Common Burial Ground, Newport

Common Burying Ground is made up of graves of colonists in Newport who were mainly African slaves and their descendants. This is one of the oldest known African burial grounds in America. It has the first African artwork in the country—headstones carved by a slave named Zingo Stevens, who worked in a stone shop and was freed later. The 282 gravestones date back to the 18th century. They provide an insight into what went on during that period. It also serves as a reminder that Americans of African descent have deep roots in America, its making and its history. This ground is also known as God's Little Acre.