Newport is known as a Sailing Town

Most of us in the Northeast know that Newport, RI is the sailing capital on the East Coast and has hosted and kept the America’s Cup right up to the mid 1980’s. This year Newport is hosting the international 12 meter class world championship event, which promises to be the largest ever gathering of these boats in the U.S. This event runs from July 8-13th. Newport has also been the only Volvo Ocean Race American stopover in the last two competitions and hosts a slew of national and international sailing events.

But there is so much more history in this city by the sea. Did you know that Aquidneck island, where Newport is situated, is the first place in America to be founded on civil and religious liberty? Portsmouth, on the northern edge of the island was founded by Anne Hutchinson, a teacher, who had to flee religious persecution in Boston and founded Portsmouth on the ideal of religious freedom. Newport followed suit a few short years thereafter. As a result of the charter that was obtained, the town boasts the oldest Synagogue (Touro Synagogue) in the country as well as the oldest Friends Meeting House (Quakers) in addition to the oldest First Free Black Church.