NEWS

Posted: 21 August 2011

Reading of the Seixas and Washington letters: For the past 64 years, the Touro Synagogue Foundation and Congregation Jeshuat Israel has provided a ceremony where select individuals read the famous 1790 letter from Moses Seixas, Warden of the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, welcoming President George Washington to Newport. Following, they read President George Washington's letter to the Touro Synagogue.

Written on August 17, 1790, during the infancy of the United States, the Warden of Touro Synagogue welcomes President George Washington for his forthcoming trip to Newport, Rhode Island. The letter captures sentiment and will of a congregation that was welcomed to Newport through Rhode Island's Charter of 1663. George Washington responded by writing the famous Washington letter to the Touro Congregation.

Postings to Virtual Library: Both the 1790 letter from Moses Seixas and  George Washington's letter to the Touro Synagogue have been posted to the John Clarke Society's Virtual Library. Please take time to read these important letters and look through the various documents that have been posted in recent months.

Graveside Ceremony: The United Baptist, John Clarke Memorial Church will hold a memorial at the graveside of Dr. John Clarke to commemorate his birthday in early October. Scheduled for Sunday, October 2, 2011, Rev. Paul Hanson will conduct the service. The graveyard is located at the intersection of Callendar and Dr. Marcus Wheatland Boulevard, behind the Newport Police Station on Broadway. Time of the ceremony will be announced shortly. Free and open to the public. Go to the Virtual Library Directory>>

COMING SOON

Director to lecture at the Rhode Island Historical Society: September 15, 2011, Thursday evening, James Wermuth will deliver a lecture to the Rhode Island Historical Society at the Society's John Nicholas Brown House, 52 Power Street, Providence, RI. The lecture will discuss John Clarke's preeminent role in writing and procuring Rhode Island's Royal Charter of 1663 and the relevance of Clarke's legacy to the current national political environment.

Oxford Scholar to lecture in honor of John Clarke Day: October 1, 2011, Saturday, 11:00 am, Redwood Library & Athenaeum. Free and open to the public. Prof. Victor Victor Nuovo, Ph.D., a John Locke Scholar, will deliver a lecture on John Locke's ideas of freedom of religion. An Oxford scholar and Professor of philosophy at Middlebury College, Dr. Nuovo is a highly revered expert. This lecture commemorates John Clarke Day at the approximate date of his birth.

OLDER NEWS

Posted: 15 August 2011.

News: Rhode Island & Providence Plantation's 1776 Act Repealing An Act has been added to the Society's Virtual Library. Through ratification of the Act..., the Colony or RI&PP formally repealed allegiance to England independent of the other American colonies.

George Brian Sullivan Ph.D. is hereby honored for increasing public access to Rhode Island's founding documents and is named a Friend of the John Clarke Society herewith: Friends of the Society.

Currently Under Consideration: A park honoring John Clarke that would replace the two 1950's era gas stations at the top of Washington Square is currently under consideration. more>>>