Battle of Rhode Island

United States history

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

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The Battle of Rhode Island was fought in 1778 during the American Revolutionary War. It took place on Aquidneck Island, the largest island in Narragansett Bay. American forces, including a notable battalion of African American soldiers from the First Rhode Island Regiment, engaged British troops. Although the combined Franco-American operation to dislodge the British was ultimately unsuccessful, the battle highlighted the contributions of Black soldiers to the American cause. The British occupied Newport, Rhode Island, for over three years during the war, causing significant damage and displacement before withdrawing in 1779.12

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Rhode Island
Revolution and independence
Notable in the Battle of Rhode Island was the distinguished performance of a battalion of African Americans, the first black regiment to fight in America. In October 1779 the British withdrew in order to redeploy their forces in the South, and in July 1780 some 6,000 French troops…
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Notable in the Battle of Rhode Island was the distinguished performance of a battalion of African Americans, the first black regiment to fight in America. In October 1779 the British withdrew in order to redeploy their forces in the South, and in July 1780 some 6,000 French troops…
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Rhode Island
…was the site of the Battle of Rhode Island between American forces and the British in 1778. A nearby memorial honors the Black soldiers of the First Rhode Island Regiment who took the brunt of the British attack.
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…was the site of the Battle of Rhode Island between American forces and the British in 1778. A nearby memorial honors the Black soldiers of the First Rhode Island Regiment who took the brunt of the British attack.
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