John B Hattendorf

Preparations for the Defense of Rhode Island 1755 John B Hattendorf

This 37-page pamphlet provides a selection of four transcribed and annotated original documents on the history of the international security situation that faced one of the British North American colonies in 1755: Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. At this point, France and England had not yet declared war against one another in the Seven Years' War, but the hostilities of the French and Indian War were beginning in the interior areas of North America. The ministry in London was anxious to have the colonies take mutual defensive precautions, but no established system existed to do this. The reactions of each of the colonies to the ministry's directions were different, depending on their positions as royal, proprietary or charter colonies. As a charter colony, Rhode Island responded slowly to the directions from London, but it eventually made what preparations it could. The colony made local plans for modernizing its major fortification to protect its major port, Newport, from French attack, but when the colony requested cannon and other military supplies from London, officials prevaricated and Rhode Island received no military assistance. A sea captain and self-trained architect, Peter Harrison, provided the plans for the proposed new fort and made an early hydrographic survey of the harbor at Newport, Rhode Island, both of which are illustrated in the volume.