"America's Best Idea: The Separation of Church and State" with author Randall Balmer

Thursday, August 28th, 2025 Richard I. Burnham Resource Center | 82 Touro Street, Newport Admission $15 – $20 per person | *Student Discounts now available $10 with valid student ID 6:30pm to 7:30pm doors open at 5:30pm for a complimentary reception The 1st Amendment to......More

Thursday, August 28th, 2025 Richard I. Burnham Resource Center | 82 Touro Street, Newport Admission $15 – $20 per person | *Student Discounts now available $10 with valid student ID 6:30pm to 7:30pm doors open at 5:30pm for a complimentary reception The 1st Amendment to the US Constitution codified the principle that government should play no role in favoring or supporting any religion, while allowing free exercise of all religions (including unbelief). More than 200 years later, the results from this experiment are overwhelming: The separation of church and state has shielded the government from religious factionalism, and the United States boasts a diverse religious culture unmatched in the world. But changes have been taking place at an accelerating pace in recent years. The current Supreme Court has shifted away from excluding the influence and practice of religion at public institutions and in our laws and policies, and moved dramatically toward protecting the inclusion and promotion of religion in publicly funded undertakings. Moreover, adherents to a Christian Nationalism ideology have grown more vocal and emboldened, and are increasingly moving into positions of power. Randall Balmer, one of the premier historians of religion in America, reviews both the history of the separation of church and state and various attempts to undermine that wall. Despite the fact that the 1st Amendment and the separation of church and state has served the nation remarkably well, he argues, its future is by no means assured.   Book now!

History Happy Hour Open House

Every third Tuesday of the Month | 4pm – 7pm Richard I. Burnham Resource Center 82 Touro Street, Newport, RI Free with any Donation Join us for an evening at the NHS’ current exhibition, “Newport 1775: Whose Side Are You On?” History Happy Hour is Social Hour at the NHS......More

Every third Tuesday of the Month | 4pm – 7pm Richard I. Burnham Resource Center 82 Touro Street, Newport, RI Free with any Donation Join us for an evening at the NHS’ current exhibition, “Newport 1775: Whose Side Are You On?” History Happy Hour is Social Hour at the NHS, bring your friends, family and all of your questions! Visit our new exhibit during evening hours, enjoy a drink, and chat with other guests and staff about Newport’s role in the Revolutionary War. Extended evening hours occur every third Tuesday of the month from 4pm to 7pm for guests to explore the exhibition after normal business hours. All guests who make a $10.00 donation or more to the Newport Historical Society will receive a free drink! Upcoming History Happy Hour Dates: September 16th, 2025October 21st, 2025November 18th, 2025December 16th, 2025Reservations are highly recommended, reserve your spot today by visiting, https://newporthistorytours.org/calendar/

NHS Resource Center, 82 Touro Street, Newport, RI, 02840

The Precious Birthright: Black Leaders & the Fight to Vote in Antebellum Rhode Island with author CJ Martin

Thursday, September 18th, 2025 Richard I. Burnham Resource Center | 82 Touro Street, Newport Admission $15 – $20 per person | *Student Discounts now available $10 with valid student ID 6:30pm to 7:30pm doors open at 5:30pm for a complimentary reception   In 1842, Black ......More

Thursday, September 18th, 2025 Richard I. Burnham Resource Center | 82 Touro Street, Newport Admission $15 – $20 per person | *Student Discounts now available $10 with valid student ID 6:30pm to 7:30pm doors open at 5:30pm for a complimentary reception   In 1842, Black Rhode Islanders secured a stunning victory rarely seen in antebel­lum America: they won the right to vote. Amid heightened public discourse around shifting ideas of race, citizenship, and political rights, they methodically deconstructed the arguments against their enfranchisement and chose the perfect moments in which to act forcefully. At the head of this movement was a cohort of prominent business and commu­nity members that formed an early example of a Black leadership class in the US. In The Precious Birthright, CJ Martin argues that Black leaders employed a unique combination of agitation and accommodation to ensure the success of this movement. Exploring a fight that was as important to the pioneers of interracial democracy as it was for the civil rights activists of the twentieth century, The Precious Birthright provides new insight into the larger story of Black freedom.   Book now!

Richard I. Burnham Resource Center, 82 Touro Street, Newport, Rhode Island, 02840