Underpinning the sensationalism of battle reports & broadsides is the often silent steadiness of women’s work with textiles. The choices they made every day about fashion and fabric consumption & creation drove the course of Revolution just as determinedly as any congress. As southern New England commemorates the 250th anniversary (semiquincentennial) of the War for Independence, it is these local lives dressed in fulled wool or spun silk that continue to inspire creativity, resilience, and empathy in us today. 

From the mythology of homespun to legends of midnight rides in red cloaks & calashes, the Dirty Blue Shirts share stories of women who waged war on multiple fronts as well as a look at what they wore as their worlds turn’d upside down. 

This program is presented by costumed historians and includes reproduction clothing pieces & fabric samples as well as a PowerPoint presentation with images of extant originals.

Learn more about the Dirty Blue Shirts on their website.

This program is free and open to the public. Contact Reference with any questions at (401) 596-2877 x306.

About the presenters:

Uncovering history is dirty work! The Dirty Blue Shirts is an experiential history collective of living historians, scholars, and artists based in New London County & Western Rhode Island. Its members worked together on the front lines of a maritime museum, both aloft on tall ships and on land as historic roleplayers. Now they bring customized, museum quality programming to historic sites throughout New England, offering presentations & workshops on environmental history, blacksmithing, fiber arts, woodworking, historical dress, original & traditional music, immigrant history, theatre, and of course maritime culture & history. From Revolution to Prohibition: their passion is bringing American history to life. Whether in plain clothes or period attire, research and authenticity are at the heart of everything the Shirts do.