Bill > HR1277

This bill seeks to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment in recognition of their exceptional service during the Revolutionary War. The bill highlights the regiment's unique historical significance as one of the first integrated military units in American history, which recruited and enlisted enslaved African Americans, Indigenous people, and free men of color during a critical period of the war. During the winter of 1777-1778, when the Continental Army struggled with recruitment, Rhode Island passed a groundbreaking law allowing slaves to enlist and gain their freedom through military service. The regiment played a heroic role in the Battle of Rhode Island in 1778, holding back Hessian forces and contributing to the American independence effort. The proposed gold medal would be designed by the Secretary of the Treasury and subsequently displayed at the Rhode Island State Library, with the expectation that it might also be exhibited at other locations associated with the regiment's history. The bill also authorizes the U.S. Mint to create duplicate bronze medals for sale to cover production costs, and formally recognizes the medal as a national medal for numismatic purposes. By honoring the First Rhode Island Regiment, the bill aims to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of a pioneering, racially diverse military unit that helped secure American independence.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1277/all-info