NationMaster - Encyclopedia: History of Rhode Island

The history of Rhode Island includes the history of Rhode Island from pre-colonial times (1636) to modern day. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ...

Pre-Colonization

Native American inhabitants, including the Narragansett tribe and the closely related Niantic tribe, occupied most of the area now known as Rhode Island. Most of the Native Americans were decimated by European diseases and warfare with the Europeans. The Narragansett language died out for many years but was preserved in Roger Williams' the "A Key into the Languages of America."[1] In the twenty-first century, the tribe remains a federally recognized entity in Rhode Island. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Metacomet (died August 12, 1676), also known as King Philip or Metacom, was a war chief or sachem of the Wampanoag Indians and their leader in King Philips War. ... The site of King Philips death in Miery Swamp on Mount Hope King Philips Seat, a meeting place on Mount Hope, (Rhode Island) Mount Hope (originally Montaup in Pokanoket) is a hill in Bristol, Rhode Island overlooking the part of Narragansett Bay known as Mount Hope Bay. ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... Tribal flag The Narragansett tribe, or more accurately Nahahiganseck Sovereign Nation, are a Native American tribe who controlled the area surrounding Narragansett Bay in present-day Rhode Island, and also portions of Connecticut, and eastern Massachusetts. ... The Niantic were a tribe of New England indians, who were living in Connecticut and Rhode Island during the early colonial period. ...

Rhode Island Colony period: 1636–1776

In 1614 the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block visited the island that is now called Block Island, and by 1625 the Dutch West India Company set up a temporary trading post on Dutch Island in Narragansett Bay to trade with local Native Americans. In 1635 William Blackstone arrived in the area now known as Cumberland, and he became the first permanent European settler of what is now Rhode Island. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Providence Plantation was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Baptist minister fleeing from religious persecution in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. ... Image File history File links Roger_Williams_and_Narragansetts. ... Image File history File links Roger_Williams_and_Narragansetts. ... Events April 5 - In Virginia, Native American Pocahontas marries English colonist John Rolfe. ... Southeast Light, a famous Block Island landmark Block Island, shown in red, off the coast of the State of Rhode Island. ... Dutch West India Company (Dutch: West-Indische Compagnie or WIC) was a company of Dutch merchants. ... Dutch Island Light, from a early twentieth century postcard Dutch Island is an island lying west of Conanicut Island at an entrance to Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, USA. The island is a part of the town of Jamestown, Rhode Island, and has a land area of 0. ... William Blackstone as illustrated in his Commentaries on the Laws of England. ...

In 1636, after being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views, Roger Williams settled at the tip of Narragansett Bay. He called the site Providence and declared it a place of religious freedom. This is the article of agreement Roger Williams and others made, and every person who decided to live in Providence had to sign it: Year 1636 (MDCXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... A map of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Capital Charlestown, Boston History - Established 1629 - New England Confederation 1643 - Dominion of New England 1686 - Province of Massachusetts Bay 1692 - Disestablished 1692 The Massachusetts Bay Colony (sometimes called the Massachusetts Bay Company, for the institution that founded it) was an English settlement on... For other persons named Roger Williams, see Roger Williams (disambiguation). ... Providence redirects here. ...

Williams purchased the land for Providence from the Narragansett natives in 1638.^[1]

In 1637, Anne Hutchinson was banished from Massachusetts for committing heresy. She and some others, including William Coddington and John Clarke, founded the town of Portsmouth on Aquidneck Island. In 1639, Coddington left Portsmouth and founded Newport, also on Aquidneck Island. Events February 3 - Tulipmania collapses in Netherlands by government order February 15 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor December 17 - Shimabara Rebellion erupts in Japan Pierre de Fermat makes a marginal claim to have proof of what would become known as Fermats last theorem. ... Anne Hutchinson on Trial by Edwin Austin Abbey Anne Hutchinson (July 1591 â€“ August 1643) was the unauthorized Puritan minister of a dissident church discussion group and a pioneer settler in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Netherlands. ... William Coddington (1601 â€“ November 1, 1678) was the first governor of Rhode Island. ... For the physicist (winner of 2004 Hughes Medal) see John Clarke (physicist) John Clarke (1609–1676) was a medical doctor, Baptist minister, co-founder of the colony of Rhode Island, and a leading advocate of religious freedom in the Americas. ... Location of Portsmouth, Rhode Island Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. ... Aquidneck Island highlighted in red Aquidneck Island, also called Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. ... Events January 14 - Connecticuts first constitution, the Fundamental Orders, is adopted. ... Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a city in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Providence. ...

In 1643, a patent was issued for Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport by Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, incorporating the three towns as "Providence Plantations, in the Narraganset-Bay, in New England".^[2] Robert Rich Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1587 - 1658) was an English colonial administrator and admiral. ...

In 1643 Samuel Gorton attempted to purchase Shawomet or Shawhomett (now called Warwick) from the Narragansett sachem Miantonomoh. Other sachems complained to Boston about the sale, and Massachusetts Bay arrested Gorton and seized the settlement. Gorton received a land patent from Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick in 1648, which changed the name of the town to Warwick. Massachusetts continued to claim the town, but did little to enforce that claim. // Events January 21 - Abel Tasman discovers Tonga February 6 - Abel Tasman discovers the Fiji islands. ... Samuel Gorton (c. ... Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. ... Miantonomoh was a Native American chief of the Narragansett, succeeding his uncle Canonicus. ... Robert Rich Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1587 - 1658) was an English colonial administrator and admiral. ...

Originally, Providence and Rhode Island were an self-governing colonies, established without sanction from authorities in London. In 1644, Roger Williams obtained a charter from Parliament. The 1644 charter, however, was issued during the English Civil War without the consent of King Charles I, who was fighting a war against Parliament. In 1647, the colony on Rhode Island was united with Providence under a single government, and liberty of conscience was again proclaimed becoming a safe haven for persecuted people such as Baptists, Quakers, Jews, and other exiles. For other uses, see English Civil War (disambiguation). ... Charles I (19 November 1600 â€“ 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ...

Disagreement arose between the mainland towns of Providence and Warwick (both on the western mainland) of Narragansett Bay) on the one side and the towns of Aquidneck Island (Portsmouth and Newport) on the other. After a disagreement between John Clarke and William Coddington on the island, Coddington went to England and, in 1651, secured a commission to rule the islands of Rhode Island and Conanicut Island. This arrangement left Providence and Warwick to themselves. Coddington's scheme was strongly disapproved by Williams and Clarke and their followers (many were Baptists), especially as it seemed to involve a federation of Coddington's domain with Massachusetts and Connecticut and a consequent threat to liberty of conscience, not only on the islands, but also in Providence and Warwick, which would be left unprotected. Conanicut Island Conanicut Island is the second largest island in Narragansett Bay, in the state of Rhode Island. ...

Later in 1651, Williams and Clarke went to England on behalf of their friends to secure from Oliver Cromwell's government the annulment of Coddington's charter and the recognition of the colony as a republic, dependent only on England. They succeeded, and Williams soon returned to Providence. For other uses, see Oliver Cromwell (disambiguation). ...

In 1660, following the Restoration of Charles II to the throne, concern grew regarding the validity of the colonial charter issued by Parliament. In 1662, Rhode Island again dispatched representatives to London to obtain a charter. King Charles II, the first monarch to rule after the English Restoration. ... Charles II (29 May 1630 â€“ 6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. ...

John Clarke was granted a Charter by King Charles II in 1663 for Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, which effectively united the two colonies into one, and gave the new colony a remarkable degree of self-government.^[3] By the eighteenth century, Rhode Island (along with Connecticut) was one of only two charter colonies remaining in British North America. Under the terms of the charter, only landowners could vote. Before the Industrial Revolution, when most people were employed as farmers, this was considered democratic. Year 1663 (MDCLXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... A charter colony is one of the three types of colonies: a charter colony, proprietary colony, and royal colony. ... A Watt steam engine, the steam engine that propelled the Industrial Revolution in Britain and the world. ...

The charter of 1663 expanded Rhode Island's territory west of the Narragansett Bay, in some places up to three miles. ^[4] This conflicted with the 1629 grant to the Plymouth Colony, which put its western boundary in the middle of the Narragansett. ^[5] Plymouth appealed to King Charles, who appointed commissioners in 1664. Plymouth's position was affirmed, and it gained jurisdiction over all lands on the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay.

In 1664, the seal of the colony was formally adopted. It pictured an anchor and the word HOPE. Events March 12 - New Jersey becomes a colony of England. ...

In 1686 King James II ordered Rhode Island to submit to the Dominion of New England and its appointed governor Edmund Andros. This suspended the colony's charter but Rhode Island still managed to retain possession of it until Andros was deposed and the Dominion was dissolved. When William of Orange became King in the Glorious Revolution of 1689, Rhode Island colonial government resumed under the 1663 charter, which was used as the state constitution until 1842. James II (14 October 1633 â€“ 16 September 1701)[1] became King of England, King of Scots,[2] and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685. ... The Dominion of New England was the name of a short-lived administrative union of English colonies in the New England region of North America. ... Sir Edmund Andros Sir Edmund Andros (December 6, 1637 - February 24, 1714), was an early colonial governor in North America, and head of the short-lived Dominion of New England. ... William III King of England, Scotland and Ireland William III and II (14 November 1650–8 March 1702; also known as William Henry and William of Orange) was Prince of Orange from his birth, King of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scotland from 11... The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, was the overthrow of King James II of England (VII of Scotland) in 1688 by a union of Parliamentarians and the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau (William of Orange), who as a result ascended the English throne as William... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1693 the throne of William and Mary issued a patent extending Rhode Island's territory to three miles "east and northeast" of Narragansett Bay, conflicting with the claims of Plymouth Colony.^[6] This resulted in several later transfers of territory between Rhode Island from Massachusetts. (See History of Massachusetts.) William III Mary II The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the joint sovereignty over the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland of King William III and his wife Queen Mary II. Their joint reign began in February, 1689, when they were called to the throne by... This is the History of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a state in the United States. ...

Colonial Relations with Native Americans

The relationship between the New Englanders and the Native Americans was at first strained, but did not result in much bloodshed. The largest tribes that lived near Rhode island were the Wampanoag, Pequots, Narragansett, and Nipmuck. One native named Squanto, from the Wampanoag tribe, stayed with the pilgrims and taught them many valuable skills needed to survive in the area. He also helped greatly with the eventual peace between the colonists and the natives. This article is about the region in the United States of America. ... The Wampanoag (WÃ´panÃ¢ak in the Wampanoag language) are a Native American people. ... The Mashantucket Pequots are a small Native American tribe in Connecticut which operates the successful Foxwoods Resort Casino. ... Nipmuck emblem The Nipmuck are an aboriginal North American people, belonging to the family of Algonquian peoples, currently living in and around the Chaubunagungamaug Reservation of Webster, Massachusetts. ...

Roger Williams had won the respect of his colonial neighbors for his skill in keeping the powerful Narragansett on friendly terms with local white settlers. In 1637, the Narragansett were even persuaded to form an alliance with the English in carrying out an attack that nearly extinguished the warlike Pequots. However, this peace did not last long. By 1670 even the friendly tribes who had greeted Williams and the Pilgrims became estranged from the colonists, and smell of war began to cover the New England countryside. Events February 3 - Tulipmania collapses in Netherlands by government order February 15 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor December 17 - Shimabara Rebellion erupts in Japan Pierre de Fermat makes a marginal claim to have proof of what would become known as Fermats last theorem. ... This article is about the English as an ethnic group and nation. ... Year 1670 (MDCLXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ...

The most important and traumatic event in 17th century Rhode Island was King Philip's War, which occurred during 1675–1676. King Philip (his British nickname, his real name was Metacomet) was the chief of the Wampanoag Indians. The settlers of Portsmouth had purchased their land from his father, Massasoit. King Philip first led attacks around Narragansett Bay, but later these spread throughout New England. Philip rebelled against the English until he was killed in 1676 by a group led by Captain Benjamin Church at Mount Hope (Rhode Island). Attack King Philips War, sometimes called Metacoms War or Metacoms Rebellion,[1] was an armed conflict between Indian inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Indian allies from 1675 â€“ 1676. ... Metacomet (died August 12, 1676), also known as King Philip or Metacom, was a war chief or sachem of the Wampanoag Indians and their leader in King Philips War. ... Metacomet (died August 12, 1676), also known as King Philip or Metacom, was a war chief or sachem of the Wampanoag Indians and their leader in King Philips War. ... This 1902 photo shows Profile Rock in Assonet, Massachusetts. ... Captain Benjamin Church (c. ... The site of King Philips death in Miery Swamp on Mount Hope King Philips Seat, a meeting place on Mount Hope, (Rhode Island) Mount Hope (originally Montaup in Pokanoket) is a hill in Bristol, Rhode Island overlooking the part of Narragansett Bay known as Mount Hope Bay. ...

Revolution and Industrialization: 1776-1860

Rhode Island was the first of the British colonies in America to declare its independence on May 4, 1776. British naval forces controlled Narragansett Bay for much of the Revolution, periodically raiding the islands and the mainland and occupying Newport from 1777 to 1778. The Battle of Rhode Island was fought during the summer of 1778 and was an unsuccessful attempt to expel the British from Narragansett Bay. The Marquis de Lafayette, however, called the action the "best fought" of War. The following year, the British, wanting to concentrate their forces in New York, abandoned Newport. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Samuel Slater (1768 â€“ 1835) popularly called The Father of the American Industrial Revolution Samuel Slater (June 9, 1768 â€“ April 21, 1835) was an early American industrialist popularly known as the Founder of the American Industrial Revolution. // Mr. ... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1776 (disambiguation). ... Combatants United States British Commanders John Sullivan Robert Pigot Strength 10,100 7,139 Casualties 30 killed, 137 wounded, 44 missing 38 killed, 210 wounded, 12 missing The Battle of Rhode Island, also known as the Battle of Quaker Hill, took place on August 29, 1778, when units of the...

In 1780, the French under Rochambeau landed in Newport and for the rest of the war Newport was the base of the French forces in the United States. The French soldiers behaved themselves so well that in gratitude, the Rhode Island General Assembly repealed an old law banning Catholics from living in Rhode Island. The first Catholic mass in Rhode Island was said in Newport during this time.

Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 states to ratify the United States Constitution (May 29, 1790)—doing so after being threatened of having its exports taxed as a foreign nation. Rural resistance to the Constitution was strong in Rhode Island. In 1789 anti-federalist politician and revolutionary general, William West, led an armed force of 1,000 men to Providence to oppose a celebration of the 9th state ratifying the Constitution.[2] Civil war was narrowly averted by a compromise limiting the Fourth of July celebration. Wikisource has original text related to this article: The United States Constitution The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. ... is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1790 (MDCCXC) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Anti-Federalist Party, though not a true political party, but a faction, left a major legacy on the country by initiating the Bill of Rights. ... William West (ca. ...

In 1790 English immigrant, Samuel Slater founded the first textile mill in the United States in Pawtucket, Rhode Island (Slater Mill), and Slater became known as the father of the American industrial revolution. During the nineteenth century Rhode Island became one of the most industrialized states in the United States with large numbers of textile factories. Samuel Slater (1768 â€“ 1835) popularly called The Father of the American Industrial Revolution Samuel Slater (June 9, 1768 â€“ April 21, 1835) was an early American industrialist popularly known as the Founder of the American Industrial Revolution. // Mr. ... Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. ... Slater Mill, located on the Blackstone River in Pawtucket, RI, is generally cited as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in 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 passed. In 1842 Thomas Dorr drafted a liberal constitution which was passed by popular referendum. However the conservative sitting governor, Samuel Ward King, opposed the people's wishes, leading to the Dorr Rebellion. Although this collapsed, a modified version of the constitution was passed in November, which allowed any white male to vote that owned land or could pay a $1 poll tax. Thomas Wilson Dorr was born in 1805 and died in 1854. ... Samuel Ward King (May 22, 1786 - January 20, 1851) of Johnston, Providence County, Rhode Island, was the Governor of Rhode Island, 1839-43, who took a strong stand against the expanded voting franchise that led to the Dorr Rebellion in 1841 - 1842. ... The Dorr Rebellion was a short-lived armed insurrection in Rhode Island in 1841 and 1842, led by Thomas Wilson Dorr who was agitating for changes to the states electoral system. ... A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a tax of a uniform, fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income). ...

Slavery in Rhode Island 1652-1850

In addition to industrialization, Rhode Island was heavily involved in the slave trade during the post-Revolution era. Slavery was extant in RI as early as 1600s. In 1652 Rhode Island passed the first abolition law in the thirteen colonies, banning African slavery.[3] The law was not enforced by the end of the century. By 1774, the slave population of RI was 6.3%, nearly twice as high as any other New England colony. In the late Eighteenth century, several Rhode Island merchant families (most notably the Browns, for whom Brown University is named) began actively engaging in the triangle slave trade. In the years after the Revolution, Rhode Island merchants controlled between 60 and 90 percent of the American trade in African slaves.[4]

In February 1784 the Rhode Island Legislature passed a compromise measure for gradual emancipation of slaves in Rhode Island. All children of slaves born after March 1 were to be "apprentices," the girls to become free at 18, the boys at 21. By 1840, the census reported only 5 African Americans enslaved in Rhode Island.[5]

Civil War to Progressive Era: 1860-1929

During the American Civil War, Rhode Island was one of the Union states. Rhode Island furnished 25,236 fighting men, of which 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. Rhode Island's continued growth and modernization led to the creation of an urban mass transit system, and improved health and sanitation programs. After the war, in 1866, Rhode Island abolished racial segregation throughout the state^[7]. Post-war immigration increased the population. From the 1860s to the 1880s, most of the immigrants were from England, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, and Quebec. Towards the end of the century however, most immigrants were from South and Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean^[8]. At the turn of the century, Rhode Island had a booming economy, which fed the demand for immigration. In the years that lead 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. 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 ^[9]. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Members of the second Ku Klux Klan at a rally during the 1920s. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... 1866 (MDCCCLXVI) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... â€œThe Great War â€ redirects here. ... The Spanish Flu Pandemic, also known as the Great Influenza Pandemic, the 1918 Flu Epidemic, and La Grippe, was an unusually severe and deadly strain of influenza, a viral infectious disease, that killed some 25 million to 40 million people (possibly significantly more) world-wide in 1918 and 1919. ...

In the 1920s and 30s, rural Rhode Island saw a surge in Ku Klux Klan membership largely among the Swamp Yankee population in reaction to the large waves of immigrants moving to the state. The Klan is believed to be responsible for burning the Watchman Institute in Scituate, Rhode Island, which was a school for African American children.^[10]. Members of the second Ku Klux Klan at a rally during the 1920s. ... Swamp Yankee is a colloquialism that has a variety of meanings. ... The Lapham Institute was a well-known Freewill Baptist academy in North Scituate, Rhode Island in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. ... Lapham Institute in Scituate at the turn of the 20th Century Scituate is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ...

Great Depression to Present: 1929-2007

Since the 1935 "Bloodless Revolution" in which Governor Theodore Francis Green and Democrat majorities in the state House and Senate replaced a Republican dominance that had existed since the middle of the 19th century, the Rhode Island Democratic Party has dominated state politics. Since then, the Speaker of the House, always a Democrat, has been one of the most powerful figures in government. The Democratic Party represented a coalition of labor unions, working class immigrants, intellectuals, college students, and the rising ethnic middle class. The Republican Party has been dominant in rural and suburban parts of the state, and has elected occasional "good government" reform candidates who criticize the state's high taxes and the excesses of Democratic domination. Cranston Mayors Edward D. DiPrete and Stephen Laffey, Governor Donald Carcieri of East Greenwich, and former Mayor Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci of Providence ran as Republican reform candidates. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Theodore Francis Green (October 2, 1867–May 19, 1966) was an American politician who served as Governor of Rhode Island from 1933 until 1937, when he was elected as a United States Senator from that state, serving until 1961. ... Country State County Providence Government - Mayor Michael Napolitano Area - City 29. ... Edward DiPrete (born July 8, 1934), U.S. Republican Party politician, He served as Governor of Rhode Island from 1985 to 1991, and was defeated for reelection by former federal prosecutor Bruce Sundlun in 1990. ... Stephen (Steve) Laffey is the current mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island. ... Vincent Buddy Cianci, Jr. ...

Although enormously well-liked, Cianci has had his share of legal problems. In 1984 he pleaded no contest to assault and received a five-year suspended sentence. He spent the rest of the 80's hosting a radio talk show. In 1991 he ran for mayor and was reelected. In 2002, however, he was indicted for racketeering, conspiracy, and extortion and is serving a five-year sentence. He has now served his sentence and works for a hotel in Boston Massachusetts. Nolo contendere, in criminal trials, in some common law jurisdictions, is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of guilty or not guilty. ...

Despite a perceived culture of corruption, Rhode Islanders have overwhelmingly supported and re-elected Democrats to positions of authority, where issues involving education, health care, and liberal causes are promoted.

See also

Regarding border disputes: Providence Plantation was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Baptist minister fleeing from religious persecution in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. ...

Washington County is a county located in the southeastern part of Rhode Island, a U.S. state. ... Bristol County is a county located in the state of Rhode Island. ... This is the History of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a state in the United States. ... The History of Connecticut begins as a number of unrelated colonial villages. ...

References, Sources and external links

Notes

^ http://oceanstater.blogspot.com/2007/01/border-is-where.html
^ Patent of Providence Plantations, 1643
^ Charter of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations - July 15, 1663
^ From "Charter of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations - July 15, 1663":

all that parte of Our dominiones in New-England, in America, conteyneing the Nahantick and Nanhyganset Bay, and countryes and partes adjacent, bounded on the west, or westerly, to the middle or channel of a river there, commonly called and known by the name of Pawcatuck, alias Pawcawtuck river, and soe along the sayd river, as the greater or middle streame thereof reacheth or lyes vpp into the north countrye, northward, unto the head thereoof, and from thence, by a streight lyne drawn due north, vntill itt meets with the south lyne of the Massachusetts Collonie; and on the north, or northerly, by the aforesayd south or southerly lyne of the Massachusettes Collony or Plantation, and extending towards the east, or eastwardly, three English miles to the east and north-east of the most eastern and north-eastern parts of the aforesayd Narragansett Bay, as the sayd bay lyeth or extendeth itself from the ocean on the south, or southwardly, vnto the mouth of the river which runneth towards the towne of Providence, and from thence along the eastwardly side or banke of the sayd river (higher called by the name of Seacunck river), vp to the ffalls called Patuckett ffalls, being the most westwardly lyne of Plymouth Collony, and soe from the sayd Balls, in a streight lyne, due north, untill itt meete with the aforesayd line of the Massachusetts Collony; and bounded on the south by the ocean: and, in particular, the lands belonging to the townes of Providence, Pawtuxet, Warwicke; Misquammacok, alias Pawcatuck, and the rest vpon the maine land in the tract aforesayd, together with Rhode-Island, Blocke-Island, and all the rest of the islands and banks in the Narragansett Bay, and bordering vpon the coast of the tract aforesayd (Ffisher's Island only excepted)

Thus claimed for Rhode Island was all of Narragansett Bay, west to the Pawcatuck River (the mouth of which is the current Connecticut-Rhode Island border, also known as the Narragansett River), up the main branch of the Pawcatuck to its head, and then due north to the southern boundary of Massachusetts Bay Colony. The middle of the eastern mainland boundary was drawn from a point three miles northeast of the most northeastern part of Narragansett Bay, along the eastern Bank of the Providence and Seekonk Rivers, to Pawtuckett Falls, and then due north to the southern boundary of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. All the lands of Providence, Pawtucket, Warwick, and Pawcatuck, plus Rhode Island, Block Island, and all the other islands bordering the afforementioned territory (except Fisher's Island), were explicitly included.
^ History of Fall River, p. 67
^ http://oceanstater.blogspot.com/2007/02/border-is-where-part-ii.html
^ http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/studteaguide/RhodeIslandHistory/chapt5.html Accessed 3/28/06
^ http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/studteaguide/RhodeIslandHistory/chapt6.html Accessed 3/28/06
^ http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/studteaguide/RhodeIslandHistory/chapt7.html Accessed 3/28/06
^ Robert Smith, In The 1920s the Klan Ruled the Countryside, The Rhode Island Century, The Providence Journal, 4/26/1999

Categories: Articles to harmonize | Articles lacking sources from October 2007 | All articles lacking sources | History of Rhode Island | Rhode Island culture | New England American history redirects here. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas US Government Portal A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... Alabama State Flag This is the history of the State of Alabama, in the United States of America. ... Alaska in 1895 (Rand McNally). ... The first Native Americans arrived in Arizona between 16,000 BC and 10,000 BCE, while the history of Arizona as recorded by Europeans began when Marcos de Niza, a Franciscan, explored the area in 1539. ... Arkansas was the 25th state admitted to the United States. ... A field of California golden poppies circa 1910. ... In the history of Colorado, the first inhabitants of what was to become the State of Colorado were the American Indians. ... The History of Connecticut begins as a number of unrelated colonial villages. ... The History of Delaware is the story of a small American state, in the middle of heart of the nation, and yet until recently often isolated and even invisible to outsiders. ... Five flags of Florida (not including the current State Flag of Florida). ... The history of Hawaii includes phases of early Polynesian settlement, British discovery, Euro-American and Asian immigration, the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, a brief period of existing as a Republic, and admission to the United States as a territory and then a state. ... The History of Idaho is an examination of the human history and social activity within the state of Idaho, a geographical area in the Pacific Northwest (PNW, or PacNW) area on or near the west coast of United States and Canada. ... // Pre-Columbian Cahokia, the urban center of the pre-Columbian Mississippian culture, was located near present-day Collinsville, Illinois. ... This article should appear in one or more categories. ... This is the history of the U.S. state of Iowa. ... The history of Kansas is rich with the lore of the American West. ... The history of Kentucky spans hundreds of years, and has been influenced by the states diverse geography and central location. ... The history of Louisiana is long and rich. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Great Seal of Maryland. ... This is the History of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a state in the United States. ... The following is a timeline of the history of Michigan, USA. // Early European 1620 Ã‰tienne BrÃ»lÃ© and his fellow explorers from Grenoble, France, were probably the first white men to see Lake Superior. ... The history of Minnesota concerns the state of Minnesota that forms part of the United States of America. ... // Native Americans Mississippi was part of the Mississippian culture in the early part of the second millennium AD; descendant Native American tribes include the Chickasaw and Choctaw. ... This article is about the history of the U.S. state of Missouri. ... Native Americans were the first inhabitants of modern-day Montana. ... The history of the U.S. state of Nebraska dates back to its formation as a territory by the Kansas-Nebraska Act, passed by the United States Congress on May 30, 1854. ... New Hampshire is a state of the United States of America located in the countrys Northeastern region. ... The written history of New Jersey began with the exploration of the Jersey Coast by Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524, though the region had been settled for millennia by Native Americans. ... The History of New Mexico was first recorded by the Spanish who encountered Native American Pueblos when they explored the area in the 1500s. ... New York, the Empire State has been at the center of American politics, finance, industry, transportation and culture since it was created by the Dutch in the 17th century. ... History of North Carolina For the state today see North Carolina // Bibliography Surveys James Clay and Douglas Orr, eds. ... First Nations in the region 1789: Louisiana and Ruperts Land 1803: US buys Louisiana 1812: Louisiana Territory renamed Missouri Territory 1861: Dakota Territory formed 1889: North Dakota statehood North Dakota was first settled by Native Americans several thousand years ago. ... Serpent Mound, Ohio, USA Hopewell Mound, Ohio, USA 1775 Ohio is not part of the original 13 colonies, but is part of British territories 1789 U.S. constitution, present day is part of an unorganized territory. ... This article is about the History of Oklahoma. ... Official language(s) None Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area Ranked 9th - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 kmÂ²) - Width 260 miles (420 km) - Length 360 miles (580 km) - % water 2. ... The History of Pennsylvania is as varied as any in the American experience and reflects the melting pot vision of the United States. ... South Carolina is one of the original states of the United States of America, and its history has been remarkable for an extraordinary commitment to political independence, whether from overseas or federal control. ... The Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville has been the sight of much of the States history. ... The history of Texas (as part of the United States) began in 1845, but settlement of the region dates back to the end of the Upper Paleolithic Period, around 10,000 BC. Its history has been shaped by being part of six independent countries: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of... The History of Utah (IPA: ) is an examination of the human history and social activity within the state of Utah located in the western United States. ... Mount Mansfield, at 4,393 feet, is the

Encyclopedia > History of Rhode Island

Contents