A plan of the town of Newport in the province of Rhode Island

Unique among colonial settlements, Newport, R.I. embraced the notions of religious tolerance and social service, and became one of the five largest cities in British North America. An economy built upon shipbuilding, the maritime trades, and agriculture allowed the town to grow into an important harbor where raw materials entered and finished products were exported. This 1781 chart lists the numerous places of interest in the town, including wharves, public buildings, places of worship and streets. Newport merchants increasingly smuggled goods in and out of Narragansett Bay to evade paying taxes, and this lawlessness led to the stationing of the ship Gaspee II in the Bay, to monitor the flow of goods.

Courtesy of Boston Public Library

norman b leventhal map center collection boston public library norman b leventhal map center nautical charts rhode island newport early works to 1800 newport r i maps newport county rhode island island atlases english joseph f w joseph frederick wallet des barres 1722 1824 ultra high resolution high resolution city plans vintage maps

1781

Boston Public Library

https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/

Public Domain