First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act
Introduced February 13, 2025 · Last action February 13, 2025
Plain English Summary
This bill authorizes Congress to award a single Congressional Gold Medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment, a Revolutionary War unit that enlisted approximately 200 African American, Indigenous, and enslaved men between 1778 and 1783—among the first racially integrated military units in American history. The medal will be displayed at the Rhode Island State Library, and the Treasury Department may sell bronze duplicates to recover costs.
Who benefits
The Rhode Island State Library, which receives the gold medal for permanent display and research purposes; the U.S. Mint, whose Public Enterprise Fund is authorized to cover production costs and receives revenue from bronze medal sales; historians and researchers studying Revolutionary War military service and racial integration; the general public visiting the Rhode Island State Library.
Who pays / loses
The U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund bears the initial production costs for the gold and bronze medals (design, materials, labor, machinery overhead), though these costs are intended to be offset by bronze medal sales revenue.
Funding & Lobbying Interests
This is a ceremonial bill with no private financial interests. Congressional Gold Medals are authorized through standard legislative process. No lobbying or donor information is relevant, as the bill honors a historical military unit and imposes no regulatory or subsidy changes that would attract industry interest. The bill's costs are absorbed by the U.S. Mint's existing enterprise fund, a self-sustaining operation.
Political Impact
Affected Groups
Descendants of the approximately 200 soldiers of color who served in the First Rhode Island Regiment; Rhode Island residents and historians; visitors to the Rhode Island State Library; the U.S. Mint's operational budget.
Political Subtext
Proponents frame this as historical recognition of an overlooked achievement in American racial integration and military service—specifically, that Rhode Island authorized the enlistment of enslaved and free men of color, and freed those who served. The bill emphasizes their combat heroism at the Battle of Rhode Island (1778) and their five-year service through the war's end. This is framed as rectifying historical omission and honoring sacrifice. No organized opposition to the bill is evident in the legislative record. The bipartisan sponsorship (29 co-sponsors including representatives from both parties) suggests consensus on honoring this unit. Non-partisan historical sources confirm the First Rhode Island Regiment was indeed one of the first integrated military units in U.S. history and that the soldiers faced post-war efforts at re-enslavement and wage denial.
Real-World Stakes
If passed, this medal recognizes the First Rhode Island Regiment's historical role but imposes no substantive policy changes. Congressional Gold Medals are purely ceremonial honors; they do not create entitlements, change benefits, or alter law. The medal's display at the Rhode Island State Library increases public access to the regiment's history. Bronze duplicates may be purchased by collectors and institutions, creating a minor revenue stream for the Mint. This follows the precedent of other Revolutionary War-era Congressional Gold Medals awarded to units and individuals (e.g., the 2008 gold medal to Native American Code Talkers of World War II, or 2016 medals to Frederick Douglass and other historical figures). The bill's passage would contribute to broader recognition of racial integration in the Continental Army—a documented but historically understudied aspect of Revolutionary War military composition.
Sponsor
Sponsor information not available.
Vote Record
No recorded votes.
Campaign Finance — Primary Sponsor
No campaign finance data available yet.
501(c)(4) disclosure: Contributions from 501(c)(4) "dark money" organizations are not required to be publicly disclosed and are not reflected in the figures above. Data sourced from FEC public disclosure filings.
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