Portsmouth Harbor, NH
by Marcia Lee Jones
Title
Portsmouth Harbor, NH
Artist
Marcia Lee Jones
Medium
Photograph - Photography- Digital Artwork
Description
In 1774, in the lead-up to the Revolution, Paul Revere rode to Portsmouth warning that the British Royal Navy was coming to capture the port. Although Fort William and Mary protected the harbor, the Patriot government moved the capital inland to Exeter, which ensured that it would be under no threat from the Royal Navy, which bombarded Falmouth (now Portland, Maine) instead on October 18, 1775. Portsmouth was the destination for several of Beaumarchais's ships containing material, such as artillery, tents, and gunpowder, to help the American revolutionary effort. African Americans helped defend Portsmouth and New England during the war. In 1779, 19 enslaved African Americans from Portsmouth wrote a petition to the state legislature and asked that it abolish slavery in recognition of their war contributions and in keeping with the principles of the Revolution. Their petition was not answered, but New Hampshire later abolished slavery.
Uploaded
August 29th, 2022
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