page_title: William Greene (governor)
section_title: War effects on Rhode Island
hierarchical_section_title: William Greene (governor) / Political life / War effects on Rhode Island
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Gravure réalisée en 1778 lors de la campagne de d'Estaing lors de la première année de la Guerre d'Indépendance américaine. Entrance to the French squadron of D'Estaing in the Bay of Newport in 1778 under gunfire English. First year of the French engagement in the American Revolution. (Peter Ozanne)
context_page_description: William Greene Jr. was the second governor of the state of Rhode Island, serving in this capacity for eight years, five of which were during the American Revolutionary War. From a prominent Rhode Island family, his father, William Greene Sr., had served 11 terms as a colonial governor of Rhode Island. His great-grandfather, John Greene Jr. served for ten years as deputy governor of the colony, and his great-great-grandfather, John Greene Sr. was a founding settler of both Providence and Warwick.
  Greene served the colony for many years as a Deputy to the General Assembly, a justice and chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, and then as governor. As a governor during the American Revolutionary War, his biggest concerns were the British sacking of the Rhode Island towns of Bristol and Warren, and the British occupation of Newport, which lasted for three years. After eight years as governor, Greene, who supported the use of hard currency, was defeated in the May 1786 election by John Collins who was an advocate of paper money.
context_section_description: Some of the events occurring during Greene's early tenure as governor included the British sacking of the towns of Bristol and Warren on May 25, 1778, and the subsequent arrival of the French fleet on July 29, 1778 under the command of the Comte d'Estaing.  The ensuing Battle of Rhode Island on August 29, 1778 resulted in a stalemate, and the British continued to occupy Aquidneck Island.  An encouraging event for the Americans, however, occurred on October 18, 1778, when the American vessel Hawk, under the command of Captain Silas Talbot, captured the British galley Pigot.
  In October 1779 the British evacuated Newport, after having laid waste to this once wealthy community.  The buildings of Rhode Island College (later Brown University) in Providence were used as a barracks and hospital during the latter part of the war until 1782.  The most important event of 1780 was the arrival in Newport of 44 French ships under the command of Admiral De Ternay, who brought 6000 troops to serve under Count Rochambeau.  Governor Greene convened a special session of the General Assembly to receive the French during this momentous occasion.
  In 1781, after the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown to French and American forces, the General Assembly changed the name of Kings County, Rhode Island to Washington County "in perpetual and grateful remembrance of the eminent and most distinguished services, and heroic actions of the illustrious commander-in-chief of the forces of the United States of America."  As the new nation was forming, in 1782 Rhode Island and Georgia were the only two states that rejected a 5% import tax proposed by congress.  The Rhode Island citizenry and leadership felt that such a tax bore unequally on Rhode Island as a maritime state.  This was one of several considerations delaying Rhode Island's entry into the Union.  Congressional delegate David Howell was backed by a unanimous vote of the House of Deputies and by Governor Greene in rejecting the import tax.
caption: Entry of the French fleet in Newport Bay August 8, 1778 (Drawing by Pierre Ozanne, 1778)
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