From pre-colonial times through World War II , the town of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, has served as a stage for the dramatic evolution of American history. Dispossessed citizens from the Massachusetts Bay Colony came to Portsmouth in the spirit of religious and political tolerance, paving the way for the establishment of a large Quaker settlement in town. Revolutionary leaders such as George Washington, Lafayette, and Rochambeau visited the summer residences of wealthy Newport merchants in Portsmouth, including the home of Tory, Metcalf Bowler. During the Civil War, the Melville area of Portsmouth was the site of a hospital for wounded Union soldiers and Confederate prisoners, and was an active stop on the Underground Railroad. Prior to World War II , John F. Kennedy received his PT boat training in Portsmouth, and Raytheon has kept many employed in the defense industry ever since.