Q: Is Newport more historically significant than Boston, Philadelphia, or other colonial cities? A: The five important American centers in colonial times were Boston, Newport, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. Each had a distinct personality, dictated by the political and religious beliefs of its founders. Newport was no more significant than the others, but it was quite different because of its insistence on the separation of church and state and its long battle to establish religious freedom for all of its inhabitants. Boston was Puritan; the founders of Newport were in full flight from the strict orthodoxy of that port because they believed that religion was a private matter. It must be remembered that freedom to follow one's own beliefs was considered suspicious, even dangerous, at that time. Newport's significance is that it was the first large community in the English colonies to experiment with real democracy, which included the right of religious freedom, not just tolerance. The America we live in today is a direct descendant of the government practiced in the 1630s and 1640s in Rhode Island, not the constrictive theocracy espoused in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. When searching for the roots of American government and the practice of the separation of church and state as we know it today, one must look to Newport, not other colonial towns. Q: Why has Newport been overlooked as the birthplace for important moments and movements in American history? A: Since the 1880s, Newport has had the reputation of being "The Queen of Resorts" because of the architectural splendors created during the Gilded Age and the colorful characters who inhabited them. That reputation endures, and millions of people come to the city to see the vast "cottages" along Bellevue Avenue and Ocean Drive. But the Gilded Age was far briefer than the colonial era. What most people may not realize is that Newport boasts the largest and most intact collection of authentic colonial architecture, public and private, anywhere in America. No other city in the United States has preserved and burnished its colonial heritage the way Newport has. Some 400 colonial buildings still stand, and not just for show-they are vital components of the community, lived in and worshipped in to this day. Newport's colonial heritage is far richer than any of its neighbors,' and because of the efforts of the Newport Restoration Foundation and the Preservation Society of Newport County, among others, this unmistakably American collection of buildings is a prime destination for visitors wanting to appreciate what life was like during the country's formative years. Q: Who would you call the most important person in Newport's history? A: There were many impressive characters in each era of Newport history, but the most important in my opinion was Dr. John Clarke (1609-1676), a Newport founder, scholar, and Baptist minister. Clarke was the man who wrote the famous Charter of 1663, granted by King Charles II, which guaranteed Rhode Islanders' right to freedom of religion ("a lively experiment") as well as many other liberties. The Charter was the most liberal ever granted by a European monarch up to that time, and the rights protected under it made Rhode Island the freest of the 13 colonies. Clarke's language in the Charter predates by 120 years what the writers of the Constitution made the law of the new United States. Clarke's diplomacy made him one of the most important men in colonial America. The irony is that Clarke is basically unknown to anyone other than Rhode Island scholars; his efforts have gone largely unnoticed by twentieth-century historians caught up in polishing the busts of John Winthrop, John Endicott, and John Cotton. I hope that this book will alter that glaring deficit and bestow on Clarke the attention he deserves. Q: What were some of the findings in your research that most surprised you? A: What struck me most was how continually overlooked Newport has been in the historical record of the colonial era. In the Gilded Age, with the press spotlight on wealth and Veblen's "conspicuous consumption," Newport received excessive coverage. But for the 175-year period the 13 colonies were an adjunct to England, Newport has never received the coverage or credit due for its achievements in government, commerce, or the arts. It made no sense to me: Newport was abundantly rich in important history, but it was underreported in scholarly journals and books. I started to pay attention to where the historians I was consulting were educated to try to figure out why the record was so skewed toward the Bay Colony and New Haven and why I had to dig so far to find good information about the Rhode Island Charter of 1663 or Dr. John Clarke. After a while the puzzle became clearer: the majority of influential twentieth-century historians (who set the agenda for what was "important" about our country), received their postgraduate degrees from Harvard or Yale. Mystery solved: Newport was not important to the majority of these trendsetters because the town had been overlooked for centuries by the inhabitants of Boston and New Haven. Q: What were the most formative events in Newport's history? A: Numerous events helped shape Newport history, but I tend to give more credence to movements. As stated elsewhere, Newport was the first community in the colonies to win a full degree of religious freedom. As an important port in the eighteenth century, a diverse blend of people came to town and, because it was tolerant of differences, stayed. This led to a robust artistic community, the fostering of great furniture makers in the Townsend and Goddard families, daring architects like Peter Harrison, and more. It was the "spirit" of the Newport community that set it apart and made it famous. Newport's harbor is considered one of the finest in North America, and during the town's Golden Age, sea traffic was considerable. But during the Revolution, the British held Newport for three years (and destroyed its robust trade), in part because of the superb harbor. That led to 50 years of stagnation. But again, the harbor saved the town because mercantile relationships formed in the eighteenth century re-emerged in the nineteenth, and the influx of tourists helped create a new Newport. The pendulum kept swinging. As the Queen of Resorts from the 1880s onward, Newport became a center for diplomatic and political intrigue, the city attracted wealthy homeowners, and the myth of romantic Newport was solidified. Q: What lessons does Newport's past offer for us today? A: The most compelling lesson for me is that it is futile for one group of people with a common belief to impose that conviction on people who think differently. Boston tried to impose its theocracy on its more free-minded inhabitants, and they revolted. Roger Williams was expelled from Boston and founded Rhode Island; he was followed by thousands of colonists who wanted to make their lives in their own fashion. Newport offered refuge for freethinkers and prospered. There was no anarchy, no bitter rivalries among religions as the Boston oligarchs predicted. Newporters of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were a diverse lot who made the most of their lives. The "lively experiment" that had worked so well for them was brought to a close only when the British invaded in 1776 and sullied the town over a three-year period. In the eighteenth century, Newporters chose to pursue and fight for democracy; it was not thrust on them. Today, some people feel that they can impose democracy, even when the recipients of this imposition have other ideas. Newport's lesson for me is that, even though ridiculed and scorned by neighbors, its leaders never wavered in their commitment to let individuals decide their own religious practices and form of government. A community's collective choice was and is crucial; what an outside power deems superior does not always guarantee harmony or happiness. Q: How did you come to write this book? What is your connection to Newport? A: In 2000 my wife and I bought a weekend house in Newport because her work often took her to Providence and we both enjoyed Rhode Island. We knew little of Newport's history. One of the first things we looked for was a comprehensive book chronicling the city, and we were told that no such book existed, with the exception of brief overviews for tourists. I read what was available and was intrigued by the fact that Newport had harbored so many colorful personalities and had played such an important role in shaping American attitudes during the colonial and Gilded Age eras. But I was also frustrated because the published accounts of the city were woefully incomplete. A year later, I was asked by longtime resident Ralph Carpenter if I would be interested in writing a narrative history of Newport for the Redwood Library. I said yes. Through the efforts of Mr. Carpenter, money for the book was donated by Gilbert S. Kahn and John Noffo Kahn, and work began. Q: What role has the Redwood Library played in Newport's history? Why did the Library decide to publish this book? A: The Redwood Library opened to the public in 1750 and is the oldest library in America still located at its original site. It is a stunning building, designed by Peter Harrison (referred to as America's first architect), who used a number of pattern books based on the buildings of Palladio to get his inspiration for the library. The Redwood has been an anchor of Newport's cultural community ever since. It has been the place where hundreds of writers, artists, statesmen, religious leaders, and others first found their love of reading and learning, inspiring them to develop their talents. Henry James, Edith Wharton, William Ellery Channing, and countless others were frequent visitors to the Redwood during their Newport years, and in letters to friends, they extol the library's many virtues and diverse volumes. The Redwood decided to publish this book because Mrs. Robert (Oatsie) Charles, chair of the Newport Restoration Foundation and Ralph Carpenter (who published his influential The Arts and Crafts of Newport, Rhode Island, in 1954) urged the library to become involved in this project. When Mr. Carpenter asked Newport philanthropist Gilbert Kahn to support the book's publication and Mr. Kahn agreed to do so through his mother's trust, the Redwood received a grant from the Janet A. Hooker Charitable Trust. To schedule an interview with Rockwell Stensrud, please contact him at Rockwell@RockwellStensrud.com.