Movatterモバイル変換

[0]ホーム
URL:

Jump to content
WikipediaThe Free Encyclopedia
Search

Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
British colony in North America (1636–1776)

Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
1636–1776
CapitalProvidence,Newport
LanguagesEnglish,Narragansett,Massachusett
Government
Governor 
• 1636–1644
Roger Williams
• 1644–1775
(list)
• 1775–1776
Nicholas Cooke
LegislatureGeneral Assembly
• Upper House
(de facto)
Council of Assistants
• Lower House
(de facto)
House of Deputies
Historical era
• Established
1636
• Foundation
1637
• Patent for Settlement
1643-1644
• Coddington Commission
1651–1653
1663
• Part of theDominion of New England
1686–1689
• Resumption of Royal Charter
1688
• Disestablished
1776
Area
• Total
4,000 km2 (1,500 sq mi)
CurrencyRhode Island pound
Preceded by		Succeeded by
Narragansett
Wampanoag
Rhode Island
Dominion of New England
Today part ofRhode Island

TheColony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was anEnglish colony on the eastern coast of America, founded in 1636 by Puritan ministerRoger Williams, at a settlement he originally called Providence Plantations, after his exile from theMassachusetts Bay Colony. Joined by three other settlements soon founded onNarragansett Bay, the colony became a haven forreligious dissenters and was known for its commitment to religious freedom and self-governance.

The four Narragansett Bay settlements created an official confederacy through a charter under thePatent of 1643–1644, granted by theEnglish Parliament.[1] It received a more comprehensiveRoyal Charter in 1663 from KingCharles II, which established its government and guaranteed its religious liberties. Rhode Island continued as a self-governing colony until 1776, when it declared independence fromGreat Britain during the American Revolution, becoming theState of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.[2]

First settlements

[edit]
The original 1636 deed to Providence signed by ChiefCanonicus

The land was first owned by theNarragansett Indians, which led to the name of the town ofNarragansett, Rhode Island. European settlement began around 1622 with a trading post at Sowams, now the town ofWarren, Rhode Island.

The first four European settlements were at Providence, Portsmouth, Newport and Warwick.

Roger Williams—Providence

[edit]

Roger Williams was aPuritan theologian and linguist. Strongly believing in theseparation of church and state, Williams was aseparating Puritan who considered the Church of England irredeemably corrupt – leading to religious persecution against him from the non-separatist leadership of theMassachusetts Bay Colony, which exiled him. Williams moved to a nearby location within theEnglish possessions in the Americas, on the shores ofNarragansett Bay, founding the settlement of Providence Plantations in 1636. He sought refuge among the Narragansetts and negotiated with sachemsCanonicus andMiantonomoh for land, agreeing to trade goods in exchange. He named the settlement Providence Plantations to express his gratitude for divine guidance.[3]

Following his convictions, Williams and his fellow settlers agreed on an egalitarian constitution providing for majority rule "in civil things" with liberty of conscience on spiritual matters. He named three islands in the Narragansett Bay after Christian virtues:Patience,Prudence, andHope Islands.[4]

Island settlements—Portsmouth and Newport

[edit]

In 1637, another group of Massachusettsdissenters settled onAquidneck Island, which was called Rhode Island at the time. They established a settlement called Pocasset at the northern end of the island. The group includedWilliam Coddington,John Clarke, andAnne andWilliam Hutchinson, among others. That settlement, however, quickly split into two separate settlements.Samuel Gorton and others remained to establish the settlement ofPortsmouth in 1638, while Coddington and Clarke established nearbyNewport in 1639. Both settlements were situated on Rhode Island.[5]

Shawomet Purchase—Warwick

[edit]

The second settlement on the mainland was Samuel Gorton'sShawomet Purchase from the Narragansetts in 1642. As soon as he settled there, however, the Massachusetts Bay authorities laid claim to his territory and acted to enforce their claim. Gorton traveled to London to enlist the help ofRobert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, head of the Commission for Foreign Plantations. He returned in 1648 with a letter from Rich ordering Massachusetts to cease molesting him and his people. In gratitude, he changed the name of Shawomet Plantation toWarwick.[6]

Coddington Charter attempt

[edit]

In 1651,William Coddington obtained a separate charter from England setting up the Coddington Commission, which made him life governor of the islands of Rhode Island andConanicut in a federation withConnecticut Colony andMassachusetts Bay Colony.

Protest, open rebellion, and a further petition toOliver Cromwell in London led to the reinstatement of the original 1643 Patent.[7]

1663 Royal Charter

[edit]
See also:Rhode Island Royal Charter
Roger Williams returning with the royal charter

Following the 1660restoration of royal rule in England, it was necessary to gain aRoyal Charter from KingCharles II. Charles was a Catholic sympathizer in staunchly Protestant England, and he approved of the colony's promise of religious freedom. He granted the request with theRoyal Charter of 1663, uniting the four settlements together into the English Colony of Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations.

In the following years, many persecuted groups settled in the colony, notably Quakers and Jews.[8][9] The Rhode Island colony was very progressive for the time, passing laws abolishing witchcraft trials, imprisonment for debt, and most capital punishment.[10][11] The colony also passed the first anti-slavery law in America on May 18, 1652, though the practice remained widespread in Rhode Island and there exists no evidence that the legislation was ever enforced.[12]

King Philip's War

[edit]

Rhode Island remained at peace with the Narragansett Indians, but the relationship was more strained between other New England colonies and certain tribes. This situation frequently led to bloodshed, despite attempts by the Rhode Island leadership to broker peace.[8][9]

DuringKing Philip's War (1675–1676), Colonist and Indian fighting regularly violated Rhode Island's neutrality. The war's largest battle occurred in Rhode Island on December 19, 1675 when a force of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Plymouth militia under GeneralJosiah Winslow invaded and destroyed the fortified Narragansett village in theGreat Swamp.[13]

The Narragansetts also invaded and burned several towns in Rhode Island, including Providence. Roger Williams had known bothMetacom (Philip) andCanonchet since they were children. He was aware of the tribe's activities and promptly sent letters informing the Governor of Massachusetts of enemy movements.Providence Plantations made some efforts at fortifying the town, and Williams even started training recruits for protection. In one of the final actions of the war, troops from Connecticut killed Philip inMount Hope, Rhode Island.[8][9]

Dominion of New England

[edit]

In the 1680s, Charles II sought to centralize administration of the English colonies and to more closely control their trade. TheNavigation Acts passed in the 1660s were widely disliked, since merchants often found themselves trapped and at odds with the rules. However, many colonial governments refused to enforce the acts, Massachusetts principally among them, and Massachusetts took matters one step further by obstructing the activities of the Crown agents.[14] Charles' successorJames II introduced theDominion of New England in 1686 as a means to accomplish these goals. Under its provisional presidentJoseph Dudley, the disputed "King's Country" (nowWashington County) was brought into the dominion, and the rest of the colony was brought under dominion control by GovernorEdmund Andros. The rule of Andros was extremely unpopular, especially in Massachusetts. The 1688Glorious Revolution deposed James II and broughtWilliam III andMary II to the English throne; Massachusetts authorities conspired in April 1689 tohave Andros arrested and sent back to England. With this event, the dominion collapsed and Rhode Island resumed its previous government.[15]

The bedrock of the economy continued to be fishing and agriculture, especially dairy farming; lumber and shipbuilding also became major industries. The Rhode Island General Assembly legalized African and Native American slavery throughout the colony in 1703, and the slave trade fueled the growth of Providence and Newport into major ports.[16]: 11–13  By 1755, enslaved people made up 10% of the colony's population.[16]: 24–25  The Rhode Island merchants also profited by distilling rum as part of thetriangular trade in slaves and sugar between Africa, America, and theCaribbean.[17]

American Revolutionary period

[edit]
Four-time governor of the colony and first chancellor of Brown UniversityStephen Hopkins was influential in his support of the American Revolution.

Rhode Island was the first of the Thirteen Colonies to take up arms against Great Britain in theGaspee Affair, when an armed group of men attacked and burned a British Navy ship. This impromptu attack occurred in June, 1772, more than a year before the more famousBoston Tea Party.

Leading figures in the colony were involved in the 1776 launch of theAmerican Revolutionary War which broughtAmerican independence from theBritish Empire. This included GovernorsStephen Hopkins andSamuel Ward, as well asJohn Brown,Nicholas Brown,William Ellery, the ReverendJames Manning, and the ReverendEzra Stiles, each of whom had played an influential role in foundingBrown University in Providence in 1764 as a sanctuary for religious and intellectual freedom.

On May 4, 1776, Rhode Island became the first of the 13 colonies to renounce its allegiance to the British Crown,[18] and it was the fourth to ratify theArticles of Confederation among the newly sovereign states on February 9, 1778.[19] It boycotted the1787 convention that drew up theUnited States Constitution,[20] and initially refused to ratify it.[21] It relented afterCongress sent a series of constitutional amendments to the states for ratification, theBill of Rights guaranteeing specific personal freedoms and rights, clear limitations on the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and explicit declarations that all powers not specifically delegated to Congress by the Constitution are reserved for the states or the people. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island became the 13th state and the last of the former colonies to ratify the Constitution.[22]

Boundaries

[edit]

The boundaries of Rhode Island underwent numerous changes from early Colonial times well after American independence, including repeated disputes with Massachusetts and Connecticut who contested for control of territory that ultimately belonged to Rhode Island. Rhode Island's early compacts did not stipulate the boundary on the eastern shore of Narrangansett Bay, and did not include any ofWashington County, land that belonged to theNarragansett people. The original settlements were atProvidence, Warwick, Newport, and Portsmouth, and the territory was expanded by purchasing land from the Narragansetts westward toward Connecticut and the smaller islands in Narrangasett Bay. Block Island was settled in 1637 after the Pequot War, became a part of the colony in 1664, and was incorporated in 1672 asNew Shoreham.[23]

Western boundary

[edit]
ThePawcatuck River defined the border betweenConnecticut Colony and Rhode Island.

The western boundary withConnecticut Colony was defined ambiguously as the "Narragansett River" in the Connecticut charter, which was decided by arbitrators in 1663 to be thePawcatuck River from its mouth to theAshaway River mouth, from which a northward line was drawn to the Massachusetts line. This resolved a long-standing dispute concerning the former Narragansett lands which were also claimed by Connecticut and Massachusetts, although the dispute continued until 1703, when the arbitration award was upheld. After repeated surveys, a mutually agreeable line was defined and surveyed in 1728.[23]

Eastern boundary

[edit]

The eastern boundary was an area of dispute withMassachusetts Bay Colony. Overlapping charters had awarded an area extending three miles inland to bothPlymouth Colony and Rhode Island east of Narragansett Bay; this area was awarded to Rhode Island in 1741, establishing Rhode Island's jurisdiction over Barrington, Warren, Bristol, Tiverton, and Little Compton, which Massachusetts had claimed. Also adjudicated in the 1741 decision was the award of most of Cumberland to Rhode Island from Massachusetts. The final establishment of the boundaries north of Barrington and east of the Blackstone River occurred almost a century after American independence,[23] requiring protracted litigation and multiple U.S. Supreme Court decisions. In the final decision, a portion of Tiverton was awarded to Massachusetts to become part of Fall River, and two-thirds of Seekonk (now eastern Pawtucket and East Providence) was awarded to Rhode Island in 1862.

Northern boundary

[edit]

Rhode Island's northern border with Massachusetts also underwent a number of changes. Massachusetts surveyed this line in 1642, but subsequent surveys by Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut agreed that it was placed too far south.[23] In 1718–1719, commissioners for Rhode Island and Massachusetts agreed on roughly that line anyway (except the section east of the Blackstone River, which remained disputed until 1741), and this is where the line remains today.

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
YearPop.±%
1640300—    
1650785+161.7%
16601,539+96.1%
16702,155+40.0%
16803,017+40.0%
16904,224+40.0%
17005,894+39.5%
17107,573+28.5%
172011,680+54.2%
173016,950+45.1%
174025,255+49.0%
175033,226+31.6%
176045,471+36.9%
177058,196+28.0%
177459,607+2.4%
178052,946−11.2%
Sources: 1640–1760;[24] 1774[25] 1770–1780[26]

From 1640 to 1774, the population of Rhode Island grew from 300 to 59,607,[24][25] but then declined during theAmerican Revolutionary War to 52,946 in 1780.[26]William Coddington and a group of 13 other men boughtAquidneck Island from theNarragansett Indians in 1639, and the population ofNewport, Rhode Island, grew from 96 in 1640 to 7,500 in 1760 (making Newport the fifth-largest city in the Thirteen Colonies at the time),[27][28] and Newport grew further to 9,209 by 1774.[25] The black population in the colony grew from 25 in 1650 to 3,668 in 1774 (ranging between 3 and 10 percent of the population),[24][25] and like the state as a whole, declined to 2,671 (or 5 percent of the population) by 1780.[26] In 1774, Narragansetts accounted for 1,479 of the inhabitants of the colony (or three percent).[25]

Rhode Island was the onlyNew England colony without an established church.[29] Rhode Island had only four churches with regular services in 1650, out of the 109 places of worship with regular services in the New England colonies (including those without resident clergy),[29] while there was a small Jewish enclave in Newport by 1658.[30] Following theFirst Great Awakening (1730–1755), the number of regular places of worship in Rhode Island grew to 50 in 1750 (30 Baptist, 12 Congregational, 7Anglican, and 1 Jewish),[31] with the colony gaining an additional 5 regular places of worship by 1776 (26 Baptist, 11Friends, 9Congregational, 5Episcopal, 1 Jewish, 1New Light Congregational, 1Presbyterian, and 1Sandemanian).[32]

Puritan mass migration to New England began following the issuance of theroyal charter for theMassachusetts Bay Company byCharles I of England in 1629 and continued until the beginning of theEnglish Civil War in 1642. The immigration leveled off following the war's conclusion in 1651, and the population growth owed almost entirely to natural increase rather than immigration or slave importations for the remainder of the 17th century and through the 18th century.[33][34] Mass migration from New England to theProvince of New York and theProvince of New Jersey began following the surrender ofNew Netherland by theDutch Republic atFort Amsterdam in 1664, and the population of New York continued to expand by families moving from New England in the 18th century rather than from natural increase.[35][36][37]

Most Puritan immigrants to New England moved as families, as approximately two thirds of the male Puritan immigrants to New England were married rather than unmarried indentured servants.[33][38][39] By the American Revolutionary War, only two percent of the New England colonial labor force were bonded or convict laborers and another two percent were black slaves, while nine percent of the colonial black population in New England were free, as compared with only three percent in the Southern colonies.[34][40] In February 1784, theRhode Island General Assembly passed a gradual emancipation law that increased the ratio of the free black population in Rhode Island to 78 percent by the 1790 U.S. Census; slavery was completely eliminated in Rhode Island by 1842.[41][42][43]

See also

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^Arnold, p. 285
  2. ^Thorpe, Francis Newton (December 18, 1998)."Charter of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations - July 15, 1663".avalon.law.yale.edu. RetrievedNovember 29, 2024.
  3. ^Franklin, Wayne (2012).The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 179.ISBN 978-0-393-93476-2.
  4. ^"Prudence Island Light".History. lighthouse.cc. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. RetrievedNovember 7, 2010.
  5. ^Bicknell, Thomas Williams (1920).The History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Vol. 3. New York: The American Historical Society. pp. 975–976.
  6. ^Paul Edward Parker (October 31, 2010)."How 'Providence Plantations' and Rhode Island were joined".The Providence Journal. RetrievedNovember 7, 2010.
  7. ^Grefe, C. Morgan."Roger Williams and the Founding of Rhode Island". EnCompass. RetrievedFebruary 29, 2024.
  8. ^abcMudge, Zachariah Atwell (1871).Foot-Prints of Roger Williams: A Biography, with Sketches of Important Events in Early New England History, with Which He Was Connected. Hitchocok & Waldon. Sunday-School Department.ISBN 1270833367.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  9. ^abcStraus, Oscar Solomon (1936).Roger Williams: The Pioneer of Religious Liberty. Ayer Co Pub.ISBN 9780836955866.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  10. ^"Rhode Island and Roger Williams" inChronicles of America
  11. ^Lauber, Almon Wheeler,Indian Slavery in Colonial Times Within the Present Limits of the United States. New York: Columbia University, 1913. Chapter 5. See also the Rhode Island Historical SocietyFAQArchived September 27, 2010, at theWayback Machine
  12. ^"America's First Anti-Slavery Statute Was Passed in 1652. Here's Why It Was Ignored".Time. RetrievedDecember 14, 2020.
  13. ^Michael Tougias (1997)."King Philip's War in New England".King Philip's War : The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict. historyplace.com. Archived fromthe original on October 26, 2007. RetrievedNovember 7, 2010.
  14. ^Labaree, pp. 94, 111–113
  15. ^Lovejoy, pp. 247, 249
  16. ^abClark-Pujara, Christy (2018).Dark Work: The Business of Slavery in Rhode Island. New York University Press.ISBN 978-1-4798-5563-6.Project MUSE book 49199.
  17. ^"The Unrighteous Traffick", inThe Providence Journal Sunday, March 12, 2006.Archived September 12, 2009, at theWayback Machine
  18. ^"The May 4, 1776, Act of Renunciation". State of Rhode Island. RetrievedMay 3, 2014.
  19. ^Jensen, Merrill (1959).The Articles of Confederation: An Interpretation of the Social-Constitutional History of the American Revolution, 1774–1781. University of Wisconsin Press. pp. xi, 184.ISBN 978-0-299-00204-6.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  20. ^"Letter from Certain Citizens of Rhode Island to the Federal Convention".TeachingAmericanHistory. Archived fromthe original on July 10, 2014. RetrievedMarch 11, 2024.
  21. ^Flexner, James Thomas (1984).Washington,The Indispensable Man. New York: Signet. pp. 208.ISBN 0-451-12890-7.
  22. ^Vile, John R. (2005).The Constitutional Convention of 1787: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of America's Founding (Volume 1: A-M). ABC-CLIO. p. 658.ISBN 1-85109-669-8. RetrievedOctober 21, 2015.
  23. ^abcdCady, pp. 1-31
  24. ^abcPurvis, Thomas L. (1999). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Colonial America to 1763. New York:Facts on File. pp. 128–129.ISBN 978-0816025275.
  25. ^abcdePurvis, Thomas L. (1995). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Revolutionary America 1763 to 1800. New York:Facts on File. p. 142.ISBN 978-0816025282.
  26. ^abc"Colonial and Pre-Federal Statistics"(PDF).United States Census Bureau. p. 1168.
  27. ^Purvis, Thomas L. (1999). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Colonial America to 1763. New York:Facts on File. p. 227.ISBN 978-0816025275.
  28. ^Purvis, Thomas L. (1995). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Revolutionary America 1763 to 1800. New York:Facts on File. pp. 259–260.ISBN 978-0816025282.
  29. ^abPurvis, Thomas L. (1999). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Colonial America to 1763. New York:Facts on File. pp. 179–180.ISBN 978-0816025275.
  30. ^Purvis, Thomas L. (1999). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Colonial America to 1763. New York:Facts on File. pp. 213.ISBN 978-0816025275.
  31. ^Purvis, Thomas L. (1999). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Colonial America to 1763. New York:Facts on File. p. 181.ISBN 978-0816025275.
  32. ^Purvis, Thomas L. (1995). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Revolutionary America 1763 to 1800. New York:Facts on File. p. 198.ISBN 978-0816025282.
  33. ^abPurvis, Thomas L. (1999). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Colonial America to 1763. New York:Facts on File. p. 133.ISBN 978-0816025275.
  34. ^abPurvis, Thomas L. (1995). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Revolutionary America 1763 to 1800. New York:Facts on File. p. 126.ISBN 978-0816025282.
  35. ^Purvis, Thomas L. (1999). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Colonial America to 1763. New York:Facts on File. p. 148.ISBN 978-0816025275.
  36. ^Purvis, Thomas L. (1995). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Revolutionary America 1763 to 1800. New York:Facts on File. p. 150.ISBN 978-0816025282.
  37. ^Purvis, Thomas L. (1995). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Revolutionary America 1763 to 1800. New York:Facts on File. p. 250.ISBN 978-0816025282.
  38. ^Purvis, Thomas L. (1999). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Colonial America to 1763. New York:Facts on File. p. 164.ISBN 978-0816025275.
  39. ^Purvis, Thomas L. (1999). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Colonial America to 1763. New York:Facts on File. pp. 160–162.ISBN 978-0816025275.
  40. ^Purvis, Thomas L. (1995). Balkin, Richard (ed.).Revolutionary America 1763 to 1800. New York:Facts on File. p. 161.ISBN 978-0816025282.
  41. ^"Slavery in Rhode Island".Slavery in the North. RetrievedMay 24, 2020.
  42. ^"Slavery in the North".Slavery in the North. RetrievedMay 24, 2020.
  43. ^Gibson, Campbell; Jung, Kay.HISTORICAL CENSUS STATISTICS ON POPULATION TOTALS BY RACE, 1790 TO 1990, AND BY HISPANIC ORIGIN, 1970 TO 1990, FOR THE UNITED STATES, REGIONS, DIVISIONS, AND STATES(PDF) (Report).United States Census Bureau. p. 72. RetrievedMay 24, 2020.

General and cited references

[edit]
Judges of Portsmouth
(1638–1640)
Judge of Newport
(1639–1640)
Governor of Newport and Portsmouth
(1640–1647)
Chief Officer (Providence
and Warwick)(1644–1647)
Presidents ofRhode Island
(Patent of 1644)(1647–1663)
Governors ofNewport andPortsmouth
(Coddington Commission)(1651–1654)
Governors ofRhode Island
(Royal Charter of 1663)(1663–1686)
Governors underDominion
of New England(1686–1689)
Governors ofRhode Island
(Royal Charter of 1663)(1690–1776)
Italics Gorton, Smith and Dexter were presidents of Providence and Warwick only, since Coddington had received a commission to remove Newport and Portsmouth from their jurisdiction, valid from 1651 to 1654; before and after these dates the President presided over all four towns of the colony. Dudley presided over the "Narragansett Country" only, later to become Washington County, Rhode Island; Andros subsequently presided over the entire colony.
  • Non-British colonial entities in the contemporary United States
Related documents
Legend
Former territory
Current territory
*CurrentCommonwealth realm
†Current member of theCommonwealth of Nations
Europe
Africa
Asia
North America
South America
Oceania
Antarctica and the South Atlantic
  • 5Occupied by Argentina during theFalklands War of April–June 1982.
  • 23Since 2009 part ofSaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; Ascension Island (1922–) and Tristan da Cunha (1938–) were previously dependencies of Saint Helena.
  • 24Claimed in 1908; territory formed 1962; overlaps portions of Argentine and Chilean claims, borders not enforced but claim not renounced under theAntarctic Treaty.
  • 25Claimed in 1908; territory formed 1985
International
National
Other
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colony_of_Rhode_Island_and_Providence_Plantations&oldid=1313796598"
Categories:
Hidden categories:
[8]ページ先頭
©2009-2025 Movatter.jp