BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//The Watch Hill Conservancy - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://thewatchhillconservancy.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Watch Hill Conservancy
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20270314T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20271107T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260701T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260701T190000
DTSTAMP:20260428T121011
CREATED:20260413T200038Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260423T163107Z
UID:10000045-1782928800-1782932400@thewatchhillconservancy.org
SUMMARY:A Lifeline of Liberty: Local Privateering 1775–1777 with Jack Spratt
DESCRIPTION:Join Captain Jack Spratt as he commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with a compelling story of the Revolutionary War along our shores. In 1775 and 1777\, continental privateers—the “maritime militia”—sailed from our waters\, driven by both patriotism and the promise of profit. By capturing British merchant ships\, they kept the “Struggle for American Liberty” fed and armed at its most desperate hour while drastically disrupting British commerce throughout the Atlantic Basin. \nBritish warships chased\, engaged\, and seized American privateers off Watch Hill\, treating them as pirates and sending many to the notorious prison ships anchored in New York Harbor at Wallabout Bay\, where the infamous HMS Jersey became a symbol of suffering and sacrifice. Stonington and Fishers Island endured British foraging raids\, while Gardiners Island\, firmly Loyalist along with much of Long Island\, stood with the Crown\, creating a stark divide across the Sound. \nThis is a story of how ordinary sailors and their neighbors\, in what was truly our country’s first civil war\, helped win the struggle for independence. As part of the program\, Captain Jack will also share recommended local Revolutionary War sites to explore during this remarkable milestone of democracy. \nThe event is free and open to the public.  \nPresented by The Westerly Historical Society\, with support from The Watch Hill Conservancy and Grey Sail Brewing. \n 
URL:https://thewatchhillconservancy.org/event/a-lifeline-of-liberty-local-privateering-1775-1777-with-jack-spratt/
LOCATION:The Chaplin B. Barnes Reading Room\, 1 Bay Street\, Westerly\, RI\, 02891\, United States
CATEGORIES:Special Events & Programs
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://thewatchhillconservancy.org/wp4/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/BCO.18b8724f-c148-494a-a0d0-3bdcff023fc4.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR