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101-650: Massasoit's people had been seriously weakened by a series of epidemics and were vulnerable to attacks by the Narragansetts , and he formed an alliance with the colonists at Plymouth Colony for defense against them. It was through his assistance that the Plymouth Colony avoided starvation during the early years. At the time of the pilgrims' arrival in Plymouth, the realm of the Wampanoag, also known as

202-556: A humid continental climate , with warm summers and cold winters. The state's southern coastal portions are the broad transition zone into subtropical climates, with hot summers and cool winters with a mix of rain and snow. Block Island has an oceanic climate . The highest temperature recorded in Rhode Island was 104 °F (40 °C), recorded on August 2, 1975, in Providence. The lowest recorded temperature in Rhode Island

303-615: A peace treaty negotiated on March 22, 1621. The alliance ensured that the Pokanokets remained neutral during the Pequot War in 1636. According to English sources, Massasoit prevented the failure of Plymouth Colony and the starvation that the Pilgrims faced during its earliest years. Some tension continued between Massasoit and the colonists when they refused to give up Squanto , whom Massasoit believed to have betrayed him. This

404-651: A "Y-dialect", similar enough to the "N-dialects" of the Massachusett and Wampanoag to be mutually intelligible. Other Y-dialects include the Shinnecock and Pequot languages spoken historically by tribes on Long Island and in Connecticut, respectively. The Narragansett language became almost entirely extinct during the 20th century. The tribe has begun language revival efforts, based on early 20th-century books and manuscripts, and new teaching programs. In

505-625: A considerable part of the tribe emigrated to the State of New York, joining other Indians there who belonged to the same Algonquin language group. Nevertheless, in the 1740s during the First Great Awakening , colonists founded the Narragansett Indian Church to convert Indians to Christianity. In the ensuing years, the tribe retained control and ownership of the church and its surrounding 3 acres (12,000 m ),

606-410: A converted " Praying Indian ", was found bludgeoned to death in a pond. The facts were never settled concerning Sassamon's death, but historians accept that Wampanoag sachem Metacomet (known as Philip) may have ordered his execution because Sassamon cooperated with colonial authorities. Three Wampanoag men were arrested, convicted, and hanged for Sassamon's death. Metacomet subsequently declared war on

707-466: A definitive study on it in 1643 entitled A Key Into the Language of America . He traced the source of the word Narragansett to a geographical location: Being inquisitive of what root the title or denomination Nahigonset should come I heard that Nahigonsset was so named from a little island, between Puttaquomscut and Mishquomacuk on the sea and fresh water side. I went on purpose to see it, and about

808-414: A fairly precise localization: He states that the place was "a little island, between Puttaquomscut and Mishquomacuk on the sea and fresh water side", and that it was near Sugar Loaf Hill. This means it was: This suggests that the original Narragansett homeland was identified by 17th-century natives as being a little island located near the northern edge of Point Judith Pond, possibly Harbor Island or one of

909-603: A prominent role in the American Revolution . At approximately 2 a.m. on June 10, 1772, a band of Providence residents attacked the grounded revenue schooner HMS Gaspée , burning it to the waterline for enforcing unpopular trade regulations within Narragansett Bay. Rhode Island was the first of the thirteen colonies to renounce its allegiance to the British Crown on May 4, 1776. It was also

1010-785: A range of official documents and state websites. In July, amidst the George Floyd protests and nationwide calls to address systemic racism, the resolution referring the question to the voters was passed by both houses of the Rhode Island General Assembly : 69–1 in the House of Representatives , and 35–0 in the Senate . The change was then approved by voters 52.8% to 47.2% as part of the 2020 United States elections , taking effect in November 2020 upon certification of

1111-504: A referendum in November 2010 on removing "and Providence Plantations" from the official name. Advocates for excising plantation argued that the word symbolized a legacy of disenfranchisement for many Rhode Islanders, as well as the proliferation of slavery in the colonies and in the post-colonial United States. Advocates for retaining the name argued that plantation was simply an archaic synonym for colony and bore no relation to slavery. The people voted overwhelmingly (78% to 22%) to retain

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1212-593: A refugee, Roger Williams , who fled religious persecution in the Massachusetts Bay Colony to establish a haven for religious liberty. He founded Providence in 1636 on land purchased from local tribes, creating the first settlement in North America with an explicitly secular government. The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations subsequently became a destination for religious and political dissenters and social outcasts, earning it

1313-631: A state constitution, arguing the charter government violated the Guarantee Clause in Article Four, Section Four of the United States Constitution . In 1842, the charter government and Dorr's supporters held separate elections, and two rival governments claimed sovereignty over the state. Dorr's supporters led an armed rebellion against the charter government, and Dorr was arrested and imprisoned for treason against

1414-471: A threatening challenge, but Plymouth governor William Bradford sent the snakeskin back filled with gunpowder and bullets. The Narragansetts understood the message and did not attack them. European settlement in the Narragansett territory did not begin until 1635; in 1636, Roger Williams acquired land from Narragansett sachems Canonicus and Miantonomi and established Providence Plantations . During

1515-543: A time of growth in textile mills and manufacturing and brought an influx of immigrants to fill those jobs, bringing population growth and urbanization. In Newport , New York's wealthiest industrialists created a summer haven to socialize and build grand mansions . Thousands of French-Canadian, Italian, Irish, and Portuguese immigrants arrived to fill jobs in the textile and manufacturing mills in Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket. During World War I, Rhode Island furnished 28,817 soldiers, of whom 612 died. After

1616-508: A tourist information center. The Newport Tower has been hypothesized to be of Viking origin, although most experts believe it was a Colonial-era windmill. On May 29, 2014, Governor Lincoln D. Chafee announced that Rhode Island was one of eight states to release a collaborative Action Plan to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on its roads by 2025. The plan's purpose is to reduce greenhouse gas and smog-causing emissions. The plan promotes zero-emissions vehicles and investments in

1717-439: A variety of different ways, perhaps attesting to different local pronunciations. The present spelling "Narragansett" was first used by Massachusetts governor John Winthrop in his History of New England (1646); but assistant governor Edward Winslow spelled it "Nanohigganset", while Rhode Island preacher Samuel Gorton preferred "Nanhyganset"; Roger Williams , who founded the city of Providence and came into closest contact with

1818-478: A weaker central government, it boycotted the 1787 convention that had drafted the United States Constitution , which it initially refused to ratify; it finally ratified it on May 29, 1790, the last of the original 13 states to do so. The state was officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations since the colonial era but came to be commonly known as "Rhode Island". On November 3, 2020,

1919-729: Is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States . It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Island Sound ; and shares a small maritime border with New York , east of Long Island . Rhode Island is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous , with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020 ; but it has grown at every decennial count since 1790 and

2020-716: Is designated in the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission inventory of recorded archaeological sites as site RI 110. Excavations revealed the remains of a coastal village from the Late Woodland period , inhabited by about 100 people for about four years, sometime in the tenth or eleventh centuries A.D. Evidence of houses and other structures was found, as well as food storage pits, and evidence of maize farming. The find turned out to be an important one, because no other Native American coastal village has ever been found in

2121-725: Is led by an elected tribal council, a chief sachem , a medicine man , and a Christian leader. The entire tribal population must approve major decisions. The administration in 2023 was: Tribal Council Cassius Spears, Jr., 1st Councilman Mike Monroe Sr, 2nd Councilman Councilman: John Pompey Councilman: Lonny Brown, Sr. Councilwoman: Yvonne Lamphere Councilman: Keith Sampson Councilman: Shawn Perry Councilman: John Mahoney Councilman, Raymond Lamphere Tribal Secretary, Monica Stanton Assistant Tribal Secretary: Betty Johnson Tribal Treasurer: Mary S. Brown Assistant Tribal Treasurer: Walter K. Babcock Some present-day Narragansett people believe that their name means "people of

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2222-542: Is nicknamed the Ocean State and has a number of oceanfront beaches . It is mostly flat with no real mountains, and the state's highest natural point is Jerimoth Hill , 812 feet (247 m) above sea level. The state has two distinct natural regions. Eastern Rhode Island contains the lowlands of the Narragansett Bay, while Western Rhode Island forms part of the New England upland. Rhode Island's forests are part of

2323-537: Is no record of any law legalizing slave-holding. The colony later prospered under the slave trade, distilling rum to sell in Africa as part of a profitable triangular trade in slaves and sugar with the Caribbean. Rhode Island's legislative body passed an act in 1652 abolishing the holding of slaves (the first British colony to do so), but this edict was never enforced and Rhode Island continued to be heavily involved in

2424-422: Is referred to in that manner in the United States Constitution . This name was derived from the merger of Colonial settlements around Narragansett Bay, and outside the jurisdiction of Plymouth colony. The settlements of Rhode Island ( Newport and Portsmouth ) were on Rhode Island, also known as Aquidneck Island . Providence Plantations referred to settlements on the mainland of Providence and Warwick . It

2525-511: Is the second-most densely populated state , after New Jersey . The state takes its name from the eponymous island , though nearly all its land area is on the mainland. Providence is its capital and most populous city. Native Americans lived around Narragansett Bay before English settlers began arriving in the early 17th century. Rhode Island was unique among the Thirteen British Colonies in having been founded by

2626-516: Is unclear how the island came to be named Rhode Island , but two historical events may have been influential: The earliest documented use of the name "Rhode Island" for Aquidneck was in 1637 by Roger Williams. The name was officially applied to the island in 1644 with these words: "Aquethneck shall be henceforth called the Isle of Rodes or Rhode-Island." The name "Isle of Rodes" is used in a legal document as late as 1646. Dutch maps as early as 1659 call

2727-446: The 1938 New England hurricane , Hurricane Carol (1954), Hurricane Donna (1960), and Hurricane Bob (1991). Rhode Island is divided into five counties but it has no county governments. The entire state is divided into 39 municipalities, which handle all local government affairs. There are 8 cities and 31 towns in Rhode Island. Major population centers today result from historical factors; development took place predominantly along

2828-617: The American Civil War to "take up citizenship" in the United States, which would have required them to give up their treaty privileges and Indian nation status. The Narragansetts had a vision of themselves as "a nation rather than a race", and they insisted on their rights to Indian national status and its privileges by treaty. Providence Plantations This is an accepted version of this page Rhode Island ( / ˌ r oʊ d -/ , pronounced "road")

2929-512: The American Civil War , 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 and the other northern states used their industrial capacity to supply the Union Army with the materials it needed to win the war. The United States Naval Academy moved to Rhode Island temporarily during

3030-436: The American Revolution , in 1790 the new state incorporated as the "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations". However, as matter of convenience, the state came to be commonly known as simply "Rhode Island". The word plantation in the state's name became a contested issue during the 20th century and the increased awareness of slavery and its role in early Rhode Island history. The General Assembly voted in 2009 to hold

3131-483: The Blackstone , Seekonk , and Providence Rivers with the advent of the water-powered mill. Providence is the base of a large metropolitan area. The state's 19 largest municipalities ranked by population are: Some of Rhode Island's cities and towns are further partitioned into villages, in common with many other New England states. Notable villages include Kingston in the town of South Kingstown, which houses

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3232-635: The Caribbean ; others became indentured servants in Rhode Island. The surviving Narragansetts merged with local tribes, particularly the Eastern Niantics. During colonial and later times, tribe members intermarried with colonists and Africans. Their spouses and children were taken into the tribe, enabling them to keep a tribal and cultural identity. Ninigret , the chief sachem of the Narragansetts during King Philip's War, died soon after

3333-543: The International Tennis Hall of Fame and features an active grass-court tennis club. Scenic Route 1A (known locally as Ocean Road) is in Narragansett . " The Towers " is also in Narragansett featuring a large stone arch. It was once the entrance to a famous Narragansett casino that burned down in 1900. The Towers now serve as an event venue and host the local Chamber of Commerce, which operates

3434-684: The Narragansett Indian Reservation , 1,800 acres (7.3 km ) of trust lands in Charlestown, Rhode Island . A small portion of the tribe resides on or near the reservation, according to the 2000 U.S. Census . Additionally, they own several hundred acres in Westerly . In 1991, the Narragansetts purchased 31 acres (130,000 m ) in Charlestown for development of elderly housing. In 1998, they requested that

3535-469: The Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion. Narragansett Bay is a major feature of the state's topography. There are more than 30 islands within the bay; the largest is Aquidneck Island , which holds the municipalities of Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth. The second-largest island is Conanicut , and the third is Prudence . Block Island lies about 12 miles (19 km) off the southern coast of

3636-665: The Pequot War of 1637, the Narragansetts allied with the New England colonists. However, the brutality of the colonists in the Mystic massacre shocked the Narragansetts, who returned home in disgust. After the Pequots were defeated, the colonists gave captives to their allies the Narragansetts and the Mohegans . The Narragansetts later had conflict with the Mohegans over control of the conquered Pequot land. In 1643, Miantonomi led

3737-562: The Pokanokets , included parts of Rhode Island and much of southeastern Massachusetts . Massasoit lived in Sowams, a village at Pokanoket in Warren, Rhode Island . He held the allegiance of lesser Pokanoket sachems. In 1621, he sent Squanto to live among the colonists at Plymouth. Outbreaks of an unidentified disease had devastated the Pokanokets, and Massasoit sought an alliance with

3838-499: 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 . However, many urban areas still have a high rate of child poverty. Due to an influx of residents from Boston , increasing housing costs have resulted in more homelessness in Rhode Island. The 350th Anniversary of the founding of Rhode Island

3939-715: The Satucket River in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts . The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Massasoit had five children: son Wamsutta , who was born between 1621 and 1625; son Pometecomet, Metacomet , or Metacom; son Sonkanuchoo; and daughters Amie and Sarah. Soon after his death, Wamsutta and Metacomet went to Plymouth and asked the Pilgrims to give them English names. The court named them Alexander and Philip. Wamsutta,

4040-635: The Seekonk River the following spring. Governor Winslow advised Williams to move his settlement to the other side of the river because his current location was within the bounds of Plymouth Colony. Williams did so and founded Providence Plantations , which later became part of the Colony of Rhode Island . The half century of peace that Massasoit so assiduously maintained collapsed soon after his death. Wamsutta broke away from his father's diplomacy and began an alliance with Connecticut Colony . Massasoit

4141-513: The Touro Synagogue , dedicated on December 2, 1763, considered by locals to be the first synagogue within the United States (see below for information on New York City's claim), and still serving. The synagogue showcases the religious freedoms established by Roger Williams, as well as impressive architecture in a mix of the classic colonial and Sephardic style. The Newport Casino is a National Historic Landmark building complex that houses

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4242-480: The United States Supreme Court ruled against the request in their lawsuit Carcieri v. Salazar , declaring that tribes which had achieved federal recognition since the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act did not have standing to have newly acquired lands taken into federal trust and removed from state control. The Narragansett tribe was recognized by the federal government in 1983 and controls

4343-475: The Wessagusset and Plymouth colonies, and he warned the Pilgrims in time. The alliance came under other tension in later years, as the colonists expanded into new lands in order to support their growing colony. Massasoit sold a tract of land 14 miles square to Myles Standish and others of Duxbury in 1649 to alleviate tension and maintain the peace. The sale took place atop Sachem Rock , an outcropping on

4444-650: The federally recognized Narragansett Indian Tribe . They gained federal recognition in 1983. The tribe was nearly landless for most of the 20th century but acquired land in 1991 and petitioned the Department of the Interior to take the land into trust on their behalf. This would have made the newly acquired land to be officially recognized as part of the Narragansett Indian reservation , taking it out from under Rhode Island's legal authority. In 2009,

4545-789: The slave trade during the post-revolution era. In 1774, the slave population of Rhode Island was 6.3% of the total (nearly twice the ratio of other New England colonies). Brown University was founded in 1764 as the College in the British Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was one of nine Colonial colleges granted charters before the American Revolution and was the first college in America to accept students regardless of religious affiliation. Rhode Island's tradition of independence and dissent gave it

4646-529: The 17th century, Roger Williams learned the tribe's language. He documented it in his 1643 work A Key into the Language of America . In that book Williams gave the tribe's name as Nanhigganeuck though later he used the spelling Nahigonset . American English has absorbed a number of loan words from Narragansett and other closely related languages, such as Wampanoag and Massachusett. Such words include quahog , moose , papoose , powwow , squash , and succotash . The Narragansetts were one of

4747-524: The Brown University charter, and other state treasures. The First Baptist Church of Providence is the oldest Baptist church in the Americas, founded by Roger Williams in 1638. The first fully automated post office in the country is in Providence. There are many historic mansions in the seaside city of Newport, including The Breakers , Marble House , and Belcourt Castle . Also there is

4848-450: The Department of the Interior could not take land into trust, removing it from state control, if a tribe had achieved federal recognition after the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act , and if the land in question was acquired after that federal recognition. Their determination was based on wording in the act which defines "Indian" as "all persons of Indian descent who are members of any recognized tribe now under federal jurisdiction." The tribe

4949-543: The Department of the Interior take the property into trust on behalf of the tribe, to remove it from state and local control. The case went to the United States Supreme Court , as the state challenged the removal of new lands from state oversight by a tribe recognized by the US after the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act . Rhode Island was joined in its appeal by 21 other states. In 2009, the US Supreme Court ruled that

5050-512: The Mohegan fort at Shantok. The colonists then threatened to invade Narragansett territory, so Canonicus and his son Mixanno signed a peace treaty. The peace lasted for the next 30 years. Christian missionaries began to convert tribal members and many Indians feared that they would lose their traditions by assimilating into colonial culture, and the colonists' push for religious conversion collided with Indian resistance. In 1675, John Sassamon ,

5151-409: The Mohegans for his demise. While travelling back in the forests of northern Connecticut, Uncas's brother slew Miantonomi by bludgeoning him on the head with a club. The following year, Narragansett war leader Pessicus renewed the war with the Mohegans, and the number of Narragansett allies grew. The Mohegans were on the verge of defeat when the colonists came and saved them, sending troops to defend

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5252-551: The Narragansett Sachems Canonicus and Miantonomi . They were given a few items in reciprocity for their generosity. However, as Roger Williams made clear in a letter to John Winthrop in June 1638: "Sir, concerning the islands Prudence and…Aquedenick…neither of them were sold properly, for a thousand fathom would not have bought either, by strangers. The truth is, not a penny was demanded for either, and what

5353-465: The Narragansett people, used a host of different spellings including "Nanhiggonsick", "Nanhigonset", "Nanihiggonsicks", "Nanhiggonsicks", "Narriganset", "Narrogonset", and "Nahigonsicks". Underneath this diversity of spelling a common phonetic background can be discerned. Linguist James Hammond Trumbull explains that naiag or naiyag means a corner or angle in the Algonquian languages , so that

5454-420: The Narragansetts in an invasion of eastern Connecticut where they planned to subdue the Mohegans and their leader Uncas . Miantonomi had an estimated 1,000 men under his command. The Narragansett forces fell apart, and Miantonomi was captured. The Mohegans then took Miantonomi to Hartford to turn him in for his execution, to which they where in favor but did not want blood on their hands, so they returned him to

5555-565: The Narragansetts, precipitating a 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 Plantations , governed by an elected council and "president". Gorton received a separate charter for his settlement in 1648 which he named Warwick after his patron. Metacomet was the Wampanoag tribe's war leader, whom

5656-641: The Northeastern United States. A documentary film about the site was sponsored by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, with support from the Federal Highway Administration, and aired on Rhode Island PBS in November 2015. Excerpts can be seen on Vimeo . Traditionally, the tribe spoke the Narragansett language , a member of the Algonquian languages family. The Narragansetts spoke

5757-686: The Pokanokets and chief sachem of the Greater Wampanoag Confederacy. He believed that Wamsutta had been murdered at the hands of the Colonists, and this was one of the factors that led to King Philip's War , one of the bloodiest wars in Colonial American history. A statue of Massasoit by sculptor Cyrus E. Dallin stands near Plymouth Rock , with others outside the Utah State Capitol building, on

5858-639: The University of Rhode Island; Wickford in the town of North Kingstown, the site of an annual international art festival; and Wakefield where the Town Hall is for the Town of South Kingstown. 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 granted by King Charles II in 1663,

5959-454: The campus of Brigham Young University , at the Springville Museum of Art in Springville, Utah , and in Kansas City, Missouri at the corner of Main Street and Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd. In Massachusetts, both Massasoit Community College and Massasoit State Park are named for him. Narragansett people The Narragansett people are an Algonquian American Indian tribe from Rhode Island . Today, Narragansett people are enrolled in

6060-600: The colonies of New England against the neighboring Narragansetts who controlled an area west of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. Samoset was a minor Abenaki sachem ( sagamore ) who hailed from the Muscongus Bay area of Maine , and he learned to speak English from fishermen who plied those waters. Massasoit sent him to approach the colonists to find out whether their intentions were peaceful. Massasoit forged critical political and personal ties with colonial leaders William Bradford , Edward Winslow , Stephen Hopkins , John Carver , and Myles Standish , ties which grew out of

6161-452: The colonists and started King Philip's War . He escaped an attempt to trap him in the Plymouth Colony, and the uprising spread throughout Massachusetts as other bands joined the fight, such as the Nipmuc. The Indians wanted to expel the colonists from New England. They waged successful attacks on settlements in Massachusetts and Connecticut, but Rhode Island was spared at the beginning, as the Narragansetts remained officially neutral. However,

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6262-427: The colonists called King Philip. They invaded and burned down several of the towns in the area during King Philip's War (1675–1676), including Providence which was attacked twice. A force of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Plymouth militia under General Josiah Winslow invaded and destroyed the fortified Narragansett Indian village in the Great Swamp in South Kingstown, Rhode Island on December 19, 1675. In one of

6363-452: The defeat of the British at the Siege of Yorktown and the Battle of the Chesapeake . Rhode Island was also heavily involved in the Industrial Revolution , which began in America in 1787 when Thomas Somers reproduced textile machine plans which he imported from England. He helped to produce the Beverly Cotton Manufactory , in which Moses Brown of Providence took an interest. Moses Brown teamed up with Samuel Slater and helped to create

6464-440: The eldest, became sachem of the Pokanokets on the death of his father. He died within a year, and his brother Metacom succeeded him in 1662. Amie married Tispaquin and was the only one of Massasoit's five children to survive King Philip's War in 1676. Roger Williams fled the Massachusetts Bay Colony to avoid arrest and deportation for religious reasons and stayed the winter of 1635–36 with Massasoit, who gave him land along

6565-414: The entire original name. In June 2020, State Senator Harold Metts introduced a resolution for another ballot referendum on the subject, saying, "Whatever the meaning of the term 'plantations' in the context of Rhode Island's history, it carries a horrific connotation when considering the tragic and racist history of our nation." Governor Gina Raimondo issued an executive order to remove the phrase from

6666-481: The final actions of the war, an Indian associated with Benjamin Church killed King Philip in Bristol, Rhode Island . The colony was amalgamated into the Dominion of New England in 1686, as King James II attempted to enforce royal authority over the autonomous colonies in British North America , but the colony regained its independence under the Royal Charter after the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Slaves were introduced in Rhode Island at this time, although there

6767-421: The infrastructure to support them. In 2014, Rhode Island received grants of $ 2,711,685 from the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up Brownfield sites in eight locations. The grants provided communities with funding to assess, clean up, and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies, and leverage jobs while protecting public health and the environment. In 2013, the "Lots of Hope" program

6868-446: The island "Red Island" ( Roodt Eylandt ). The first English settlement in Rhode Island was the town of Providence, which the Narragansett granted to Roger Williams in 1636. At that time, Williams obtained no permission from the English crown, as he believed the English had no legitimate claim on Narragansett and Wampanoag territory. Williams traveled to London in 1643, during the English Civil War, to obtain legal recognition of

6969-423: The last of the thirteen colonies to ratify the United States Constitution on May 29, 1790, and only under threat of heavy trade tariffs from the other former colonies and after assurances were made that a Bill of Rights would become part of the Constitution. During the Revolution, the British occupied Newport in December 1776. A combined Franco-American force fought to drive them off Aquidneck Island. Portsmouth

7070-417: The leaders of the United Colonies (Massachusetts, Plymouth, and Connecticut) accused the Narragansetts of harboring Wampanoag refugees. They made a preemptive attack on the Narragansett palisade fortress on December 19, 1675 in a battle that became known as the Great Swamp Fight . Hundreds of Narragansett non-combatants died in the attack and burning of the fort, including women and children, but nearly all of

7171-486: The leading tribes of New England, controlling the west of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island and portions of Connecticut and eastern Massachusetts , from the Providence River on the northeast to the Pawcatuck River on the southwest. The first European contact was in 1524 when explorer Giovanni de Verrazzano visited Narragansett Bay. Between 1616 and 1619, infectious diseases killed thousands of Algonquians in coastal areas south of Rhode Island. The Narragansetts were

7272-470: The little points and bays". Pritzker's Native American Encyclopedia translates the name as "(People) of the Small Point". The Narragansett language died out in the 19th century, so modern attempts to understand its words have to make use of written sources. The earliest such sources are the writings of English colonists in the 1600s, and at that time the name of the Narragansett people was spelled in

7373-468: The mainland and separates Block Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean proper. A rare type of rock called Cumberlandite is found only in Rhode Island (specifically, in the town of Cumberland ) and is the state rock. There were initially two known deposits of the mineral, but it is an ore of iron, and one of the deposits was extensively mined for its ferrous content. Most of Rhode Island has

7474-529: The moniker "Rogue's Island". Rhode Island was the first colony to call for a Continental Congress , in 1774, and the first to renounce its allegiance to the British Crown , on May 4, 1776. After the American Revolution , during which it was heavily occupied and contested, Rhode Island became the fourth state to ratify the Articles of Confederation , on February 9, 1778. Because its citizens favored

7575-591: The most powerful tribe in the southern area of the region when the English colonists arrived in 1620, and they had not been affected by the epidemics. Chief Massasoit of the Wampanoags to the east allied with the colonists at Plymouth Colony as a way to protect the Wampanoags from Narragansett attacks. In the fall of 1621, the Narragansetts sent a sheaf of arrows wrapped in a snakeskin to Plymouth Colony as

7676-611: The new settlements. A Patent was granted to "the incorporation of Providence Plantations in Narragansett Bay in New England" by the Parliamentary committee on Foreign Plantations . After the English Civil war, a Royal Charter was granted in 1663, giving the colony an official name of the "Governor and Company of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America." Following

7777-515: The now-weakened Narragansetts. A force of Mohegans and Connecticut militia captured Narragansett sachem Canonchet a few days after the destruction of Providence Plantations, while a force of Plymouth militia and Wampanoags hunted down Metacomet. He was shot and killed, ending the war in southern New England, although it dragged on for another two years in Maine. After the war, the colonists sold some surviving Narragansetts into slavery and shipped them to

7878-515: The only land that it could keep. This continuous ownership was critical evidence of tribal continuity when the tribe applied for federal recognition in 1983. In the 19th century, the tribe resisted repeated state efforts to declare that it was no longer an Indian tribe because its members were multiracial in ancestry. They contended that they absorbed other ethnicities into their tribe and continued to identify culturally as Narragansetts. The tribal leaders resisted increasing legislative pressure after

7979-483: The place called Sugar Loaf Hill I saw it and was within a pole of it [ i.e. a rod or 16 + 1 ⁄ 2 feet ], but could not learn why it was called Nahigonset. Berkeley anthropologist William Simmons (1938-2018), who specialized in the Narragansett people, gives Roger Williams's statement as the last word on the matter, indicating that the precise location of the place seen by Williams could not be determined. But in fact Roger Williams's statement does enable

8080-476: The prefix nai is found in the names of many points of land on the sea coast and rivers of New England (e.g. Nayatt Point in Barrington, RI, and Noyack on Long Island). The word nai-ig-an-set , according to Trumbull, signifies "the territory about the point", and nai-ig-an-eog means "the people of the point". Roger Williams spent much time learning and studying the Narragansett language, and he wrote

8181-560: The property requirement, effectively disenfranchising many Irish-Americans and maintaining urban under-representation. In 1849, in Luther v. Borden , the US Supreme Court declined to rule on the constitutional question raised in Dorr's rebellion, holding that it was a political question outside its jurisdiction. In the early 19th century, Rhode Island was subject to a tuberculosis outbreak which led to public hysteria about vampirism . During

8282-563: The results. At the onset of European colonization what is now Rhode Island was inhabited mainly by five Native American tribes - by far most of the state's territory was inhabited by the Narragansett , eastern borderlands were occupied by the Wampanoag , south-western coast by the Niantic , western borderlands by the Pequot and northern borderlands by the Nipmuc . In 1636, Roger Williams

8383-433: The second cotton mill in America, a water-powered textile mill. The Industrial Revolution moved large numbers of workers into the cities. With the 1663 colonial charter still in effect, voting was restricted to landowners holding at least $ 134 in property. At the time of the revolution, 80% of White men in Rhode Island could vote; by 1840, only 40% were still eligible. The charter apportioned legislative seats equally among

8484-621: The smaller islands there. In 1987, while conducting a survey for a development company, archaeologists from Rhode Island College discovered the remains of an Indian village on a site northeast of Point Judith Pond, adjacent to the land where the Salt Pond Shopping Center was subsequently built. The archaeological site has since been purchased by the State of Rhode Island, and is known as the Salt Pond Archaeological Site or Salt Pond Preserve, and

8585-400: The south by Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. It shares a narrow maritime border with New York State between Block Island and Long Island . The state's mean elevation is 200 feet (61 m). It is only 37 miles (60 km) wide and 48 miles (77 km) long, yet the state has a tidal shoreline on Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean of 384 miles (618 km). Rhode Island

8686-419: The state's towns, over-representing rural areas and under-representing the growing industrial centers. Additionally, the charter disallowed landless citizens from filing civil suits without endorsement from a landowner. Bills were periodically introduced in the legislature to expand suffrage, but they were invariably defeated. In 1841, activists led by Thomas W. Dorr organized an extralegal convention to draft

8787-492: The state's voters approved an amendment to the state constitution formally dropping "and Providence Plantations" from its full name. Its official nickname is the "Ocean State", a reference to its 400 mi (640 km) of coastline and the large bays and inlets that make up about 14% of its area. Despite its name, most of Rhode Island is on the U.S. mainland. Its official name was State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations from its beginning in 1636 until 2020, and it

8888-524: The state. In response, the legislature drafted a state constitution which replaced property requirements for American-born citizens with a $ 1 poll tax , equivalent to $ 32 in 2023. In a heavily boycotted election in November 1842, voters approved the constitution. Voters also declined to limit the change to "white" men, thus re-enfranchising Black men—Black men meeting the property requirements had been able to vote in Rhode Island until 1822. The constitution also ended slavery. Immigrants remained subject to

8989-728: 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 Klan membership, largely in reaction to 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-American children. Since the Great Depression ,

9090-516: The war. In 1866, Rhode Island abolished racial segregation in the public schools throughout the state. The 50 years following the Civil War were a time of prosperity and affluence that author William G. McLoughlin calls "Rhode Island's halcyon era". Rhode Island was a center of the Gilded Age and provided a home or summer home to many of the country's most prominent industrialists. This was

9191-402: The war. He left four children by two wives. His eldest child, a daughter, succeeded him, and upon her death her half-brother Ninigret succeeded her. He left a will dated 1716–17, and died about 1722. His sons Charles Augustus and George succeeded him as sachems. George's son Thomas, commonly known as King Tom, succeeded in 1746. While King Tom was sachem, much of the Narragansett land was sold, and

9292-656: The warriors escaped. In January 1676, colonist Joshua Tefft was hanged, drawn, and quartered by colonial forces at Smith's Castle in Wickford, Rhode Island for having fought on the side of the Narragansetts during the Great Swamp Fight. The Indians retaliated for the massacre in a widespread spring offensive beginning in February 1676 in which they destroyed all Colonial settlements on the western side of Narragansett Bay. The settlement of Providence Plantations

9393-579: Was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views, and he settled at the top of Narragansett Bay on land sold or given to him by Narragansett sachem Canonicus . He named the site Providence, "having a sense of God's merciful providence unto me in my distress", and it became a place of religious freedom where all were welcome. In 1638 (after conferring with Williams), Anne Hutchinson , William Coddington , John Clarke , Philip Sherman , and other religious dissenters were allowed to settle on Aquidneck Island (also known as Rhode Island), by

9494-506: Was burned on March 27, 1676, destroying Roger Williams's house, among others. Other Indian groups destroyed many towns throughout New England, and even raided outlying settlements near Boston. However, disease, starvation, battle losses, and the lack of gunpowder caused the Indian effort to collapse by the end of March. Troops from Connecticut composed of colonists and their Mohegan allies swept into Rhode Island and killed substantial numbers of

9595-557: Was celebrated with a free concert held on the tarmac of the Quonset State Airport on August 31, 1986. Performers included Chuck Berry , Tommy James , and headliner Bob Hope . Rhode Island covers an area of 1,034 square miles (2,678 km ) within the New England region of the Northeastern United States and is bordered on the north and east by Massachusetts, on the west by Connecticut, and on

9696-797: Was established in the City of Providence to focus on increasing the city's green space and local food production, improve urban neighborhoods, promote healthy lifestyles and improve environmental sustainability. Supported by a $ 100,000 grant, the program will partner with the City of Providence, the Southside Community Land Trust, and the Rhode Island Foundation to convert city-owned vacant lots into productive urban farms. In 2012, Rhode Island passed bill S2277/H7412, "An act relating to Health and Safety – Environmental Cleanup Objectives for Schools", informally known as

9797-459: Was humane and honest, kept his word, and endeavored to imbue his people with a love for peace. He kept the Pilgrims advised of any warlike designs toward them by other tribes. It is unclear when Massasoit died. Some accounts claim that it was as early as 1660; others contend that he died as late as 1662. He was anywhere from 80 to 90 at the time. Wamsutta died suddenly within a year of his succession, and Massasoit's second son Metacom became sachem of

9898-468: Was paid was only gratuity, though I chose, for better assurance and form, to call it sale." This settlement was first called Pocasset and then changed in 1639 to Portsmouth . The town was governed by the Portsmouth Compact . The island's southern part became the separate settlement of Newport after disagreements among the founders. Samuel Gorton purchased lands at Shawomet in 1642 from

9999-494: Was resolved in March 1623 when Massasoit was gravely ill and Edward Winslow nursed him back to health. After his recovery, Winslow reports that Massasoit said, "the English are my friends and love me... whilst I live I will never forget this kindness they have showed me." In return for their kindness, Massasoit warned them of a plot against them. He had learned that a group of influential Massachusett warriors intended to destroy both

10100-825: Was the site of the first African-American military unit, the 1st Rhode Island Regiment , to fight for the U.S. in the unsuccessful Battle of Rhode Island of August 29, 1778. A month earlier, the appearance of a French fleet off Newport caused the British to scuttle some of their own ships in an attempt to block the harbor. The British abandoned Newport in October 1779, concentrating their forces in New York City. An expedition of 5,500 French troops under Count Rochambeau arrived in Newport by sea on July 10, 1780. The celebrated march to Yorktown, Virginia , in 1781 ended with

10201-462: Was −23 °F (−31 °C) on February 5, 1996, in Greene . Monthly average temperatures range from a high of 83 °F (28 °C) to a low of 20 °F (−7 °C). Rhode Island is vulnerable to tropical storms and hurricanes due to its location in New England, catching the brunt of many storms that blow up the eastern seaboard. Hurricanes that have done significant damage in the state include

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