Join the John Brown House Museum, a museum of the Rhode Island Historical Society, and the Battle of Rhode Island Association on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at 5:30 pm for a talk from author Michael Cecere on his book Spark of Independence: The American Revolution in the Northern Colonies, 1775–1776. During this lecture, Cecere will discuss the reaction of the American colonies to the outbreak of war in Massachusetts in 1775, and he will highlight key events that occurred 250 years ago – with an emphasis on Rhode Island.
Spark of Independence is the third and final book in the Independence Trilogy. This series answers the question: what happened in the thirteen colonies after bloodshed erupted in April 1775 at Lexington and Concord until independence was declared in July 1776? Ceceres relies on primary source documents to explore both the well-known and lesser-known clashes during those 15 months, and how these events contributed to the growing support across the colonies for independence from Great Britain.
A retired history teacher from Williamsburg, Virginia, Michael Cecere has authored 25 books and numerous articles on the American Revolution, and he works at Colonial Williamsburg – sometimes as a tobacco farmer, other times as a soldier or a colonial dancer.
Tickets are $5 for RIHS Members, and $10 for General Admission. There are also admission & book combination tickets. Guests can register here.