After the Revolutionary War the triangular trade-the transfer of rum, slaves and molasses among Africa, the Caribbean and New England-made Bristol a popular port for trading vessels and a prosperous community. The result of that wealth still is evident in the fine 18th- and 19th-century homes that grace the town's waterfront, although its harbor now shelters mainly pleasure craft.
Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. designed and built eight defenders of the America's Cup 1893-1934. The shipyard also built the nation's first torpedo boat in 1876. The tradition of boat building continues in Bristol-local companies have built recent America's Cup contenders and winners.
Bristol Historical and Preservation Society, 48 Court St., chronicles more than 300 years of Bristol history; phone (401) 253-7223. Coggeshall Farm Museum, off SR 114, portrays the lifestyles and work of a 1790s coastal farm; phone (401) 253-9062.
Ferry service, available year-round to Prudence Island, departs from the Church Street wharf (weather permitting) at Thames and Church streets; phone (401) 683-0430 for schedule and fee information.
Bristol's Fourth of July Celebration is reputedly the nation's oldest 4th of July celebration, dating to 1785. Festivities include a parade, a Fourth of July Ball, a concert series, a Miss and Little Miss Fourth of July pageant, an orange crate derby and a fireworks show.