and cut him to pieces; he thereupon came up, and they directly put him in irons, as they had all the others before: About eight of the clock the same evening, they threw overboard nine of the white men alive, with their irons on: The chief mate was also brought on the gunnel, to be serv’d in the same manner; but one of the head Negroes interposed, and said, Who must take care of the ship? and withal declared, that if they destroy’d him, he would kill the first man that attempted it; whereupon they saved his life.——Having let the ship drive with wind and tide for 24 hours, they at last insisted to have her carried to the Gold Coast, or Calabar, or St. Thomas’s, an isle near the coast of Guiney; but the head Negro being a fellow of more sense than common, being persuaded there was no possibility of getting there, it was agreed upon to go where no white man liv’d; and Desiada was pitch’d upon, which they made on the 14th of May; and at 6 in the evening the Negroes obliged the chief mate to hoist out the boat, and they then put two white men and four Negroes on board to go for the isle; and if there were any Whites liv’d there, they were to return and kill the remainder of the crew.——But as the relator writes, he afterwards heard that they did not reach the island, and that he heard nothing of them ’til he got the ship to an anchor at Grand tier point, in Teage, a French island, on the 682 Copyright 2013 Austin Meredith HDT WHAT? INDEX ROGUE ISLAND RHODE ISLAND 10th.——Where the French, upon giving some small assistance, not so much as venturing their lives, or anything like it, charged the expences to 3000 l. currency.——What further was done with the ship, or the Negroes, he does not write. SERVILE INSURRECTION 1751 POOR JOB, 1751. AN ALMANACK FOR THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1751. By “Job Shepherd.” Newport, Rhode Island: James Franklin. This almanac contains a cut of the man of signs, a geographical description of the world, a list of the Kings of England, and an ephemeris. This is the first almanac printed in Rhode Island that contains these things as far as we actually know, but it is probable that they were on the missing pages of the 1750 almanac which has only come down to us in a mutilated condition. In the preface this pseudonymous “Job Shepherd” wrote “And now, Reader, after having made this Publick Appearance, it must, on mature Consideration, appear very odd, what some think, and others affirm, that there is not, nor ever was, such a Person as I am living.” “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project 683 HDT WHAT? INDEX RHODE ISLAND ROGUE ISLAND In Rhode Island harbors alone, during this year alone, it has been estimated by Alexander Boyd Hawes, some 8 vessels were being fitted out for the international slave trade. If an average cargo of slaves was 109 –as we have estimated on the basis of a number of known cargos– then a total of more than 870 souls would have been being transported over the dreadful Middle Passage during this year in Rhode Island bottoms alone. 18th of 10th month (New Style): Job Scott was born in the part of north Providence, Rhode Island that has since become Smithfield, to Friends John Scott and Lydia Scott.

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