Pirates of Colonial Newport

The story of Newport, Rhode Island’s pirates began with war, ended with revolution and inspired swashbuckling legends for generations to come. From 1690 to the American Revolution, many of Newport’s fathers, husbands and sons sailed under the black flag. They would return home from plundering the high seas to attend church and serve in public offices. The citizens of Newport welcomed pirates with their exotic goods and gold to spend. The community changed its tune when Newport’s prosperous shipping fleet was on the receiving end of piracy during the early eighteenth century. The locals who had once offered safe haven were suddenly more than pleased to cooperate with London’s hunt for pirates. Author Gloria Merchant delves into the fascinating history of Newport’s pirates from Thomas Tew and Captain Kidd’s buried treasure to the largest mass hanging of pirates in the colonies at Gravelly Point.