Gaspee Point is a small peninsula on the west side of the southern reaches of the

Providence River The Providence River is a tidal river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 8 miles (13 km). There are no dams along the river's length, although the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier is located south of downtown to protect ...

Warwick, Rhode Island Warwick ( or ) is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States, and is the third-largest city in the state, with a population of 82,823 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Warwick is located approximately south of downtown Pr ...

. It is bounded on the north by Passeonkquis Cove and on the south by Occupessatuxet Cove, and is accessible by Namquid Drive in Warwick. The site was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1972.

''Gaspée'' affair

Gaspee Point was the site of one of the first acts in the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

when the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

's HMS ''Gaspee'' was grounded there by

American patriots Patriots (also known as Revolutionaries, Continentals, Rebels, or Whigs) were colonists in the Thirteen Colonies who opposed the Kingdom of Great Britain's control and governance during the colonial era and supported and helped launch the Amer ...

on June 9, 1772 in what became known as the ''Gaspée'' affair. The ''Gaspee'' was a revenue

schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...

locally detested for its enforcement of the unpopular

Navigation Acts The Navigation Acts, or more broadly the Acts of Trade and Navigation, were a series of English laws that developed, promoted, and regulated English ships, shipping, trade, and commerce with other countries and with its own colonies. The laws al ...

. Patriots boarded and burned the ship during the night of June 9, 1772 in an act of open rebellion against the colonial-era governance of the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

References

External links

Gaspee Point
American Revolution on the National Register of Historic Places Conflict sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island Geography of Kent County, Rhode Island National Register of Historic Places in Kent County, Rhode Island Warwick, Rhode Island {{KentCountyRI-NRHP-stub

''Gaspée'' affair

See also

References

External links