Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as
Rhode Island , is a
stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
in the
New EnglandNew England is a region of the United States. It is located at the northeastern corner of the US, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and the state of New York, consisting of the modern U.S...
region of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the
smallest U.S. state by area. Rhode Island borders
ConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and New York to the west and south ....
to the west,
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its population of...
to the north and east, and shares a water boundary with
New York'sNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Long IslandLong Island is an island located in southeastern New York, United States, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City, and two of which are mainly suburban...
to the southwest.
Despite the name, most of Rhode Island is in fact on the mainland. The name
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations derives from the merging of two colonies, Providence Plantations and Rhode Island. Providence Plantations was the name of the colony founded by Roger Williams in the area now known as the City of Providence. Rhode Island was the area now known as
Aquidneck IslandAquidneck Island is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. Its official name, Rhode Island, is used on United States Geological Survey topographic and many other maps, but it is known locally as Aquidneck Island, in part to distinguish it from the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,...
, which now comprises the city of
NewportNewport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States...
and the towns of
MiddletownMiddletown is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,335 at the 2000 census. It lies to the south of Portsmouth and to the north of Newport on Aquidneck Island, hence the name "Middletown."-Geography:...
and
PortsmouthPortsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,149 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 59.3 square miles , of which, 23.2 square miles of it is land and 36.1 square miles...
, the largest of several islands in Narragansett Bay.
Rhode Island was the first of the
thirteen original coloniesThe Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris recognized the independence of the original thirteen United States of America in 1783...
to declare independence from British rule and the last to ratify the
United States ConstitutionThe Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America and the federal government of the United States...
.
Rhode Island's official nickname is "The Ocean State", a reference to the state's geography, as nearly one tenth of the state's inland area is covered by salt water.
Origin of the name
In 1524, Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first European to visit any part of what is now Rhode Island. He came to what is now
Block IslandBlock Island is part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately south of the coast of Rhode Island, east of Montauk Point on Long Island, and is separated from the Rhode Island mainland by Block Island Sound. The United States Census Bureau defines Block...
and named it "Luisa" after
Louise of SavoyLouise of Savoy was the mother of Francis I of France.-Early life:Louise of Savoy was born at Pont-d'Ain, the eldest daughter of Philip II, Duke of Savoy and his first wife, Margaret of Bourbon...
,
Queen motherQueen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in England since at least 1577...
of FranceFrancis I , was king of France from 1515 until his death.Francis I is considered to be France's first Renaissance monarch. His reign saw France make immense cultural advances...
. When the founders of the
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsProvidence Plantation was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a theologian, independent preacher, and linguist on land gifted by the Narragansett sachem Canonicus. Roger Williams, fleeing from religious persecution in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, agreed with his fellow settlers on an egalitarian...
surveyed the land, they thought that Aquidneck Island was the place. A mistake occurred in 1690, when Luisa was charted by the
DutchThe Dutch people are the dominant ethnic group of the Netherlands.Dutch people, or descendants of Dutch people, are also found in migrant communities world wide, notably in Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and the United States....
explorer
Adriaen BlockAdriaen Block was a Dutch private trader and navigator who is best known for exploring the coastal and river valley areas between present-day New Jersey and Massachusetts during four voyages from 1611 to 1614, following the 1609 expedition by Henry Hudson...
, after whom Luisa was renamed by the
Dutch West India CompanyDutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx . On June 3, 1621, it was granted a charter for a trade monopoly in the West Indies by the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands and given jurisdiction over the African slave...
; however, their motives in doing so are unknown. The official explanation by the State of Rhode Island is that Adriaen Block named the area "Roodt Eylandt" meaning "red island" in reference to the red clay that lined the shore, and that the name was later anglicized when the region came under British rule.
Another hypothesis on the origin of the name is that when Verrazzano sailed into Narragansett Bay, the many islands reminded him of the
Aegean SeaThe Aegean Sea is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey respectively. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
, and he named it for
RhodesRhodes is a Greek island approximately southwest of Turkey in eastern Aegean Sea...
. This is what is said on the Verrazzano Monument in downtown
ProvidenceProvidence is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, and one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the estimated second or third largest city in the New England region...
at Monument Park near the
Rhode Island School of DesignThe Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877 and is currently located at the base of College Hill and contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources...
.
Roger WilliamsRoger Williams was an English theologian, a notable proponent of religious toleration and the separation of church and state and an advocate for fair dealings with Native Americans...
, a theologian who was one of the first to advocate freedom of religion, separation of church and state, abolition of slavery, and equal treatment to Native Americans, was forced out of Massachusetts Bay Colony. Seeking religious and political tolerance, he and others founded 'Providence Plantations' as a free proprietary colony. "Providence" referred to divine providence and "plantations" referred to the British
term for a colonyPlantation was an early method of colonization in which settlers were "planted" abroad in order to establish a permanent or semi-permanent colonial base...
(people leave one place and are "planted" in another)---the name bore no relation to later southern slave plantations. Later, Providence Plantations and Rhode Island were merged to form the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
"Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" is the longest official name of any state in the US. On June 25, 2009, the Legislature of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations voted to allow the people to decide whether to keep the name or drop "Providence Plantations" due to the perception that the name relates to
slaverySlavery is a form of forced labor in which people are considered to be the property of others. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to receive compensation...
.
Roger WilliamsRoger Williams may refer to:* Roger Williams , Welsh soldier of fortune* Roger Williams , English theologian, co-founder of Rhode Island...
named the original colony Providence Plantation, in recognition of agriculture as the basis of its economy and believing that God had brought him and his followers there.
Geography
Rhode Island covers an area of approximately 1,545 square miles (4,002 km²) and is bordered on the north and east by
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its population of...
, on the west by
ConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and New York to the west and south ....
, and on the south by
Rhode Island SoundRhode Island Sound is a strait of water, off the coast of the state of Rhode Island at mouth of Narragansett Bay. It forms the eastern extension of Long Island Sound and opens out the Atlantic Ocean between Block Island and Martha's Vineyard....
and the Atlantic Ocean. It shares a narrow maritime border with New York State between Block Island and
Long IslandLong Island is an island located in southeastern New York, United States, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City, and two of which are mainly suburban...
. The mean
elevationThe elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, often the mean sea level. Elevation, or geometric height, is mainly used when referring to points on the Earth's surface, while altitude or geopotential height is used for points above the surface, such as an...
of the state is 200 feet (60 m).
Nicknamed the Ocean State, Rhode Island is home to a number of oceanfront beaches. It is mostly flat with no real mountains, and the state's highest natural point is
Jerimoth HillJerimoth Hill is the name of the highest natural point in the U.S. state of Rhode Island, at 812 feet above sea level. It was once one of the most controversial U.S. highpoints due to property complications, but it is now accessible to the public on weekends...
, only 812 feet (247 m) above sea level.
Located within the
New EnglandNew England is a region of the United States. It is located at the northeastern corner of the US, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and the state of New York, consisting of the modern U.S...
province of the Appalachian Region, Rhode Island has two distinct natural regions. Eastern Rhode Island contains the
lowlandIn physical geography, a lowland is any broad expanse of land with a general low level. The term is thus applied to the landward portion of the upward slope from oceanic depths to continental highlands, to a region of depression in the interior of a mountainous region, to a plain of denudation, or...
s of the
Narragansett BayNarragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi
2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
, while Western Rhode Island forms part of the New England Upland. Narragansett Bay is a major feature of the state's topography.
Block IslandBlock Island is part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately south of the coast of Rhode Island, east of Montauk Point on Long Island, and is separated from the Rhode Island mainland by Block Island Sound. The United States Census Bureau defines Block...
lies approximately 12 miles (19 km) off the southern coast of the mainland. Within the Bay, there are over 30 islands. The largest is
Aquidneck IslandAquidneck Island is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. Its official name, Rhode Island, is used on United States Geological Survey topographic and many other maps, but it is known locally as Aquidneck Island, in part to distinguish it from the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,...
, shared by the municipalities of Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth. The second-largest island is
ConanicutConanicut Island is the second largest island in Narragansett Bay, in the state of Rhode Island. It is connected on the east to Newport, Rhode Island on Aquidneck Island by the Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, and on the west to North Kingstown, Rhode Island on the...
; the third-largest is
PrudencePrudence Island is the third largest island in Narragansett Bay in the U.S. state of Rhode Island and part of the town of Portsmouth. It is located near the geographical center of the bay. It is defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 3, Census Tract 401.03 of Newport County,...
.
A rare type of
rockIn geology, rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
called
CumberlanditeCumberlandite is the U.S. state of Rhode Island's state rock. It is only found in large concentrations on a lot in Blackstone Valley, Cumberland, and in traces scattered throughout the Narragansett Bay watershed. Due to its high amounts of iron, it is slightly magnetic.The unique mineral was...
, found only in Rhode Island (specifically in the town of
CumberlandCumberland is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States, incorporated in 1746. The population was 31,840 at the 2000 census.-History:...
), is the state rock. There were initially two known deposits of the mineral, but since it is an ore of iron, one of the deposits was extensively mined for its ferrous content.
Climate
Rhode Island is an example of a cold winter
humid continental climateThe humid continental climate is a climate found over large areas of landmasses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between polar and tropical air masses. The humid continental climate is marked by variable weather patterns and a large seasonal...
with hot, rainy summers and chilly winters. The highest temperature recorded in Rhode Island was 104 °
FFahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Today, the scale has been replaced by the Celsius scale in most countries; it is still in use for non-scientific purposes in the United States and a few other nations, such as...
(40 °
CCelsius is a temperature scale that is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
), recorded on August 2, 1975 in Providence. The lowest recorded temperature in Rhode Island was -23 °F (-30.5 °C), on January 11, 1942 in Kingston. Monthly average temperatures range from a high of 83 °F (28 °C) to a low of 20 °F (-7 °C).
Colonial era: 1636-1770
In 1636,
Roger WilliamsRoger Williams was an English theologian, a notable proponent of religious toleration and the separation of church and state and an advocate for fair dealings with Native Americans...
, after being banished from the
Massachusetts Bay ColonyThe Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, centered around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston...
for his religious views, settled at the tip of Narragansett Bay, on land granted to him by the Narragansett tribe. He called the site
ProvidenceProvidence is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, and one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the estimated second or third largest city in the New England region...
and declared it a place of religious freedom. Detractors of the idea of liberty of conscience sometimes referred to it as "Rogue's Island".
In 1638, after conferring with Williams,
Anne HutchinsonAnne Hutchinson was a pioneer settler in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Netherlands, and the unauthorized minister of a dissident church discussion group. Hutchinson held Bible meetings for women that soon had great appeal to men as well...
,
William CoddingtonWilliam Coddington was the first governor of Rhode Island.- Birth and migration to Massachusetts :Coddington was born in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. He migrated to the American colonies in 1630 with the original Massachusetts Bay Company. He served as its treasurer from 1634-1636...
,
John ClarkeJohn Clarke was a medical doctor, Baptist minister, co-founder of the colony of Rhode Island and author of its charter, and a leading advocate of religious freedom in the Americas.-Early life:...
,
Philip ShermanPhilip Sherman was a prominent leader in early Rhode Island and one of its founders. His last name is sometimes spelled Shearman, which reveals the family’s ancient involvement with shearing sheep and the wool industry....
, and other religious dissidents settled on
Aquidneck IslandAquidneck Island is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. Its official name, Rhode Island, is used on United States Geological Survey topographic and many other maps, but it is known locally as Aquidneck Island, in part to distinguish it from the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,...
(then known as Rhode Island), which was purchased from the local natives, who called it Pocasset. The settlement of
PortsmouthPortsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,149 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 59.3 square miles , of which, 23.2 square miles of it is land and 36.1 square miles...
was governed by the
Portsmouth CompactThe Portsmouth Compact was a document signed on March 7, 1638 that established the settlement of Portsmouth, which is now a town in the state of Rhode Island.-History:...
. The southern part of the island became the separate settlement of
NewportNewport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States...
after disagreements among the founders.
Samuel GortonSamuel Gorton , English sectary and founder of the American sect of Gortonites, was born in 1592 at Gorton, Manchester, in Lancashire....
purchased the Indian lands at Shawomet in 1642, precipitating a military dispute with the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1644, Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport united for their common independence as the
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsProvidence Plantation was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a theologian, independent preacher, and linguist on land gifted by the Narragansett sachem Canonicus. Roger Williams, fleeing from religious persecution in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, agreed with his fellow settlers on an egalitarian...
, governed by an elected council and "president". Gorton received a separate charter for his settlement in 1648, which he named
WarwickWarwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 85,808 at the 2000 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
after his patron. These allied colonies were united in the charter of 1663, used as the state constitution until 1842.
Although Rhode Island remained at peace with the Native Americans, the relationship between the other New England colonies and the Native Americans was more strained, and sometimes led to bloodshed, despite attempts by the Rhode Island leadership to broker peace. During
King Philip's WarKing Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies from 1675–1676...
(1675–1676), both sides regularly violated Rhode Island's neutrality. The war's largest battle occurred in Rhode Island, when a force of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Plymouth militia under General
Josiah WinslowJosiah Winslow was an American Pilgrim leader. He served as governor of Plymouth Colony from 1673 to 1680.Born in Plymouth Colony , he was son of Edward Winslow and Susanna White. In 1651 in London, with his father, he married Penelope Pelham, daughter of Herbert Pelham, the first treasurer of...
invaded and destroyed the fortified Narragansett Indian village in the
Great SwampThe Great Swamp Fight was a crucial battle fought during King Philip's War between the combined colonial militia in New England and the Narragansett tribe.-History:...
in southern Rhode Island, on December 19, 1675. The Narragansett also invaded, and burnt down several of the cities of Rhode Island, including Providence, although they allowed the population to leave first. Also in one of the final actions of the war, troops from Connecticut hunted down and killed "King Philip", as they called the Narragansett war-leader Metacom, on Rhode Island's territory.
The colony was amalgamated into the
Dominion of New EnglandThe Dominion of New England in America was a short-lived administrative union of English colonies in the New England region of North America....
in 1686, as
James II of EnglandJames II & VII was King of England and Ireland as James II, and Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
attempted to enforce royal authority over the autonomous colonies in
British North AmericaBritish North America consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783....
. After the
Glorious RevolutionThe Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, was the overthrow of King James II of England in 1688 by a union of Parliamentarians with an invading army led by the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau who, as a result, ascended the English throne as William III of England...
of 1688, the colony regained its independence under the Royal Charter. The bedrock of the economy continued to be agriculture, especially dairy farming, and fishing. Lumber and shipbuilding also became major industries. Slaves were introduced at this time, although there is no record of any law relegalising slave-holding. Ironically, the colony later prospered under the slave trade, by distilling rum to sell in Africa as part of a profitable
triangular tradeTriangular trade, or Triangle trade, is a historical term indicating trade among three ports or regions. The trade evolved where a region had an export commodity that was required in the region from which its major imports came...
in slaves and sugar with the
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts...
.
Rhode Island was the first of the thirteen colonies to renounce its allegiance to the British Crown, on May 4, 1776. It was also the last colony of the thirteen colonies to ratify the
United States ConstitutionThe Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America and the federal government of the United States...
on May 29, 1790 once assurances were made that a
Bill of RightsIn the United States, the Bill of Rights is the name by which the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are known. They were introduced by James Madison to the First United States Congress in 1789 as a series of articles, and came into effect on December 15, 1791, when they had...
would become part of the Constitution.
Revolution to industrialization: 1770–1860
Rhode Island's tradition of independence and dissent gave it a prominent role in the American Revolution. In 1772, the first bloodshed of the American Revolution took place in Rhode Island when a band of Providence residents attacked a grounded British ship for enforcing unpopular British trade regulations. This incident would come to be known as the
Gaspee AffairThe Gaspée Affair was a significant event in the lead-up to the American Revolution. HMS Gaspée, a British revenue schooner that had been enforcing unpopular trade regulations, ran aground in shallow water on June 9, 1772, near what is now known as Gaspee Point in the city of Warwick, Rhode...
. Rhode Island was the first of the original thirteen colonies to declare its independence from
Great BritainThe Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801...
(May 4, 1776), and the last to ratify the Constitution, doing the latter only after being threatened with having its exports taxed as a foreign nation. During the Revolution, the British occupied Newport. A combined Franco-American force fought to drive them off of Aquidneck Island. Portsmouth was the site of the first African American military unit, the
1st Rhode Island RegimentThe 1st Rhode Island Regiment was a Continental Army regiment from Rhode Island during the American Revolutionary War . Like most regiments of the Continental Army, the unit went through several incarnations and name changes. It became well-known as the "Black Regiment" because, for a time, it had...
, to fight for the U.S. in the
Battle of Rhode IslandThe Battle of Rhode Island, also known as the Battle of Quaker Hill, took place on August 29, 1778, when units of the Continental Army under the command of John Sullivan attempted to recapture the island of Rhode Island , from British forces...
August 29, 1778. The arrival of a far superior French fleet forced the British to scuttle their own ships, rather than surrender them to the French. The
celebrated march of 1781The 680 mile long Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route is a series of encampments and the roads used by U.S. Continental Army troops under George Washington and French troops under Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau from Newport, Rhode Island to Yorktown, Virginia...
to Yorktown, Virginia that ended with the defeat of the British at the
Siege of YorktownThe Siege of Yorktown or Battle of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by General Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by General Lord Cornwallis...
and the
Battle of the ChesapeakeThe Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes, was a crucial naval battle in the American Revolutionary War which took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on September 5, 1781, between a British fleet led by Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas...
began in Newport, Rhode Island under the joint command of General
George WashingtonGeorge Washington was the commander of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the first President of the United States of America...
who led American soldiers and the Comte de Rochambeau who led French soldiers sent by King Louis XVI. These allied forces spent one year in
Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, and one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the estimated second or third largest city in the New England region...
, including at Brown University's
University HallThe University Hall at Brown University is the oldest building on campus. Built in 1770, it was originally known as the College Edifice. . Under the presidency of the Reverend James Manning, the building was used to house French and other revolutionary troops led by General George Washington and...
, preparing for an opportune moment to begin their decisive march. Several patriots residing in Rhode Island were involved in the
American RevolutionThe American Revolution is the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America at first rejected the governance of the Parliament of Great Britain, and later the British monarchy itself, to become the sovereign United States of...
, including Royal Governor Samuel Ward, Royal Governor and first Brown University Chancellor
Stephen HopkinsStephen Hopkins was an American political leader from Rhode Island who signed the Declaration of Independence. He served as the Chief Justice and Royal Governor of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and was a Delegate to the Colonial Congress in Albany in 1754 and to the...
, the Reverend James Manning, General
James Mitchell VarnumJames Mitchell Varnum was an American lawyer and a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.-Early Life:...
,
John BrownJohn Brown was an American merchant, slave trader, and statesman from Providence, Rhode Island. In 1764, John Brown joined his brother Nicholas Brown and several others as an original fellow or trustee for the chartering of the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence...
, Dr.
Solomon DrowneDr. Solomon Drown was a prominent American physician, academic and surgeon during the American Revolution and in the history of the fledgling United States.- Early life :...
, Yale College president
Ezra StilesThe Rev. Ezra Stiles was an American academic and educator, a Congregationalist minister, theologian and author. He was president of Yale College .-Biography:...
and first United States Senator from Rhode Island
Theodore FosterTheodore Foster was an American politician. He was a member of the Federalist and, later, National Republican Parties. He served as one of the first two United States Senators from Rhode Island and, following John Langdon, served as dean of the Senate...
.
The
Industrial RevolutionThe Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions in the United Kingdom. The changes subsequently spread throughout Europe, North...
began in America in 1789 when
Moses BrownMoses Brown was a New England abolitionist and industrialist, who funded the design and construction of the first factory houses for spinning machines during the American industrial revolution, the Beverly Cotton Manufactory and the Slater Mill.-Early Life:Brown grew up in Providence, Rhode Island...
invested in a water-powered textile mill designed and run by
Samuel SlaterSamuel Slater was an early American industrialist popularly known as the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution" because he brought British textile technology to America...
. As the Industrial Revolution moved large numbers of workers into the cities, a permanently landless, and therefore voteless, class developed. By 1829, 60% of the state's free white males were ineligible to vote.
Several attempts had been made to address this problem, but none were successful. In 1842, Thomas Dorr drafted a liberal
constitutionA constitution is a set of rules for government—often codified as a written document—that establishes principles of an autonomous political entity. In the case of countries, this term refers specifically to a national constitution defining the fundamental political principles, and establishing the...
which was passed by popular referendum. However, the conservative sitting governor,
Samuel Ward KingSamuel Ward King was the Governor of Rhode Island from 1839 to 1843.King was born in Johnston, Providence County, Rhode Island to William Borden King and Welthian Walton....
, opposed the people's wishes, leading to the
Dorr RebellionThe Dorr Rebellion was a short-lived armed insurrection in the U.S. state of Rhode Island led by Thomas Wilson Dorr, who was agitating for changes to the state's electoral system.- Precursors :...
. Although this was not a success, a modified version of the constitution was passed in November, which allowed any white male to vote if he owned land or could pay a $1
poll taxA poll tax, head tax, or capitation tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
.
In addition to industrialization, Rhode Island was heavily involved in the slave trade during the post-revolution era.
SlaverySlavery is a form of forced labor in which people are considered to be the property of others. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to receive compensation...
was extant in the state as early as 1652, and by 1774, the slave population of Rhode Island was 6.3%, nearly twice as high as any other New England colony. In the late 18th century, several Rhode Island merchant families began actively engaging in the triangle slave trade. Notable among these was brothers John and Nicholas of the Brown family, for whom Brown University is named, although some Browns, particularly Moses, became prominent abolitionists. In the years after the Revolution, Rhode Island merchants controlled between 60% and 90% of the American trade in African slaves.
Civil War to Progressive Era: 1860–1929
During the
Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
, Rhode Island was the first Union state to send troops in response to President Lincoln's request for help from the states. Rhode Island furnished 25,236 fighting men, of whom 1,685 died. On the home front, Rhode Island, along with the other northern states, used its industrial capacity to supply the Union Army with the materials it needed to win the war. In addition, Newport was the temporary home of the United States Naval Academy during the war. Rhode Island's continued growth and modernization led to the creation of an urban mass transit system and improved health and sanitation programs. In 1866, Rhode Island abolished racial segregation throughout the state.
Post-war immigration increased the population. From the 1860s to the 1880s, most immigrants were from England, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, and Quebec. Toward the end of the century, however, most immigrants were from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. At the turn of the century, Rhode Island had a booming economy, which fed the demand for immigration. In the years leading up to World War I, Rhode Island's constitution remained reactionary, in contrast to the more progressive reforms that were occurring in the rest of the country. The state never ratified the 18th Amendment establishing national prohibition of alcohol. During World War I, Rhode Island furnished 28,817 troops, of whom 612 died. After the war, the state was hit hard by the Spanish Influenza. In the 1920s and 1930s, rural Rhode Island saw a surge in
Ku Klux KlanKu Klux Klan , informally known as The Klan, is the name of several past and present hate group organizations in the United States whose avowed purpose was to protect the rights of and further the interests of white Americans by violence and intimidation. The first such organizations originated in...
membership, largely in reaction to the large waves of immigrants moving to the state. The Klan is believed to be responsible for burning the Watchman Industrial School in Scituate, which was a school for
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
children.
Growth in the modern era: 1929–present
In the 20th century, the state continued to grow, though the decline in industry devastated many urban areas. These areas were affected further, as with the rest of the country's urban areas, by construction of
InterstateInterstate may refer to:*Interstate commerce*Interstate Highway System, a system of high speed, limited access highways in the United States.*New England Interstate Routes, one of the regional precursors of the United States Numbered Highways...
highways through city cores and the suburbanization caused by it and by the GI Bill.
Since the Great Depression, the Rhode Island Democratic Party has dominated local politics. Rhode Island has comprehensive health insurance for low-income children, and a large social safety net. Many urban areas still have a high rate of children in poverty. Due to an influx of residents from Boston, increasing housing costs have resulted in more homeless in Rhode Island.
The Republican Party, virtually non-existent in the state legislature, has successfully put forward occasional state-wide "good government"
reformReform means beneficial change, or sometimes, more specifically, reversion to a pure original state.to reform somethingReform is generally distinguished from revolution. The latter means basic or radical change; whereas reform may be no more than fine tuning, or at most redressing serious wrongs...
candidates who criticize the state's high taxes and the excesses of the Democratic Party. Current Governor
Donald CarcieriDonald L. "Don" Carcieri is the Governor of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Carcieri has had a varied vocational background, having worked as a manufacturing company executive, aid relief worker, bank executive and teacher...
of East Greenwich, and former Mayor Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci of Providence (who later became an independent political boss, and was convicted on RICO charges) ran as Republican reform candidates.
Prominent Democrats include House Speaker William Murphy, Senate President Joseph Montalbano, Providence Mayor David Cicilline, Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis, General Treasurer Frank Caprio, Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva-Weed, and Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts. In recent years, former Speaker of the House John Harwood, State Senator John Celona, and State Senate President William Irons were forced to resign amid scandals.
In 2003, a
nightclub fireFor the 2009 Station fire near Los Angeles, go to August 2009 California wildfires.The Station nightclub fire occurred beginning at 11:07 PM EST, on Thursday, February 20, 2003, at The Station, a glam metal and rock n roll themed nightclub located in West Warwick, Rhode Island, United States; it is...
in
West WarwickWest Warwick is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 29,581 at the 2000 census.West Warwick was incorporated in 1913, making it the youngest town in the state. Prior to 1913, the town, situated on the western bank of the Pawtuxet River, was the population and...
claimed one hundred lives and caught national attention. The fire resulted in criminal sentences.
Law and government
Presidential elections results
| Year |
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
|
Democratic The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
|
| 2008 |
35.21% 165,391 |
63.13% 296,571 |
| 2004 |
38.67% 169,046 |
59.42% 259,760 |
| 2000 |
31.91% 130,555 |
60.99% 249,508 |
| 1996 |
26.82% 104,683 |
59.71% 233,050 |
| 1992 |
29.02% 131,601 |
47.04% 213,299 |
| 1988 |
43.93% 177,761 |
55.64% 225,123 |
The capital of Rhode Island is Providence. The state's current governor is
Donald L. CarcieriDonald L. "Don" Carcieri is the Governor of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Carcieri has had a varied vocational background, having worked as a manufacturing company executive, aid relief worker, bank executive and teacher...
(R), and the lieutenant governor is
Elizabeth H. RobertsElizabeth H. Roberts is currently the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Rhode Island. She serves under Republican Governor Donald Carcieri. She was elected as a Democrat in 2006, becoming the state's first female Lieutenant Governor....
. Its United States Senators are
Jack ReedJohn Francis "Jack" Reed is the senior United States senator from Rhode Island and a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to his election, Reed was a three-term member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district from January 3, 1991 to...
(D) and
Sheldon WhitehouseSheldon Whitehouse is the Junior Senator from the state of Rhode Island. A Democrat, he previously served as United States Attorney and state Attorney General for Rhode Island...
(D). Rhode Island's two United States Congressmen are
Patrick J. KennedyPatrick Joseph Kennedy II is an American Democratic politician serving in the United States House of Representatives, representing the 1st congressional district of Rhode Island....
(D-1) and Jim Langevin (D-2).
See congressional districts map.
Rhode Island is one of a few states that does not have an official Governor's residence.
See List of Rhode Island Governors.
The state legislature is the
Rhode Island General AssemblyThe State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 Representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Senate with 38 Senators...
, consisting of the 75-member
House of RepresentativesThe Rhode Island House of Representatives is the lower house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Rhode Island. It is composed of 75 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Rhode Island...
and the 38-member
SenateThe Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Rhode Island. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of whom is elected to a two-year term. Rhode Island is one of the 14 states where its upper house serves at a two-year...
. Both houses of the bicameral body are currently dominated by the Democratic Party.
Because Rhode Island's population barely crosses the threshold for additional votes in both the federal
HouseThe United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the "House," is the lower house of the bicameral United States Congress, the upper house being the United States Senate. The composition and powers of the House and the Senate are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and
electoral collegeThe Electoral College consists of the popularly elected representatives who formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States. Since 1964, there have been 538 electors in each presidential election...
, it is well represented relative to its population, with the
eighth-highest number of electoral votes and
second-highest number of House Representatives per resident.
Federally, Rhode Island is one of the most reliably Democratic states during presidential elections, regularly giving the Democratic nominees one of their best showings. In 1980, Rhode Island was one of only 6 states to vote against
Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California .Born in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1930s...
. Reagan did carry Rhode Island in his 49-state victory in 1984, but the state was the second weakest of the states Reagan won. Rhode Island was the Democrats' leading state in 1988 and 2000, and second-best in 1996 and 2004. The state was devoted to Republicans until 1908, but has only strayed from the Democrats 7 times in the 24 elections that have followed. In 2004, Rhode Island gave
John KerryJohn Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, and is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee....
more than a 20-percentage-point margin of victory (the third-highest of any state), with 59.4% of its vote. All but three of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns voted for the Democratic candidate. The only exceptions were East Greenwich, West Greenwich and Scituate. In 2008, Rhode Island gave
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first president born in Hawaii...
a 29-percentage-point margin of victory (the third-highest of any state), with 64% of its vote. All of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns voted for the Democratic candidate, except for Scituate.
Rhode Island has abolished
capital punishmentCapital punishment or the death penalty, is the execution of a person by judicial process as a punishment for an offense. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences....
, making it one of 15 states that have done so. Rhode Island abolished the death penalty very early, just after
MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
(the first state to abolish it), and carried out its last execution in the 1840s. Rhode Island is one of two states
in which prostitution is legalIn Rhode Island the act of prostitution is legal, unlike 48 of the 49 other U.S. states, because there is no specific statute that defines it and makes it illegal. However, most activities associated with prostitution are outlawed. For instance operating a brothel is illegal . Street prostitution...
, provided it takes place indoors, though there have been recent efforts to change this. In a 2009 study Rhode Island was listed as the 9th safest state in the country.
Rhode Island has some of the highest taxes in the country, particularly its property taxes, ranking seventh in local and state taxes, and sixth in real estate taxes.
Rhode Island is the third state in the United States to pass legislation to allow the use of medical marijuana.
Demographics
The
center of populationIn demographics, the center of population of a region is the geographical point nearest to all the inhabitants of that region, on average. Mathematically, it corresponds to the geometric median of the inhabitants.- Determination :...
of Rhode Island is located in
Providence CountyProvidence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. As of 2000, the population was 621,602. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Providence County, in the city of Cranston . It is the 93rd most populous county in the United States.-History:Providence County...
, in the city of
CranstonCranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. With a population of 79,269 at the 2000 census, it is the third largest city in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Cranston...
. A corridor of population can be seen from the Providence area, stretching northwest following the
Blackstone RiverThe Blackstone River is a river in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It flows approximately 80 km and drains a watershed of approximately 1,400 km² .-History:...
to
WoonsocketWoonsocket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 43,224 at the 2000 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Woonsocket lies directly south of the Massachusetts border....
, where nineteenth-century mills drive industry and development. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2005, Rhode Island had an estimated population of 1,076,189, which is a decrease of 3,727, or 0.3%, from the prior year and an increase of 27,870, or 2.7%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 15,220 people (that is 66,973 births minus 51,753 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 14,001 people into the state.
ImmigrationAmerican immigration refers to the movement of non-residents to the United States...
from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 18,965 people, and migration within the country produced a net decrease of 4,964 people.
The six largest ancestry groups in Rhode Island are:
IrishIrish Americans are citizens of the United States who trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,495,800 Americans reported Irish ancestry in the 2006 American Community Survey. The only self-reported ancestral group larger than Irish Americans are German Americans...
(19%),
ItalianAn Italian American is an American of Italian ancestry, and/or may also refer to someone possessing Italian/American dual citizenship. Italian Americans are the fourth largest European ethnic group in the United States.-History:...
(19%),
French CanadianFrench Canadian refers to a nation or ethnic group of French descent that originated in Canada during the period of French colonization beginning in the 17th century. They constitute the main French-speaking population of Canada...
(17.3%),
EnglishEnglish Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England. According to 2000 U.S census data, Americans reporting English ancestry made up an estimated 9.4% of the total U.S...
(12%), Hispanic 11% (predominantly Puerto Rican and Dominican, with smaller Central American populations), and
PortuguesePortuguese Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates in the southwest European nation of Portugal, including the offshore island groups of the Azores and Madeira....
(8.7%).
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 8.07% of the population aged 5 and older speaks
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
at home, while 3.80% speaks
PortuguesePortuguese is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia and northern Portugal. It is derived from the Latin spoken by the romanized Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula around 2000 years ago...
, 1.96%
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
, and 1.39%
ItalianItalian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by a total of around 70 million in the world. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City...
.
6.1% of Rhode Island's population were reported as under 5, 23.6% under 18, and 14.5% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 52% of the population.
Rhode Island has a higher percentage of Americans of Portuguese ancestry (who dominate Bristol County), including
Portuguese AmericanPortuguese Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates in the southwest European nation of Portugal, including the offshore island groups of the Azores and Madeira....
s and Cape Verdean Americans than any other state in the nation. Additionally, the state also has the highest percentage of
LiberiaLiberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2008 Census, the nation is home to 3,476,608 people and covers ....
n immigrants, with more than 15,000 residing. French Canadians form a large part of northern Providence County whereas Irish Americans have a strong presence in Newport and Kent counties. Yankees of English ancestry still have a presence in the state as well, especially in Washington county, and are often referred to as "Swamp Yankees." African immigrants, including Cape Verdean Americans,
Liberian AmericanLiberian Americans are American citizens who are of Liberian descent. This includes Liberians who are of African American descent such as the Americo-Liberian people. Immigration to the United States by Liberians began after the First Liberian Civil War in the 1980s and after the Second Liberian...
s,
Nigerian AmericanNigerian Americans are citizens of the United States of America who are or descend from immigrants from Nigeria. Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, approximately one million Nigerians have immigrated to the United States....
s and
Ghanaian AmericanGhanaian Americans are citizens of the United States who are of Ghanaian heritage or were born in Ghana and immigrated to the United States of America.-Early history:...
s, form significant and growing communities in Rhode Island.
Religion
The religious affiliations of the people of Rhode Island are:
- Christian
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
– 87.5%
- Roman Catholic
Roman and Eastern Catholicism in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope, currently Benedict XVI. Catholicism arrived in what is now Continental United States during the earliest days of the European colonization of the Americas...
– 63.6%
- Protestant – 21.6%
-
-
- Episcopalian – 8.1%
- Baptist
A Baptist is a Christian who subscribes to a theology and may belong to a church that, among other things, is committed to believer's baptism and, with respect to church polity, favors the congregational model...
– 6.3%
- Evangelical
Evangelical may refer to:* Lutheranism* Evangelicalism, Christian theological view emphasizing personal faith and the authority of the Bible* Evangelism, Christian proselytism* Protestantism, one of three major branches of Christianity...
– 4%
- other – 3.2%
- Other Christian – 2.3%
- Jewish
Judaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts...
– 1.6%
- Muslim
:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
– 0.4%
- Self-identified non-religious – 6%
- Other religions – 4.5%
The largest single Protestant denominations are the
EpiscopaliansThe Episcopal Church , also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America , is the Province of the Anglican Communion in the United States, Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
with 26,756 and the
BaptistsThe American Baptist Churches USA is a Baptist Christian denomination within the United States. The denomination maintains headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania...
with 20,997 adherents.
Rhode Island has the highest percentage of
Roman CatholicsThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
in the nation mainly due to large Irish, Italian, and French Canadian immigration in the past (these three groups form roughly 55%–60% of the state population); recently, significant Portuguese (though Portuguese communities have existed since the mid 19th century) and various Hispanic communities (these two groups form roughly 20% of the state population) have also been established in the state. Though it has the highest overall Catholic percentage of any state, none of Rhode Island's individual counties ranks among the 10 most Catholic in the United States, as Catholics are very evenly spread throughout the state.
Rhode Island and
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
are the only two states in which a majority of the population are members of a single religious body.
Cities and towns
There are 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island. Major population centers today result from historical factors — with the advent of the water-powered mill development took place predominantly along the
BlackstoneThe Blackstone River is a river in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It flows approximately 80 km and drains a watershed of approximately 1,400 km² .-History:...
,
SeekonkThe Seekonk River is a tidal extension of the Blackstone River in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 8 km . Most historical scholars agree that the name is derived from two Native American words, sucki and honc .-Course:The river begins in name where the Blackstone River...
, and
Providence Riverthumb|The city of Providence as seen from the Providence River at its confluence with the Narragansett BayThe Providence River is a tidal river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 13 km...
s.
Ranked by population, the state's 8 cities are:
- Providence
Providence is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, and one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the estimated second or third largest city in the New England region...
(175,255)
- Warwick
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 85,808 at the 2000 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
(85,925)
- Cranston
Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. With a population of 79,269 at the 2000 census, it is the third largest city in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Cranston...
(81,479)
- Pawtucket
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 72,958 at the 2000 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:Pawtucket was the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution...
(72,998)
- East Providence
East Providence is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 48,688 at the 2000 census, making it the fifth largest city in the state.It is a suburb of Providence.-Geography:...
(49,123)
- Woonsocket
Woonsocket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 43,224 at the 2000 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Woonsocket lies directly south of the Massachusetts border....
(43,940)
- Newport
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States...
(24,409)
- Central Falls
Central Falls is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 18,928 at the 2000 census. With an area of only 1.29 square miles, it is the smallest but most densely populated city in the smallest state, and the thirty-second most densely populated incorporated place...
(19,159)
In common with many other New England states, some Rhode Island cities and towns are further partitioned into villages that reflect historic townships which were later combined for administrative purposes. Notable villages include Kingston, in the town of South Kingstown, which houses the University of Rhode Island, and Wickford, in North Kingstown, the site of an annual international art festival.
Economy
The Rhode Island economy had a colonial base in fishing and farming, each of which respectively became shipping and manufacturing upon independence.
The Blackstone River Valley is known as the "Birthplace of the
AmericanThe economic history of the United States has its roots in European colonisation in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Marginal colonial economies grew into 13 small, independent farming economies, which joined together in 1776 to form the United States of America...
Industrial Revolution". It was in
PawtucketPawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 72,958 at the 2000 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:Pawtucket was the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution...
that
Samuel SlaterSamuel Slater was an early American industrialist popularly known as the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution" because he brought British textile technology to America...
set up
Slater MillSlater Mill Historic Site, also known as Slater Mill or Old Slater Mill, is located on the Blackstone River in Pawtucket, RI. It has been cited as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in America, although an earlier horse-powered factory, the Beverly Cotton Manufactory, claimed the title of...
in 1793, using the waterpower of the
Blackstone RiverThe Blackstone River is a river in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It flows approximately 80 km and drains a watershed of approximately 1,400 km² .-History:...
to power his
cotton millA cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
. For a while, Rhode Island was one of the leaders in textiles. However, with the
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, most textile factories relocated to the American South. The textile industry still constitutes a part of the Rhode Island economy, but does not have the same power that it once had. Other important industries in Rhode Island's past included
toolmakingThe term toolmaking may refer to:* The act of making tools of any kind, from the simplest handtools made of plant fiber or stone, to the most technologically advanced tools. This form of toolmaking is a topic of interest in anthropology. Some non-human animal species also use tools.* Tool and die...
,
costume jewelryCostume jewelry is the first jewelry manufactured as ornamentation for the masses to complement a particular fashionable garment or "costume". Costume jewelry came into being in the 1930s as a cheap, disposable accessory meant to be worn with a specific outfit...
and
silverwareCutlery refers to any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in the Western world. It is more usually known as silverware or flatware in the United States, where cutlery can have the more specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments. This is probably the...
. An interesting by-product of Rhode Island's industrial history is the amount of abandoned factories - many of them now being used for low-income or elderly housing, or converted into offices or condominiums. Today, much of the economy of state is based in services, particularly healthcare and education, and still to some extent, manufacturing.
The headquarters of
Citizens Financial GroupCitizens Financial Group, Inc. is an American bank headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, which operates in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont...
, a 160 billion dollar banking corporation which operates in many parts of the US, is located in
ProvidenceProvidence is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, and one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the estimated second or third largest city in the New England region...
.
The Fortune 500 companies
CVSCVS/pharmacy is the largest pharmacy chain in the United States, with approximately 6,900 stores across 45 states and in Puerto Rico...
and
TextronFounded in 1923 as the Special Yarns Company by Royal Little, Textron , today is a multi-industry company with a portfolio of familiar brands such as Bell Helicopter, E-Z-GO, Cessna Aircraft, and Greenlee, among others...
are based in
WoonsocketWoonsocket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 43,224 at the 2000 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Woonsocket lies directly south of the Massachusetts border....
and Providence, respectively. Verizon,
FM GlobalFM Global is a U.S.-based insurance company, with offices worldwide, that specializes in loss prevention services primarily to large corporations throughout the world in the Highly Protected Risk property insurance market sector. "FM Global" is the communicative name of the company, whereas the...
,
HasbroHasbro is a U.S.-based, multinational toy and boardgame company. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States. The majority of its products, however, are manufactured overseas.-History:In 1923, two brothers—Henry...
,
American Power ConversionSchneider Electric's Critical Power and Cooling Services Business Unit, formerly known as American Power Conversion Corporation, is a manufacturer of uninterruptible power supplies, electronics peripherals and data center products....
, Nortek, and
Amica Mutual InsuranceAmica Mutual Insurance Company was founded in 1907. The company is a national writer of automobile, homeowners, marine and personal umbrella liability insurance. Amica Mutual Insurance Company is headquartered in Lincoln, Rhode Island and employs more than 3,000 people in 39 offices across the...
are all Fortune 1000 companies based in Rhode Island. The GTECH Corporation is headquartered in Providence.
Rhode Island's 2000 total gross state product was $33 billion, placing it 45
th in the nation. Its 2000
per capita personal income was $29,685, 16
th in the nation. Rhode Island has the lowest level of energy consumption per capita of any state.
Health services are Rhode Island's largest industry. Second is tourism, supporting 39,000 jobs, with tourism-related sales at $3.26 billion in the year 2000. The third-largest industry is manufacturing. Its industrial outputs are costume jewelry, fabricated metal products, electrical equipment, machinery, shipbuilding and boatbuilding. Rhode Island's agricultural outputs are nursery stock, vegetables, dairy products and eggs.
The state's taxes are appreciably higher than neighboring states. Governor Carcieri has claimed that this higher tax rate has had an inhibitory effect on business growth in the state and is calling for reductions to increase the competitiveness of the state's business environment. Rhode Island's income tax is based on 25% of the payer's federal income tax payment.
Transportation
The
Rhode Island Public Transit AuthorityThe Rhode Island Public Transit Authority provides public transportation, primarily buses, in the state of Rhode Island. The main hub of the RIPTA system is Kennedy Plaza, a large bus terminal in downtown Providence, Rhode Island...
(RIPTA), which has
its hubKennedy Plaza is a transportation hub in downtown Providence, Rhode Island next to the Providence City Hall and Providence Federal Building. It serves as the nexus of the state's conventional-bus and trolley-replica bus public transit services operated by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority , as...
in
downtown ProvidenceDowntown, also known as Downcity, is the central economic, political, and cultural district of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bounded on the east by Canal Street and the Providence River, to the north by Smith Street, to the west by Interstate 95, and to the south by Henderson Street...
manages local bus transit for the state, serving 38 out of 39 Rhode Island communities. RIPTA has 58 bus lines, 2 tourist trolley lines known as LINK, and a seasonal ferry to
NewportNewport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States...
. The southern terminus of the MBTA commuter rail
Providence/Stoughton LineThe Providence/Stoughton Line is a line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system running southwest from Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The main line was originally built by the Boston and Providence Rail Road, and now carries service between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island...
is also in downtown Providence and connects to Boston. Ferry services link
Block IslandBlock Island is part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately south of the coast of Rhode Island, east of Montauk Point on Long Island, and is separated from the Rhode Island mainland by Block Island Sound. The United States Census Bureau defines Block...
,
Prudence IslandPrudence Island is the third largest island in Narragansett Bay in the U.S. state of Rhode Island and part of the town of Portsmouth. It is located near the geographical center of the bay. It is defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 3, Census Tract 401.03 of Newport County,...
, and
Hog IslandHog Island is an island in Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, USA. It lies at the entrance to the harbor of the town of Bristol, and is part of the town of Portsmouth. The 60-foot tall Hog Island Shoal Lighthouse stands off the south end, warning ships to beware of the dangerous shoals around the...
to the Rhode Island mainland.
The major airport is
T. F. Green AirportT. F. Green Airport , also known as Theodore Francis Green State Airport, is a public airport located in Warwick, six miles south of Providence, in Kent County, Rhode Island, USA. Dedicated in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Island governor and longtime senator Theodore F. Green...
in
WarwickWarwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 85,808 at the 2000 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
, though
Logan International Airport
in Boston is also used. The commuter rail is in the process of being extended to the airport, which will link by rail T.F. Green to Providence and Boston.
Interstate 95Interstate 95, the main north-south Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, runs generally southwest-northeast through the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It runs from the border with Connecticut near Westerly through Warwick and Providence and to the Massachusetts state line in...
runs diagonally across the state connecting major population centers, while the
auxiliary interstate 295Interstate 295 is an Interstate route in length within the U.S. states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. It serves as a western bypass around Providence, Rhode Island. The southern terminus is a junction with I-95 in Warwick, Rhode Island...
provides a bypass around Providence.
Narragansett BayNarragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi
2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
has a number of bridge crossings connecting
Aquidneck IslandAquidneck Island is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. Its official name, Rhode Island, is used on United States Geological Survey topographic and many other maps, but it is known locally as Aquidneck Island, in part to distinguish it from the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,...
and
Conanicut IslandConanicut Island is the second largest island in Narragansett Bay, in the state of Rhode Island. It is connected on the east to Newport, Rhode Island on Aquidneck Island by the Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, and on the west to North Kingstown, Rhode Island on the...
to the mainland, most notably the
Claiborne Pell Newport BridgeThe Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, is a suspension bridge operated by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority that spans the East Passage of the Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island , connecting the City of Newport on Aquidneck Island and the Town of Jamestown on...
and the
Jamestown-Verrazano BridgeThe Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge spans the West Passage of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, United States...
.
Education
Colleges and universities
Rhode Island has 12 colleges and universities:
Culture
Some Rhode Islanders speak with a
non-rhoticEnglish pronunciation can be divided into two main accent groups: A rhotic speaker pronounces the letter R in hard and water. A non-rhotic speaker does not pronounce it in hard, and may not in water, or may only pronounce it in water if the following word begins with a vowel...
accent that many compare to a "Brooklyn" or a cross between a New York and
Boston accentBoston English is a dialect of American English spoken in the city of Boston, Massachusetts itself and much of eastern Massachusetts. The Boston accent and closely related accents can be heard commonly in an area stretching into much of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine...
("water" becomes "wata"). Many Rhode Islanders distinguish the
aw sound as one might hear in New Jersey; e.g., the word
coffee is .
Nicknamed "The Ocean State", the nautical nature of Rhode Island's geography pervades its culture. Newport Harbor, in particular, holds many pleasure boats. In the lobby of the state's main airport,
T. F. GreenT. F. Green Airport , also known as Theodore Francis Green State Airport, is a public airport located in Warwick, six miles south of Providence, in Kent County, Rhode Island, USA. Dedicated in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Island governor and longtime senator Theodore F. Green...
, is a large lifesize sailboat, and the state's license plates depict an ocean wave.
Additionally, the large number of beaches in
Washington CountyWashington County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Also known as South County, Washington County borders Kent County to the north, New London County in Connecticut to the west, Suffolk County in New York to the southwest, the Atlantic Ocean to the...
(known locally as South County) lures many Rhode Islanders south for summer vacation.
The state was notorious for organized crime activity from the 1950s into the 1990s when the
Patriarca crime familyThe Patriarca crime family is an American criminal organization based in New England, specifically Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts, and is part of the Mafia or "La Cosa Nostra"...
held sway over most of New England from its Providence headquarters. Although the power of organized crime has greatly diminished in Rhode Island over the last 20 years, its residents are still stigmatized by popular perceptions of rampant graft and corruption that have haunted the state for decades.
Rhode Islanders developed a unique style of architecture in the 17th century, called the stone-ender.
Rhode Island is the only state to still celebrate
Victory over Japan DayVictory over Japan Day is a name chosen for the day on which the surrender of Japan occurred, effectively ending World War II, and subsequent anniversaries of that event....
. It is known locally as "VJ Day", or simply "Victory Day".
Food and beverages
Several foods and dishes are unique to Rhode Island and are hard to find outside of the state.
Hot wienerThe hot wiener or New York System wiener is a staple of the food culture of Rhode Island. It is typically made from a small, thin frankfurter made of veal and pork, thus giving it a different taste from a traditional hot dog made of beef...
s, which are sometimes called
gaggers,
weenies, or
New York System wieners, are smaller than a standard hot dog, served covered in a meat sauce, chopped onions, mustard, and
celery saltCelery salt is a flavored salt used as a food seasoning, made from ground seeds, which may come from celery or its relative lovage. These ground seeds are mixed with salt, either table salt or sea salt....
.
Famous to Rhode Island is
Snail SaladThe word snail is a common name for almost all members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word snail is used in a general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. Snails lacking a shell or having only a very small one are...
, which is served at numerous restaurants throughout the state. The dish is normally prepared "family style" with over five pounds of snails mixed in with other ingredients commonly found in seafood dishes.
Grinders are submarine sandwiches, with a popular version being the Italian grinder, which is made with cold cuts (usually ham,
prosciuttoProsciutto is the Italian word for ham. In English, the term prosciutto is almost always used for a dry-cured ham that is usually sliced thin and served uncooked; this is called prosciutto crudo in Italian and is distinguished from prosciutto cotto...
,
capicolaCapicola, or coppa, is a traditional Neapolitan Italian cold cut . The name coppa is Italian for nape, while capicola comes from capo—head and collo—neck of a baby.-Manufacture and use:...
,
salamiSalammi is cured sausage, fermented and air-dried. Historically, salami has been popular among Italian peasants because it can be stored at room temperature for periods of up to a year, supplementing a possibly meager or inconsistent supply of fresh meat...
, and Provolone cheese).
LinguiçaLinguiça is a form of Portuguese cured pork sausage seasoned with onions, garlic, and paprika.Outside of Portugal and Brazil, linguiça is also popular in Southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, California, Hawaii, and Okinawa, where it is often simply called "Portuguese sausage." It is typically...
(a spicy Portuguese sausage) and peppers, eaten with hearty bread, is also popular among the state's large Portuguese community.
Another unique popular item is
pizza stripsPizza strips is a style of pizza common in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. They have a somewhat thick crust and are topped with a thick tomato sauce. Pizza strips are traditionally made with no cheese or toppings and are served at room temperature...
. Prepared in Italian bakeries throughout the state and sold in most supermarkets and convenience stores, they are rectangular strips of pizza without the cheese and are served cold. "Party pizza" is a box of these pizza strips.
Spinach pies, similar to a calzone but filled with seasoned spinach instead of meat, sauce and cheese. Variations can include black olives or pepperoni with the spinach, or broccoli instead of spinach.
The state is also known for its
johnny cakes. As in colonial times, johnny cakes are made with corn meal and water, and then pan-fried much like pancakes.
During fairs and carnivals, Rhode Islanders enjoy
dough boys, which are plate-sized disks of deep fried dough sprinkled with sugar (sometimes powdered). While these are known as zeppolas in other states, such as New York, in Rhode Island zeppolas or zeppolis are completely different. Traditionally eaten on Saint Joseph's Day (widely celebrated across the state), St. Joseph's Day zeppolis are doughnut-like pastries with exposed centers of vanilla pudding or ricotta cream, topped with a cherry.
Seafood has enjoyed a strong tradition in the Ocean State.
ShellfishShellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
is extremely popular, with clams being used in multiple ways. The
quahog (or
quahaug, taken from the Narragansett Indian word "poquauhock" - see
A Key into the Language of AmericaA Key into the Language of America is a book written by Roger Williams in 1643 describing the Native American languages in New England in the 17th century...
by Roger Williams 1643) is a large clam usually used in a chowder. It is also ground and mixed with stuffing (and sometimes spicy minced sausage) and then baked in its shell to form a
stuffie. Steamed clams are also a very popular dish.
Calamari (squid) is sliced into rings and fried and is served as an appetizer in most Italian restaurants, typically Sicilian-style, i.e. tossed with spicy peppers and with marinara sauce on the side.
Rhode Island, like the rest of New England, has a long tradition of
clam chowderClam chowder is any of several chowders containing clams and broth. Along with the clams, diced potato is common, as are onions, which are occasionally sauteed in the drippings from salt pork. Celery is frequently used. Other vegetables are uncommon, but small carrot strips might occasionally be...
. While both the white New England variety and the red Manhattan variety are popular, there is also a unique clear chowder, known as
Rhode Island Clam Chowder available in many restaurants.
Perhaps the most unusual culinary tradition in Rhode Island is the
clam cake. The clam cake (also known as a fritter outside of Rhode Island) is a deep fried ball of buttery dough with chopped bits of clam inside. They are sold by the half-dozen or dozen in most seafood restaurants around the state. The quintessential summer meal in Rhode Island is chowder and clam cakes.
Clams CasinoClams casino is a clam "on the halfshell" dish with breadcrumbs and bacon. It originated in Narragansett, Rhode Island in the United States. It is often served as an appetizer in New England and is served in variations nationally.-Ingredients:...
originated in Rhode Island after being invented by Julius Keller, the maitre d' in the original Casino next to the seaside Towers in Narragansett. Clams Casino resemble the beloved stuffed quahog but are generally made with the smaller littleneck or cherrystone clam and are unique in their use of bacon as a topping.
According to a Providence Journal article, the state features both the highest number and highest density of coffee/doughnut shops per capita in the country, with 342 coffee/doughnut shops in the state.
Dunkin' DonutsDunkin' Donuts is an international donut and coffee retailer founded in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts by William Rosenberg. It is now headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts.-Facts and figures:...
alone has over 225 locations.
The official state drink of Rhode Island is
coffee milkCoffee milk is a drink similar to chocolate milk; however, instead of chocolate syrup, coffee syrup is used. It is the official state drink of Rhode Island in the United States of America.-History:...
, a beverage created by mixing milk with coffee syrup. This unique syrup was invented in the state and is bottled and sold in almost all Rhode Island supermarkets. Although coffee milk contains some caffeine, it is sold in school cafeterias throughout the state. Strawberry milk is also popular.
Frozen lemonade, a mixture of ice slush, lemons, and sugar is popular in the summer, especially
Del's Frozen LemonadeDel's is a brand of frozen lemonade, typically found in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts during the summer months. Del's is now in 36 states, and has even gone international. Frozen lemonade is often compared with Italian ice or slush. It is made from crushed ice, lemons, and sugar...
, a company based in Cranston.
Popular culture
The
Farrelly brothersThe Farrelly brothers, Peter and Bobby , are screenwriters and directors of ten comedy films, including There's Something About Mary; Dumb and Dumber; Kingpin; Me, Myself & Irene; Shallow Hal; Stuck on You; Osmosis Jones; Fever Pitch and The Heartbreak...
and
Seth MacFarlaneSeth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, composer, writer, producer, actor, singer, comedian, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the characters...
make great efforts to depict Rhode Island in popular culture, often making comedic parodies of the state. MacFarlane's television series
Family GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television sitcom, created by Seth MacFarlane, for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family which consists of Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris, Stewie, and their pet dog Brian...
is based in a fictional Rhode Island city named Quahog, and notable local events and celebrities are regularly lampooned.
The movie
High Society, starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra, was set in Newport, Rhode Island.
Cartoonist
Don BousquetDon Bousquet is a Rhode Island-based cartoonist. He was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. His cartoon Bousquet regularly appears in the Providence Journal, and his work has also appeared in numerous other publications, such as Yankee Magazine....
, a state icon, has made a career out of Rhode Island culture, drawing Rhode Island-themed gags in the
Providence Journal and
Yankee magazine. These cartoons have been reprinted in the
Quahog series of paperbacks (
I Brake for Quahogs,
Beware of the Quahog and
The Quahog Walks Among Us.) Bousquet has also collaborated with humorist and
Providence Journal columnist
Mark PatinkinMark Patinkin is an author and nationally-syndicated columnist for the Providence Journal. He is a graduate of Middlebury College. He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for international reporting, and he has won three New England Emmy awards for television commentaries. He is also the author of...
on two books:
The Rhode Island Dictionary and
The Rhode Island Handbook.
Writer David Lafleche has written two books based in the semi-fictitious city of Thundermist:
Thundermist 04167 and
A Week Without Sunshine. ("Thundermist" is accepted as a secondary name of Woonsocket.)
Famous firsts in Rhode Island
- Rhode Island enacted the first law
Law is a system of rules, usually enforced through a set of institutions. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a primary social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus ticket to trading on derivatives markets...
prohibiting slaverySlavery is a form of forced labor in which people are considered to be the property of others. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to receive compensation...
in North America on May 18, 1652.
- Slater Mill in Pawtucket was the first commercially successful cotton-spinning mill with a fully mechanized power system in America and was the birth place of the Industrial Revolution in the US.
- The oldest Fourth of July Parade in the country is still held annually in Bristol, Rhode Island
Bristol is a town in and the historic county seat of Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,469 at the 2000 census...
.
- The first Baptist Church in America was founded in Providence in 1638.
- Ann Smith Franklin
Ann Smith Franklin was an American colonial newspaper printer and publisher. She inherited the business from her husband, James Franklin, brother of Benjamin Franklin. She published the Newport, Rhode Island Mercury, printed an almanac series, and printed Rhode Island paper currency...
of the Newport Mercury was the first woman newspaper editor in America (August 22, 1762). She was the editor of "The Newport Mercury" in Newport, Rhode Island.
- Touro Synagogue
The Touro Synagogue is a synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, that is the oldest synagogue building still standing in the United States,the oldest surviving Jewish synagogue building in North America and the only surviving synagogue building in the U.S...
, the first synagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer....
in America, was founded in Newport in 1763. Other sources say the first synagogue was the Mill Street, now South William Street, Synagogue in New York City, built by the Shearith Israel congregation in 1729 (or 1730), having earlier met in rented quarters, making Touro Synagogue the second-oldest in the United States.
- The first armed act of rebellion in America against the British Crown was the boarding and burning of the Revenue Schooner Gaspee in Narragansett Bay on June 10, 1772.
- The idea of a Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution...
was first proposed at a town meeting in Providence on May 17, 1774. Rhode Island elected the first delegates (Stephen HopkinsStephen Hopkins was an American political leader from Rhode Island who signed the Declaration of Independence. He served as the Chief Justice and Royal Governor of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and was a Delegate to the Colonial Congress in Albany in 1754 and to the...
and Samuel WardSamuel Ward was an American farmer, shop keeper, and statesman from Westerly, Rhode Island. He served as a colonial Governor of Rhode Island and later as a delegate to the Continental Congress...
) to the Continental Congress on June 15, 1774.
- The Rhode Island General Assembly created the first standing army
An army An army An army (from Latin armata "armed (things)" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based Military of a nation. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
in the colonies (1,500 men) on April 22, 1775.
- On June 15, 1775, the first naval engagement of the American Revolution occurred between a Colonial Sloop commanded by Capt. Abraham Whipple
Abraham Whipple was an American revolutionary naval commander. Whipple was born near Providence, Rhode Island and chose to be a seafarer early in his life. He embarked upon a career in the lucrative West Indies trade, working for Moses and John Brown...
and an armed tender of the BritishThe Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801...
Frigate Rose. The tender was chased aground and captured. Later in June, the General AssemblyThe State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 Representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Senate with 38 Senators...
created the first American Navy when it commissioned the Sloops Katy and WashingtonWashington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute. It was admitted to the Union as the...
, armed with 24 gunIn military parlance, a gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm...
s and commanded by Abraham Whipple, who was promoted to CommodoreCommodore is a former rank and a current honorary title in the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard with an intricate history. Because the U.S. Congress was originally unwilling to authorize any admirals in its service until 1862, considerable importance was attached to the office...
.
- Rhode Island was the first Colony
In politics and in history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their...
to declare independenceIndependence is the self-government of a nation, country, or state by its residents and population, or some portion thereof, generally exercising sovereignty....
from Britain on May 4, 1776.
- Pelham Street in Newport was the first in America to be illuminated by gaslight in 1806.
- The first strike
Strike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to perform work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became important in factories and mines...
in the United States in which women participated occurred in Pawtucket in 1824.
- Watch Hill has the nation's oldest carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
that has been in continuous operation since 1850.
- The motion picture machine (a machine showing animated pictures) was patented in Providence on April 23, 1867.
- The first lunch wagon in America was introduced in Providence in 1872.
- The first nine hole golf course
A golf course consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in America was completed in Newport in 1890.
- The first state health laboratory was established in Providence on September 1, 1894
- The Rhode Island State House
The Rhode Island State House is the capitol of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Located in the downtown area of the state capital of Providence, the State House is a neoclassical building that houses the Rhode Island General Assembly and the offices of the governor of Rhode Island as well as the...
was the first building with an all-marbleMarble is a non foliated metamorphic rock resulting from the metamorphism of limestone, composed mostly of calcite . It is extensively used for sculpture, as a building material, and in many other applications...
dome to be built in the United States (1895–1901)
- The first automobile
An automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
race on a track was held in Cranston on September 7, 1896.
- The first automobile parade was held in Newport on September 7, 1899 on the grounds of Belcourt Castle.
- The first NFL
The National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
night game was held on November 6, 1929 at Providence's Kinsley Park. The Chicago (now Arizona) CardinalsThe Arizona Cardinals are a professional American Football team based in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals are members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Cardinals were founded in 1898, and are the oldest continuously run professional...
defeated the Providence Steam Roller 16-0.
- 1980, RI becomes the first and only state to decriminalize prostitution. See (Prostitution in Rhode Island
In Rhode Island the act of prostitution is legal, unlike 48 of the 49 other U.S. states, because there is no specific statute that defines it and makes it illegal. However, most activities associated with prostitution are outlawed. For instance operating a brothel is illegal . Street prostitution...
)
Sports
Rhode Island has two professional sports teams; both of which are top-level minor league affiliates for teams in Boston. The
Pawtucket Red SoxThe Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
, of the AAA
International LeagueThe International League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball...
, are an affiliate of the
Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
. The Pawtucket Red Sox play at
McCoy StadiumMcCoy Stadium is a Minor League baseball stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It is currently home to the Pawtucket Red Sox of the International League.-History:...
in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and have won two league titles in 1973 and 1984. The other professional minor league team is the
Providence BruinsThe Providence Bruins is an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the primary development team for the NHL's Boston Bruins. They play in Providence, Rhode Island at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.-History:...
, who are an
American Hockey LeagueThe American Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League . 28 of the 30 NHL teams have exclusive affiliation agreements with one of the AHL's 29 active clubs...
affiliate of the
Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, entering the league as the first United States-based expansion franchise...
. The Providence Bruins play in the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence and won the AHL's
Calder CupThe Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
during the
1998–99 AHL seasonThe 1998–99 AHL season was the 63rd season of the American Hockey League. Nineteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Providence Bruins finished first overall in the regular season, and won their first Calder Cup championship.-Team changes:...
. The
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
's
New England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the...
play at
Gillette StadiumGillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, residing 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston that serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution soccer team. The facility opened in...
in nearby
Foxborough, MassachusettsFoxborough is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, approximately southwest of Boston and northeast of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was 16,246 at the 2000 census. The town is best known as the site of Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots of the...
, approximately 18 miles north of Providence.
Rhode Island is also home to four NCAA Division I schools. The four teams all compete in four different conferences. The
Brown University BearsBrown University is a private university located in Providence, Rhode Island, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III...
compete in the
Ivy LeagueThe Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The term is most commonly used to refer to those eight schools considered as a group...
, the
Bryant BulldogsThe Bryant Bulldogs are the athletic teams representing Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. The Bulldogs participate in NCAA Division I competition as a member of the Northeast Conference. Bryant's largest rivalry during its Division II years was Bentley College, both founders of the...
compete in the
Northeast ConferenceThe Northeast Conference is a college athletic conference whose schools are members of the NCAA. The NCAA designates the Northeast Conference to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for Division I Men's Football and to Division I Sports for all other sports.Founded in 1981 as the ECAC-Metro...
, the
Providence FriarsThe Providence Friars is the name of the athletic teams of Providence College. They compete in the Big East Conference for every sport except for ice hockey, where they compete in Hockey East and in volleyball, where they are independent. The school's men's and women's sports teams are called the...
compete in the
Big East ConferenceThe Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the northeastern, southeastern and midwestern United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 23 NCAA sports...
and the Rhode Island Rams compete in the Atlantic-10 Conference. Three of the schools compete in the FCS division for college football. Brown, Bryant and Rhode Island are the three schools who currently field football teams.
Rhode Island also has a long and storied history for athletics. Prior to the great expansion of athletic teams all over the country Providence and Rhode Island in general played a great role in supporting teams. The
Providence GraysThe Providence Grays was a team name used by several major and minor league baseball teams based in Providence, Rhode Island .-Major league Grays:In 1884, Providence was a major league baseball city...
won the first World Championship in baseball history in 1884. The team played their home games at the old Messer Street Field in Providence. The Grays played in the National League from 1878 to 1885. They defeated the New York Metropolitans of the American Association in a best of five game series at the Polo Grounds in New York. Providence won three straight games to become the first champions in major league baseball history.
Babe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , also popularly known as "Babe" Ruth, "The Bambino", and "The Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from –...
played for the minor league Providence Grays of 1914 and hit his only official minor league home run for that team before being recalled by the Grays parent club, the
Boston Red StockingsThe color red has been used in the names and commonly in the uniforms of several professional baseball teams in Boston, Massachusetts.* Boston's first professional baseball club was established 1871 by Boston businessman Ivers Whitney Adams, and was nicknamed the Boston Red Stockings....
.
A now defunct professional football team, the
Providence Steam RollerThe Providence Steam Roller was a professional American football team based in Providence, Rhode Island in the National Football League from 1925 to 1931...
won the 1928 NFL title. They played in a 10,000 person stadium called the Cycledrome. A team by a similar name, the
Providence SteamrollersThe Providence Steamrollers were a National Basketball Association team based in Providence, Rhode Island. The Steamrollers remain the last pro sports franchise from one of the Big Four leagues to be based in Rhode Island.- Franchise history :...
, played in the
Basketball Association of AmericaThe Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association .-History:...
; which would become the
National Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
.
From 1930 to 1983,
America's CupThe America’s Cup is the most prestigious regatta and match race in the sport of sailing, and the oldest active trophy in international sport, predating the Modern Olympics by 45 years. The sport attracts top sailors and yacht designers because of its long history and prestige...
races were sailed off Newport, and the both extreme-sport
X GamesThe X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by Disney-owned US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on extreme action sports intended for Generation X and Generation Y viewers. The games started in 1995....
and
Gravity GamesGravity Games is a multi-sport competition originating from Providence, Rhode Island that is broken down into Winter and Summer adaptations. These feature a variety of Extreme Sports such as Aggressive Inline Skating, skateboarding, Freestyle Motocross, BMX freestyle and snowboarding .The Gravity...
were founded and hosted in the state's capital city.
Rhode Island is also home to the
International Tennis Hall of FameThe International Tennis Hall of Fame is a non-profit tennis hall of fame and museum at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.- History :...
. It is located in Newport at the Newport Casino, which was site to the first U.S. National Championships in 1881. The Hall of Fame and Museum were established in 1954 by James Van Alen as "a shrine to the ideals of the game." The Hall of Fame Museum encompasses over 20,000 square feet of tennis history, chronicling tennis excellence from the 12th century to today. The Hall of Fame is home to 13 grass courts, and is the site of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, the only professional tennis event played on grass courts in the United States. The first members of the Hall of Fame were inducted in 1955, and as of 2008, there are 207 players, contributors, and court tennis players in the Hall of Fame.
Landmarks
The state capitol building is made of white Georgian marble. On top is the world's fourth largest self-supported marble dome. It houses the Rhode Island Charter of 1663 and other state treasures.
Providence is home to the
First Baptist Church in AmericaThe First Baptist Church in America is the First Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, also known as First Baptist Meetinghouse...
, the oldest Baptist church in the
AmericasThe Americas, or America, are lands in the Western hemisphere or New World, comprising the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. America may be ambiguous in English, as it is more commonly used to refer to the United States of America...
, which was founded by Roger Williams in 1638.
Providence is the home of the first fully automated post office in the country.
The seaside city of Newport is home to many famous mansions, including
The BreakersThe Breakers is a Vanderbilt mansion located on Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island, United States on the Atlantic Ocean. It is a National Historic Landmark, a contributing property to the Bellevue Avenue Historic District, and is owned and operated by the Preservation Society of Newport...
,
Marble HouseMarble House is one of the Gilded Age mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, now open to the public as a museum. It was designed by the architect Richard Morris Hunt, and said to be inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles .Marble House was built between 1888 and 1892 for William Kissam Vanderbilt,...
and
Belcourt CastleBelcourt Castle is the former summer cottage of Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, located on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. Begun in 1891 and completed in 1894, it was intended to be used for only six to eight weeks of the year...
. It is also home to the
Touro SynagogueThe Touro Synagogue is a synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, that is the oldest synagogue building still standing in the United States,the oldest surviving Jewish synagogue building in North America and the only surviving synagogue building in the U.S...
, dedicated on 2 December 1763, considered by locals to be the first synagogue within the United States (see below for information on New York City's contestant), and still serving. The synagogue showcases the religious freedoms that were established by Roger Williams as well as impressive architecture in a mix of the classic colonial and Sephardic style. The
Newport CasinoThe Newport Casino is located at 186-202 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on February 27, 1987.- History :The complex was commissioned in 1880 by James Gordon Bennett, Jr...
is a
National Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance. All NHLs are listed in the National Register of Historic Places...
building complex that presently houses the
International Tennis Hall of FameThe International Tennis Hall of Fame is a non-profit tennis hall of fame and museum at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.- History :...
and features an active grass-court tennis club.
Rhode Island is home to the roadside attraction
Nibbles Woodaway, the Big Blue BugThe Big Blue Bug, also known as Nibbles Woodaway, is the giant termite mascot of New England Pest Control, located along I-95 in Providence, Rhode Island. The Bug is 928 times the size of an actual termite, standing at 9 feet tall and 58 feet long, and weighing 4,000 pounds...
, the world's largest
termiteThe termites are a group of eusocial insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera . Along with ants and some bees and wasps which are all placed in the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide labour among gender lines, produce overlapping generations and take care of...
.
Fort AdamsFort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island, was established on July 4, 1799 as a First System coastal fortification. Its first commander was Captain John Henry who was later instrumental in starting the War of 1812....
, on Narragansett Bay, was the setting for the finish of Eco-Challenge 1995.
Scenic Route 1A (known locally as Ocean Road) in
NarragansettNarragansett is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,361 at the 2000 census, although there is a greater population in the summer...
is home to "
The TowersThe Towers, also known as the Tower entrance to the Narragansett Casino is an historic structure located on Ocean Road in Narragansett, Rhode Island. It is the only remnant of the Narragansett Pier Casino built in the 1880s...
", a large stone arch. It was once the entrance to the famous Narragansett casino that burned down in 1900. The towers now serve as a tourist information center and also a banquet hall for events like weddings and birthday parties.
Another edifice of note, the
Newport TowerThe Newport Tower is a round stone tower located in Touro Park in Newport, Rhode Island ....
, has been hypothesized to be of
VikingA Viking is one of the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late eighth to the early eleventh century. These Norsemen used their famed longships to travel as far east as Constantinople and the Volga River in Russia, and as far...
origin, although most experts believe it was a Colonial-era windmill.
See also
- Index of Rhode Island-related articles
Primary sources
Secondary sources
- Adams, James Truslow. The Founding of New England (1921)
- Adams, James Truslow. Revolutionary New England, 1691–1776 (1923)
- Adams, James Truslow. New England in the Republic, 1776–1850 (1926)
- Andrews, Charles M. The Fathers of New England: A Chronicle of the Puritan Commonwealths (1919). Short survey by leading scholar.
- Axtell, James, ed. The American People in Colonial New England (1973), new social history
- Brewer, Daniel Chauncey. Conquest of New England by the Immigrant (1926).
- Coleman, Peter J. The Transformation of Rhode Island, 1790–1860 (1963)
- Conforti, Joseph A. Imagining New England: Explorations of Regional Identity from the Pilgrims to the Mid-Twentieth Century (2001)
- Dennison, George M. The Dorr War: Republicanism on Trial, 1831–1861 (1976)
- Hall, Donald, ed. Encyclopedia of New England (2005)
- Karlsen, Carol F. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England (1998)
- Lovejoy, David S. Rhode Island Politics and the American Revolution, 1760–1776 (1969)]
- McLaughlin, William. Rhode Island: A Bicentennial History (1976)
- Palfrey, John Gorham. History of New England (5 vol 1859–90)
- Slavery in the North - Slavery in Rhode Island http://www.slavenorth.com/rhodeisland.htm
- Sletcher, Michael. New England. (2004).
- Stephenson, Nathaniel Wright. Nelson W. Aldrich, a Leader in American Politics (1930).
- WPA. Guide to Rhode Island (1939).
- Zimmerman, Joseph F. The New England Town Meeting: Democracy in Action. (1999)
External links