What This Bill Does
This bill awards a Congressional Gold Medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment collectively in recognition of their service during the Revolutionary War. The medal will be displayed at the Rhode Island State Library. The bill also allows bronze copies of the medal to be made and sold.
Who It Affects
The Rhode Island State Library, the U.S. Treasury Department, the United States Mint, and the general public who may purchase bronze duplicate medals.
Key Provisions
• The Speaker of the House and President pro tempore of the Senate will arrange to award a single gold medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment, a unit that included soldiers of African, European, and Indigenous descent. (Sec. 3a)
• The Secretary of the Treasury will design the gold medal with appropriate emblems, devices, and inscriptions. (Sec. 3b)
• The gold medal will be given to the Rhode Island State Library where it will be displayed and made available for research. (Sec. 3c)
• The Secretary may make and sell bronze duplicate copies of the medal at a price that covers the costs of production, including labor, materials, and overhead. (Sec. 4)
• Money received from selling the bronze duplicates will go into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. (Sec. 6b)
What Changes
The First Rhode Island Regiment becomes honored with a Congressional Gold Medal. The Rhode Island State Library receives the medal for public display. Bronze versions become available for purchase by the public.
Important Definitions
None defined.
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 547
To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the First Rhode Island
Regiment, in recognition of their dedicated service during the Revolu-
tionary War.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 28, 2023
Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. REED, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr.
BENNET, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. CASEY,
Ms. DUCKWORTH, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MURPHY, Ms. WAR-
REN, and Mr. WARNER) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs
A BILL
To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the
First Rhode Island Regiment, in recognition of their
dedicated service during the Revolutionary War.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘First Rhode Island
4
Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act’’.
5
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
6
Congress finds the following:
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•S 547 IS
(1) During the winter at Valley Forge, from
1
1777–1778, the Continental Army had difficulty re-
2
cruiting the necessary quotas of men set by the Con-
3
gress.
4
(2) At the same time, the State of Rhode Island
5
was ordered to supply two battalions while faced
6
with the occupation of the City of Newport by the
7
British.
8
(3) In January 1778, at the urging of Brigadier
9
General James Varnum, General George Washington
10
wrote to Governor Nicholas Cooke of the State of
11
Rhode Island requesting assistance recruiting men
12
for the Continental Line.
13
(4) On February 14, 1778, the Rhode Island
14
General Assembly voted to allow the enlistment of
15
‘‘every able-bodied negro, mulatto, or Indian man
16
slave’’.
17
(5) In addition, the Rhode Island General As-
18
sembly provided that any enlisted slave ‘‘upon his
19
passing muster before Colonel Christopher Greene,
20
be immediately discharged from the service of his
21
master or mistress, and be absolutely free as though
22
he had never been incumbered and be incumbered
23
with any kind of servitude or slavery’’.
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•S 547 IS
(6) As a result, between February 1778 and
1
June 1778, Colonel Christopher Greene, Lt. Colonel
2
Jeremiah Olney and Major Samuel Ward recruited
3
almost 200 men of African heritage and Indigenous
4
descent who formed the core of the First Rhode Is-
5
land Regiment.
6
(7) The First Rhode Island Regiment became
7
among the first units in American History in which
8
men of every race and ethnicity were recruited to
9
serve.
10
(8) On August 28, 1778, at the Battle of
11
Rhode Island, following an attempted siege of Brit-
12
ish-occupied Newport along with the newly allied
13
French fleet, the First Rhode Island Regiment acted
14
heroically in holding back Hessian forces and caus-
15
ing them to retreat.
16
(9) During the Battle of Rhode Island, the
17
First Rhode Island Regiment’s losses included three
18
killed, nine wounded and eleven missing soldiers.
19
(10) Soldiers of color from the First Rhode Is-
20
land Regiment continued to fight bravely to win
21
American independence for 5 more years in an inte-
22
grated Rhode Island Regiment that included men of
23
African, European, and Indigenous descent.
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(11) On December 25, 1783, the last Rhode Is-
1
land soldiers were discharged at Saratoga, New
2
York.
3
(12) Their commander, Colonel Jeremiah
4
Olney, praised the Regiment for ‘‘faithfully pre-
5
serving in the best of causes, in every stage of serv-
6
ice, with unexampled fortitude and patience through
7
all the danger and toils of a long and severe war’’.
8
(13) Afterwards, some veterans of the First
9
Rhode Island Regiment had to consistently resist ef-
10
forts at re-enslavement and fought for back wages
11
from the Rhode Island General Assembly.
12
(14) According to the Rhode Island State Ar-
13
chives, the First Rhode Island Regiment included at
14
least the following soldiers: Babcock, Priamus (Pri-
15
mus); Bent, Prince; Bours, Cato; Brown, Priamus
16
(Primus); Burk, Africa; Burroughs, John; Car-
17
penter, Cudgo; Champlin, Dick; Champlin, Jack;
18
Champlin, July; Champlin, Newport; Champlin,
19
Sharper;
Champlin,
York;
Clark,
James;
20
Coddington, Jack; Fones, Jack; Gardner, Cuff;
21
Gardner,
Hercules;
Gardner,
Minkl;
Gardner,
22
Preamus (Primus); Gardner, Rutter; Gray, Ebe-
23
nezer; Green, Cuff; Greene, Cato; Greene, Jack;
24
Greene, Pero; Greene, William; Hammond, Prince;
25
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•S 547 IS
Harriss, Cesar; Hazard, Backus; Hazard, Jabin;
1
Hazard, Jacob; Hazard, Peter; Hazard, Peter;
2
Lefavour, Thom; Mason, Warsen; Mawney, Cyrus;
3
Minturn, Jack; Mowrey, Pero; Nichols, Thomas;
4
Perry, Ganset; Phillips, Philow; Pierce, Titus; Pot-
5
ter, David; Randall, Prince; Rhodes, Bristol; Rhodes,
6
Priamus; Rhodes, Richard; Rhodes, Samuel; Rich-
7
mond, Ebenezer; Robinson, Mingo; Rodman, Isaac;
8
Rodman, Mingo; Rodman, Prince; Rose, Cesar;
9
Saltonstall, Brittain; Saunders, Sampson; Sheldon,
10
Cesar; Slave; Slave; Smith, Juba; Sweeling, Query;
11
Talbot, Sigby; Tanner, Quam; Tillinghast, Cuff;
12
Updike, Cesar; Updike, Moses; Vaughan, Prince;
13
Vernon, Cato; Watson, Fortune; Wells, Cesar;
14
Wickes, Nat; and Willbour, Boston.
15
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
16
(a) AWARD
AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of the
17
House of Representatives and the President pro tempore
18
of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the
19
award, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold medal
20
of appropriate design to the First Rhode Island Regiment,
21
collectively in recognition of their dedicated service during
22
the Revolutionary War.
23
(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes of the
24
award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the
25
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•S 547 IS
Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
1
retary’’) shall strike the gold medal with suitable emblems,
2
devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Sec-
3
retary.
4
(c) RHODE ISLAND STATE LIBRARY.—
5
(1) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of the
6
gold medal in honor of the First Rhode Island Regi-
7
ment of the Revolutionary War under subsection (a),
8
the gold medal shall be given to the Rhode Island
9
State Library, where it will be displayed as appro-
10
priate and made available for research.
11
(2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of
12
Congress that the Rhode Island State Library
13
should make the gold medal received under para-
14
graph (1) available for display elsewhere, particu-
15
larly at other appropriate locations associated with
16
the First Rhode Island Regiment of the Revolu-
17
tionary War.
18
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
19
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in
20
bronze of the gold medal struck under section 3, at a price
21
sufficient to cover the costs of the medals, including labor,
22
materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.
23
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•S 547 IS
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.
1
(a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—Medals struck pursuant to
2
this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51
3
of title 31, United States Code.
4
(b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections
5
5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals
6
struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic
7
items.
8
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF
9
SALE.
10
(a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is
11
authorized to be charged against the United States Mint
12
Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be nec-
13
essary to pay for the costs of the medals struck under
14
this Act.
15
(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the
16
sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section
17
4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public
18
Enterprise Fund.
19
Æ
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