In Our Own Words: The Path to Independence

Roundtable discussion

The Path to Independence

10 AM Tuesday December 9, 2025 at the Westport Public Library

A project to transcribe Revolutionary War-era town records

 Co-sponsored by the Westport Historical Society

and the Dartmouth Historical and Arts Society

 The late 1700s was an era of revolution for the American colonies. It was also a time of formation for Westport and other neighboring towns. In the decade following the Revolution, Westport separated from Dartmouth and, in 1787, was incorporated as a town, forging its own unique identity. In order to gain a deeper understanding of this region before, during, and after the Revolutionary War, we will undertake a project to transcribe town meeting records of Old Dartmouth from 1760 – 1790. During this time Old Dartmouth encompassed Westport, Dartmouth, New Bedford, Fairhaven, and Acushnet.

Join our team of volunteer transcribers and take this journey through the 1760s – 1780s! Volunteers can log on to a website FromThePage, a crowdsourcing platform for archives where volunteers transcribe historic documents. It enables volunteers to work from home.

We will kick off this project with a roundtable discussion bringing together local historians from Old Dartmouth communities to provide context and diverse perspectives. In 1776 the town meeting was called in the name of “his majesty King George III.” By 1779 the warrant came in the name of “the Government and people of the state of Massachusetts.” Volunteer transcribers will receive guidelines and an introduction to the website FromthePage. Bring your own questions!