How do you make learning about local history fun? “You turn it into a game,” answers Michelle Girasole, who developed Revolutionary RI250 Quest, an app that offers a 10-week, interactive, statewide scavenger hunt designed to bring the Ocean State’s Revolutionary War history to life. As part of the experience, which includes visits to several historic sites, users explore Revolutionary War battles, uncover stories of little-known heroes, and solve interactive challenges. Along the way, participants encounter historian-led videos, trivia, and puzzles that blend education with entertainment and can even earn points and unlock surprise rewards, creating an engaging experience.
Girasole, who has a background in tourism, believes the semiquincentennial offers a special opportunity for those interested in local history. “This is something that’s very unique,” says Girasole, who owns Fresh Adventures (formerly FreshMaps), a travel company based in North Kingstown. “It’s not happening in other states.” The quest kicks off May 3 with an opening event at the Major General Nathanael Greene Homestead in Coventry. From there, players will journey (at their own pace) to eight locations across the state, including stops in East Greenwich, North Kingstown, and Warwick – home of the Gaspee Incident, along with Providence, Bristol, and Aquidneck Island. At each site, gamers view recorded video from historians, reenactors, and other experts offering their perspective on the war. “For example, North Kingstown town historian Tim Cranston talks about how it was a civil war,” notes Girasole. “Half the people were Loyalists, half the people were Patriots – depending on what side you were loyal to, that really impacted lives.”
Girasole developed the app with support from state and local historical organizations, including the Battle of Rhode Island Association in Portsmouth. “They wanted to create an experience on Butts Hill Fort, an earthwork preserved from the Revolutionary War. Most people don’t know that there was a battle there, so it’s kind of cool to tell that story,” she explains. Other partners include the Varnum House and Armory in East Greenwich, as well as the Portsmouth Historic Society.
The all-ages activity focuses on experiential learning and is designed for students and adults. “We typically learn history in the classroom and then by attending a small house museum tour or a lecture. This brings the docent to your phone. I think it just works with the way kids live these days. So why not leverage it and make it fun?”
While developing the platform, Girasole and her team were sure to include the voices of women and other previously underrepresented populations. They included names like Catharine Littlefield Greene, wife of Nathanael, an integral part of Washington’s inner circle, who spoke French and translated for the Marquis de Lafayette.
“It was important to me to raise awareness of these stories,” she notes. “For example, the Daughters of Liberty protested the Stamp Act before the war, not by throwing tea into the bay, but by having spinning parties – gatherings to produce homespun cloth – to protest buying British goods. It was the first time that women had a chance to influence events outside of the home sphere; they banded together and made proclamations and did fundraising for the militia.”
By blending storytelling, technology, and real-world exploration, RI250 Quest offers a fresh way to experience history – not as something distant and static, but as a living, interactive journey. Learn more about RI250 Quest at MyFreshAdventures.com
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