The 2004 Gaspee Days
Poster Contest
The Gaspee Days Committee is pleased to announce the 2004 Gaspee Days Poster Contest. This contest is designed to raise awareness and interest in the rich and complex history of the burning of the hated British revenue schooner, HMS Gaspee, by Rhode Island patriots in 1772.  This has been recognized as the first use of deadly force by American colonists against the rule of the British Empire. This incident was also the cause for the re-establishment of the Committees of Correspondence within the thirteen colonies to share information, leading eventually to the American Revolution.

The Gaspee Days Committee has been celebrating 'America's First Blow for Freedom'® for the past 39 years with our annual Gaspee Days Parade and other events.  We desire to encourage the development of further understanding of the Gaspee Affair by now sponsoring the Gaspee Days Poster Contest for high school students.

Facts, Rules, and Submission Guidelines

  1. The Gaspee Days Committee is the sponsor, administrator, and judge for the contest.
  2. All entries must be submitted to the Gaspee Days Committee by April 25, 2003.
  3. Only one entry is allowed per student.
  4. The contest is restricted to high school students.
  5. All posters must make reference to the upcoming Gaspee Days, May-June 2004, or to the Gaspee Days Parade, Saturday, June 12, 2004.
  6. The student’s name, high school, home address and and teacher's name must appear on the back of the submitted poster
  7. There will be one first place winner of $100, one second place winner of $75, and one third place winner of $50.Winners will be notified in writing in May 2004.
  8. The first place winning poster will be published on the website of the Gaspee Days Committee at its Gaspee Virtual Archives site <www.gaspee.org> In entering the Gaspee Days Poster Contest, permission by the author and his/her parent(s) is specifically granted for this web publishing.
  9. Essays are judged for artistic ability and historical accuracy. Great attention will be placed on unique angles and novel ideas in presenting the Gaspee Affair.
  10. Plagiarism will not be acceptable.  All judges are knowledgeable about both the presently available artwork presenting Gaspee Affair and the information sources available on the Internet.  This is not meant to discourage the full use of the Gaspee Virtual Archives as a source for information in creating the artwork.  This website is publicly available at http://gaspee.org/GaspeeGraphics.htm.
  11. Entries should be submitted by April 25, 2004 to:
      1. Gaspee Days Poster Contest,
        c/o Gaspee Days Committee,
        PO Box 1772,
        Warwick, RI 02888.
For questions please contact Erin Flynn, Gaspee Days Committee by e-mail at eflynn@neit.edu

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Last Revised 06/2003   GaspeePoster.htm