Book Talk on Dark Voyage: An American Privateer’s War on Britain’s African Slave Trade
[FREE]
Wednesday, August 17, 6 p.m.
Aldrich House (110 Benevolent St., Providence, RI 02906)
RIHS Welcomes Writer McBurney to Discuss Latest Work
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Rhode Island Historical Society will host veteran research and writer Christian McBurney on Wednesday, August 17th, at 6 p.m., for a program highlighting his latest work Dark Voyage: An American Privateer’s War on Britain’s African Slave Trade.
Based primarily on a little-known primary source penned by a Newport captain’s clerk, The Journal of the Good Ship Marlborough, McBurney’s new book chronicles the remarkable voyage by this Rhode Island privateer to Africa with its goal of advancing the cause of America’s War of Independence by attacking British slave forts and capturing British slave ships in Africa.
The program will focus on the mastermind behind the voyage, merchant John Brown of Providence, the disturbing mixed motivations of Brown and his privateersmen, and the startling unintended consequences of the attacks by the Marlborough and other American privateers in disrupting Britain’s huge slave trading industry. This is a previously unknown Rhode Island story with international implications.
The program will be hosted at the Rhode Island Historical Society’s Aldrich House in Providence.
Tickets are free and are available at
McBurney is author of six books on the American Revolutionary War, as well as many articles on American Revolution and Rhode Island history. He is president of the George Washington American Revolution Round Table of the District of Columbia and is the publisher and chief editor of the online journal at smallstatebighistory.com, devoted to Rhode Island history.
He practices law in Washington, DC and he and his wife have a second home in West Kingston, Rhode Island.
About the Rhode Island Historical Society
The Rhode Island Historical Society, the state’s oldest and only statewide historical organization, is dedicated to honoring, interpreting and sharing Rhode Island’s past to enrich the present and inspire the future. Founded in 1822, the RIHS is an advocate for history as a means to develop empathy and 21st-century skills, using its historical materials and knowledge to explore topics of timeless relevance and public interest.
As a Smithsonian Affiliate, it is dedicated to providing high-quality, accessible public programming and educational opportunities for all Rhode Islanders through its four sites: the John Brown House Museum, the Museum of Work & Culture, the Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center and the Aldrich House.
The headquarters of the Rhode Island Historical Society are located at 110 Benevolent St., Providence, RI 02906. Information: (401) 331-8575. Website: rihs.org. Follow the RIHS on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.