The first English settlers arrived in the area that would encompass Newport in 1638, following Anne Hutchinson, whose religious beliefs challenged the foundations of Puritanism and resulted in her banishment from Boston. She and her followers traveled to Aquidneck Island after the establishment of nearby Providence by Roger Williams, whose freethinking religious ideas also got him banished from Massachusetts. The island would become a haven for colonists frustrated with political intervention in their religious life and seeking a commitment to liberty of conscience and religion.

“Haven for the Cause of Conscience”

Far from an empty island wilderness, the English settlers found a tribe of Native Americans who had established a large summer settlement at the northern end of Narragansett Bay. They negotiated a land agreement with the Narragansett tribe and settled at what would become modern-day Portsmouth. Following a political fallout with Hutchinson, a settler named William Coddington decided to strike out on his own and left the original group with a band of followers, traveling to the southern tip of the island and establishing the settlement of Newport. They welcomed various religious groups seeking asylum from religious intolerance in other countries, including Quakers and Jews, whose international trade connections would help transform the settlement from a small seaside outpost to one of colonial America’s busiest and wealthiest port cities.

“The citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy – a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship.” – George Washington, Letter to the Hebrew Congregation at Newport, 1790

As a homeport to numerous sailing vessels, the “City by the Sea” engaged in farming, fishing, and shipbuilding, later expanding to whaling and the trading of rum, textile, and slaves. It served as the capital city of Rhode Island until the state capital was moved to Providence in 1904. A popular haven for pirates and patriots, Newport was occupied by British forces during the early days of the American Revolution, until they abandoned the city in 1780. Newport would then become the base of operation by the pro- revolutionary French forces that would assist General George Washington at the Battle of Yorktown.

America’s First Resort

Despite its success as a bustling seaport, the Industrial Revolution did not take hold in Newport and its landscape, dotted with 17 th -century buildings, had changed little with the times. Instead of a developmental hindrance, this would become one of Newport’s biggest assets. The town promoted itself as an idyllic summer destination, using its picturesque waterfront and relaxed ambiance to attract visitors during the mild summer months. During the antebellum period, Newport became a haven for an influential group of creative makers and thinkers, including artists, writers, theologians, and scientists.

These tastemakers would reshape the cultural structure of American life and solidify Newport’s standing as a creative, sophisticated travel destination.