PROVIDENCE, RI – This month, Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea will mark the 240th anniversary of Rhode Island's independence with the Treasures from the Archives exhibition series. The original handwritten Act passed by the Rhode Island Colony's General Assembly on May 4, 1776 will be on display during the entire month of May. The "Act of Renunciation", as it is commonly called, demonstrates Rhode Island's early, courageous defiance of King George III who, in the words of the Act, was "endeavoring to destroy the good People of this Colony."
"The 1776 Act of Renunciation offers tangible proof of Rhode Islanders' independent spirit, as well as the Colony's courage in the early stages of the American Revolution," Secretary Gorbea said.
Rhode Island was the first colony to renounce allegiance to Great Britain's King George III by an official legislative act. The Act marks an important step towards the formal Declaration of Independence signed only two months later. The Act of Renunciation is one of many holdings at the State Archives documenting Rhode Island's rich and diverse history.
"The power of having such a robust State Archives is that it serves as our very own time capsule that we can open at any time to see how the actions by concerned citizenry can not only shape our history, but also relate to current events," Gorbea said. "For example, the Act on display in this month's Treasures shows how the process of lawmaking – proposal, consideration, revision and occasionally repeal – is similar to what it was back in 1776."
Treasures from the Archives is a "pop up" exhibition series at the State House Library that highlights the exceptional holdings of the Rhode Island State Archives. Exhibitions of original archival items will be on view for approximately four weeks at a time. These will include historic photographs, documents, and artifacts that chart Rhode Island's rich and diverse history.
This month's exhibition will be on display through the month of May.
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Media contact: Nicole Lagace nlagace@sos.ri.gov (401) 330-3180