WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI) today reintroduced bipartisan legislation to posthumously honor America’s first Black military unit with the Congressional Gold Medal. The First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act would commemorate the legacy of this Revolutionary War unit by awarding the Congressional Gold Medal in its honor to the Rhode Island State Library for display and research purposes.
“The courageous soldiers of the First Rhode Island Regiment fought for our nation’s independence, then had to fend off re-enslavement and fight for denied wages after the war,” said Senator Whitehouse. “Awarding a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to our nation’s first Black military unit would secure the members’ rightful place in the history of our state and of our country.”
“In 1778, the First Rhode Island Regiment answered the call and helped unite our nation in the fight for liberty — paving the way as the country’s first integrated military unit,” said Congressman Amo. “Today, as we celebrate Black History Month and the legacy of Black Americans in our military, I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation to finally recognize and express our deep gratitude to these brave individuals.”
“This was the very first integrated military unit to fight for the United States. Members of the First Rhode Island Regiment served with distinction in General Washington’s Continental Army. They fought to secure our nation’s freedom – freedom that Black and Indigenous members of the Regiment would continue to struggle to secure and maintain for themselves long after the war had ceased. I want to thank Senator Whitehouse and Congressman Amo for drafting this legislation and continuing to honor these soldiers and telling the full, multi-faceted story of the First Rhode Island Regiment,” said Senator Reed.
“The First Rhode Island Regiment is a proud part of the state’s history—brave soldiers who fought for our independence in America’s first fully racially integrated unit,” said Representative Magaziner. “This bill ensures their sacrifice is finally honored with a long-overdue Congressional Gold Medal award, cementing their legacy in both Rhode Island and American history.”
The legislation was cosponsored by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), John Hoeven (R-ND), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Fetterman (D-PA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and by Representatives Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Troy Carter (LA-02), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), James Clyburn (SC-06), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Jim Costa (CA-21), Don Davis (NC-01), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Al Green (TX-09), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Hank Johnson (GA-04, Robin Kelly (IL-02), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Betty McCollum (MN-04), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Sylvester Turner (TX-18), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Marc Veasy (TX-33), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05).
“As our nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2026, it is timely and appropriate to ensure that we remember all those who served, struggled, and sacrificed to secure American Independence,” said Museum of the American Revolution President and CEO Dr. R. Scott Stephenson. “We owe a debt of gratitude to those Rhode Islanders of color who wore the uniform and saluted the flag of the fledgling United States in spite of the fact that for most of them, equality was an elusive dream.”
“The African heritage and Indigenous soldiers who comprised the Rhode Island First fought with unwavering courage, earning a newfound sense of pride and determination,” said Theresa Guzman Strokes, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society. “Their bravery not only shaped their own legacy but also laid the foundation for advancing freedom and equality for all Americans. As we approach the 250th Anniversary of our country, we need to remember and honor ALL those who fought and died to establish it.”
“The Newport County Branch-NAACP is most grateful to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Gabe Amo of Rhode Island having introduced legislation that would award the First Rhode Island Regiment with the Congressional Gold Medal,” said Clement “Bud” Cicilline, Member At Large of the Newport County NAACP. “The Regiment displayed uncommon valor in winning the Battle of Rhode Island in the American Revolutionary War. It is entirely fitting and appropriate to bestow such an honor on this group of courageous soldiers who were willing to fight for liberty and justice. The Congressional Gold Medal would recognize the outstanding service that the Regiment provided to our fledgling country, paving the way to the establishment of the greatest democracy in the world.”
“We at BlackPast.org are honored to support the effort led by Senator Whitehouse and others to recognize the men of the First Rhode Island Regiment. We hope that your efforts at the congressional level will bring attention to their long-overlooked courage and their role in helping to create the United States of America,” said Quintard Taylor, Founder of BlackPast.org.
BACKGROUND
Before famous Black military units like the Tuskegee Airmen and Harlem Hellfighters cemented their place in American history, the First Rhode Island Regiment fought valiantly for the nation’s independence.
In the winter of Valley Forge, from 1777 to 1778, the Continental Army faced long odds and had difficulty recruiting the necessary forces. In Rhode Island, the General Assembly called for the enlistment of an integrated force, including enslaved persons, individuals of mixed race, and Indigenous Americans, to help fill the state’s quota. The General Assembly also provided that, upon enlistment, any slave in this new Regiment would be provided their freedom.
By June 1778, nearly 200 men of African and Indigenous descent enlisted to form the First Rhode Island Regiment – now regarded as America’s first Black military unit by the Museum of the American Revolution. In August 1778, the Regiment fought valiantly in one of the Revolutionary War’s turning points, the Battle of Rhode Island. After five years of honorable service, the Rhode Island Regiment was demobilized in June 1783 at Saratoga.
The Congressional Gold Medal was initially established by the Continental Congress in 1776 to honor high achievement and distinction among Revolutionary military and naval leaders. Enactment would be a fitting honor for this group of men, especially given that many former soldiers had to resist efforts at re-enslavement and fight for back wages owed to them for their years of distinguished service.
The First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act is endorsed by the Museum of the American Revolution, BlackPast.org, RI Black Heritage Society and Newport County Branch – NAACP.
Full text of the bill is available HERE.
