As I mentioned in my introduction, discussions that mix history, politics, and history can lead to tense conversations and mutual mistrust.  We often come to these conversations with our minds made up and are not open to hearing what others have to say.  I hope that these...

Last week we considered the religion of enslaved Africans, and noted that, although many converted to Christianity, others tried to hold on to their original cultures and religions.  This week, let’s consider the experience of another non-Western group: Native Americans. ...

We’ve spent a lot of time this summer and fall considering ideals about religious toleration in Rhode Island, much of which was possible thanks to the 1663 Charter.  Most of these topics have related to Judeo-Christian religious ideas, and to the European settlers. ...

In the past few weeks, we have been exploring how policies regarding religious toleration at the colony and city level in Rhode Island and Newport played out in daily life.  Last week, we considered why Quakers, a group of Christians who were marginalized in many of the other...

Colonial Rhode Island and Newport were havens for religious dissenters.  The Charter of 1663 promised religious toleration to inhabitants of the Colony, and early laws promised similar religious toleration to inhabitants of Newport itself.  We have already seen how these ideals...

Last week we looked at a map of colonial Newport and explored how the built landscape reflected the town founders’ ideals.  As the early settlers arrived in Newport while escaping religious persecution elsewhere, the town was built to accommodate people with many different...

When many of us think about the past, we think about words.  Words fill the diaries, newspapers, speeches, account books, government documents, and other items that we use to tell the story of the past.  Thus far, our blog series has focused on words: we explored what...

Since the Spectacle of Toleration project celebrates the 350th anniversary of the 1663 Charter of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, let’s spend some time discussing its historical context and the document itself.  Many of us may know that the Charter granted...

In our last few posts here at the Spectacle of Toleration blog, we have been discussing “How Christian an Understanding?,” the June 21 event sponsored by the Newport Historical Society.  Our first panelist, John Fea, author of Was America Founded as a Christian...

Now that we have experienced how to think historically, let’s apply some of those skills.  As we mentioned earlier, a few of our posts will discuss a Newport Historical Society event held on June 21 entitled “How Christian an Understanding?”  John Fea, author of...