Rhode Island was the first colony to call for aContinental Congress, in 1774, and the first to renounce its allegiance to the BritishCrown, on May 4, 1776.[12] After theAmerican Revolution, during which it was heavily occupied and contested, Rhode Island became the fourth state to ratify theArticles of Confederation, on February 9, 1778.[13] Because its citizens favored a weaker central government, it boycotted the1787 convention that had drafted theUnited States Constitution,[14] which it initially refused to ratify;[15] it finally ratified it on May 29, 1790, the last of the original 13 states to do so.[16][17]
The state was officially named theState of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations since the colonial era but came to be commonly known as "Rhode Island". On November 3, 2020, the state's votersapproved an amendment to thestate constitution formally dropping "and Providence Plantations" from its full name.[18] Its official nickname, found on its welcome sign, 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.[19]
Despite its name, most of Rhode Island is on the U.S. mainland. Its official name wasState of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations from its beginning in 1636 until 2020, and it is referred to in that manner in theUnited States Constitution.[20] This name was derived from the merger of Colonial settlements aroundNarragansett Bay, and outside the jurisdiction of Plymouth colony. The settlements of Rhode Island (Newport andPortsmouth) were on Rhode Island, also known asAquidneck Island.[b][21]Providence Plantations referred to settlements on the mainland of Providence andWarwick.[22]
It is unclear how the island came to be namedRhode Island, but two historical events may have been influential:
ExplorerGiovanni da Verrazzano noted the presence of an island near the mouth ofNarragansett Bay in 1524 which he likened to the island ofRhodes off the coast of Greece.[23] Subsequent European explorers were unable to precisely identify the island Verrazzano described, but the colonists who settled the area assumed that it was this island.[c]
Adriaen Block passed by the island during his expeditions in the 1610s, and described it in a 1625 account of his travels as "an island of reddish appearance", which was "een rodlich Eylande" in 17th-century Dutch, meaning a red or reddish island, supposedly evolving into the designation Rhode Island.[24][25] Historians have theorized that this "reddish appearance" resulted from either red autumn foliage or red clay on portions of the shore.[26]
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.[27][28] Dutch maps as early as 1659 call the island "Red Island" (Roodt Eylandt).[29]
The first English settlement in Rhode Island was the town of Providence, which theNarragansett granted to Roger Williams in 1636.[citation needed] At that time, Williams obtained no permission from the English crown, as he believed the English had no legitimate claim on Narragansett andWampanoag territory.[30][verification needed] Williams traveled to London in 1643, during the English Civil War, to obtain legal recognition of the new settlements. APatent was granted to "the incorporation of Providence Plantations in Narragansett Bay in New England" by the Parliamentary committee onForeign Plantations.[31] 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."[32] Following theAmerican 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 wordplantation 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 a referendum in November 2010 on removing "and Providence Plantations" from the official name. Advocates for excisingplantation 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 thatplantation was simply an archaic synonym forcolony and bore no relation to slavery. The people voted overwhelmingly (78% to 22%) to retain the entire original name.[33]
In June 2020, state senatorHarold 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."[34] GovernorGina Raimondo issued an executive order to remove the phrase from a range of official documents and state websites.[35] In July, amidst theGeorge Floyd protests and nationwide calls to address systemic racism, the resolution referring the question to the voters was passed by both houses of theRhode Island General Assembly: 69–1 in theHouse of Representatives,[36] and 35–0 in theSenate.[37] The change was then approved by voters 52.8% to 47.2% as part of the2020 United States elections, taking effect in November 2020 upon certification of the results.[18][38]
In 1636, Roger Williams and his followers founded the settlement of Providence Plantations.
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 theNarragansett, eastern borderlands were occupied by theWampanoag, south-western coast by theNiantic, western borderlands by thePequot and northern borderlands by theNipmuc.[39][self-published source?][40] In 1636,Roger Williams was banished from theMassachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views, and he settled at the top of Narragansett Bay on land sold or given to him by Narragansett sachemCanonicus. He named the site Providence, "having a sense of God's merciful providence unto me in my distress",[41] and it became a place of religious freedom where all were welcome.
In 1936, on the 300th anniversary of the settlement of Rhode Island in 1636, the U.S. Post Office issued a commemorative stamp, depicting Roger Williams
In 1638 (after conferring with Williams),Anne Hutchinson,William Coddington,John Clarke,Philip Sherman, and other religious dissenters were allowed to settle onAquidneck Island (also known as Rhode Island), by the Narragansett SachemsCanonicus andMiantonomi. 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 was paid was only gratuity, though I chose, for better assurance and form, to call it sale."[42] This settlement was first called Pocasset and then changed in 1639 toPortsmouth. The town was governed by thePortsmouth Compact. The island's southern part became the separate settlement ofNewport after disagreements among the founders.
Samuel Gorton purchased lands atShawomet in 1642 from the Narragansetts, precipitating a dispute with the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1644, Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport united for their common independence as theColony 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 namedWarwick after his patron.[43]
Metacomet was theWampanoag tribe's war leader, whom the colonists called King Philip. They invaded and burned down several of the towns in the area duringKing Philip's War (1675–1676), including Providence which was attacked twice.[41] A force of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Plymouth militia under GeneralJosiah Winslow invaded and destroyed the fortified Narragansett Indian village in theGreat Swamp inSouth Kingstown, Rhode Island, on December 19, 1675.[44] In one of the final actions of the war, an Indian associated withBenjamin Church killed King Philip inBristol, Rhode Island.[45]
In 1680, Newport was the third largest Anglo-American city. It remained a prosperous population center until the 1770s.[46]
The colony was amalgamated into theDominion of New England in 1686, asKing James II attempted to enforce royal authority over the autonomous colonies inBritish North America, but the colony regained its independence under the Royal Charter after theGlorious Revolution of 1688. Slaves were introduced in Rhode Island at this time, although there 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 profitabletriangular trade in slaves and sugar with the Caribbean.[47] 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 theslave trade during the post-revolution era.[48] In 1774, the slave population of Rhode Island was 6.3% of the total (nearly twice the ratio of otherNew England colonies).[49][50]
Brown University was founded in 1764 as the College in the British Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was one of nineColonial colleges granted charters before the American Revolution and was the first college in America to accept students regardless of religious affiliation.[51]
Providence Revolutionaries burnedHMSGaspee in Warwick in protest of British customs laws.
Rhode Island's tradition of independence and dissent gave it a prominent role in theAmerican Revolution. At approximately 2 a.m. on June 10, 1772, a band of Providence residentsattacked the grounded revenue schoonerHMS Gaspée, burning it to the waterline for enforcingunpopular trade regulations within Narragansett Bay.[52] Rhode Island was the first of the thirteen colonies to renounce its allegiance to the British Crown on May 4, 1776.[53] It was also the last of the thirteen colonies to ratify theUnited 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 aBill of Rights would become part of the Constitution.[54]
A nine-pence banknote issued by Rhode Island in 1786
During the Revolution, the British occupied Newport in December 1776. A combined Franco-American force fought to drive them off Aquidneck Island. Portsmouth was the site of the first African-American military unit, the1st Rhode Island Regiment, to fight for the U.S. in the unsuccessfulBattle of Rhode Island of August 29, 1778.[55] 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. Anexpedition of 5,500 French troops underCount Rochambeau arrived in Newport by sea on July 10, 1780.[56] Thecelebrated march toYorktown, Virginia, in 1781 ended with the defeat of the British at theSiege of Yorktown and theBattle of the Chesapeake.
Rhode Island was also heavily involved in theIndustrial Revolution, which began in America in 1787 whenThomas Somers reproduced textile machine plans which he imported from England. He helped to produce theBeverly Cotton Manufactory, in whichMoses Brown of Providence took an interest. Moses Brown teamed up withSamuel Slater and helped to create the second cotton mill in America, a water-powered textile mill. TheIndustrial Revolution moved large numbers of workers into the cities. With the 1663colonial 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.[57] The charter apportioned legislative seats equally among 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.[58] Bills were periodically introduced in the legislature to expand suffrage, but they were invariably defeated.
In 1841, activists led byThomas W. Dorr organized an extralegal convention to draft a state constitution,[59] arguing the charter government violated theGuarantee Clause in Article Four, Section Four of theUnited 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 armedrebellion against the charter government, and Dorr was arrested and imprisoned for treason against the state.[60]
In response, the legislature drafted a state constitution which replaced property requirements for American-born citizens with a $1poll tax, equivalent to $33 in 2024. In a heavily boycotted election in November 1842, voters approved the constitution.[citation needed] 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 the property requirement, effectively disenfranchising many Irish-Americans and maintaining urban under-representation.[61][62] In 1849, inLuther 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.
During theAmerican Civil War, Rhode Island was the first Union state to send troops in response toPresident Lincoln's request for help from the states. Rhode Island furnished 23,700 fighting men, of whom 1,685 died.[65] 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. TheUnited States Naval Academy moved to Rhode Island temporarily during the war.
In 1866, Rhode Island abolished racial segregation in the public schools throughout the state.[66]
Interior ofThe Breakers, a Newport symbol of the Gilded Age
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 theGilded Age and provided a home or summer home to many of the country's most prominent industrialists. This was a time of growth in textile mills and manufacturing and brought an influx of immigrants to fill those jobs, bringing population growth and urbanization. InNewport, New York's wealthiest industrialists created a summer haven to socialize and buildgrand 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.[67]
During World War I, Rhode Island furnished 28,817 soldiers, of whom 612 died. After the war, the state was hit hard by theSpanish Influenza.[68]
In the 1920s and 1930s, rural Rhode Island saw a surge inKu Klux Klan membership, largely in reaction to large waves ofimmigrants moving to the state. The Klan is believed to be responsible for burning theWatchman Industrial School inScituate, which was a school for African-American children.[69]
Since theGreat Depression, theRhode Island Democratic Party has dominated local politics. Rhode Island has comprehensive health insurance for low-income children and a largesocial safety net. However, many urban areas still have a high rate of child poverty. Due to an influx of residents fromBoston, increasing housing costs have resulted in more homelessness in Rhode Island.[70]
Downtown Providence in 2008
The 350th anniversary of the founding of Rhode Island was celebrated with a free concert held on the tarmac of the Quonset State Airport on August 31, 1986. Performers includedChuck Berry,Tommy James, and headlinerBob Hope.
Rhode Island covers an area of 1,034 square miles (2,678 km2)[2] within the New England region of theNortheastern United States and is bordered on the north and east by Massachusetts, on the west by Connecticut, and on the south byRhode Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean.[19] It shares a narrow maritime border with New York State between Block Island andLong 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 onNarragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean of 384 miles (618 km).[71]
Rhode Island is nicknamed the Ocean State and has a number of oceanfrontbeaches. It is mostly flat with no real mountains, and the state's highest natural point isJerimoth Hill, 812 feet (247 m) above sea level.[72] 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 theNortheastern coastal forests ecoregion.[73]
Narragansett Bay is a major feature of the state's topography. There are more than 30 islands within the bay; the largest isAquidneck Island, which holds the municipalities of Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth. The second-largest island isConanicut, and the third isPrudence.Block Island lies about 12 miles (19 km) off the southern coast of the mainland and separatesBlock Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean proper.[74][75]
A rare type of rock calledCumberlandite can be found inCumberland (the only place within the United States in which it can be found) 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.[76][d]
Geography of Rhode Island
Map of Rhode Island, showing major cities and roads
Rhode Island lies at the broad transition zone from the continental climates to the north and the subtropical climates to the south. The basic climate features warm to hot summers and cool winters with a mix of rain and snow.Block Island has anoceanic climate. The highest temperature recorded in Rhode Island was 104 °F (40 °C), recorded on August 2, 1975, in Providence.[78] The lowest recorded temperature in Rhode Island was −23 °F (−31 °C) on February 5, 1996, inGreene.[79] Monthly average temperatures range from a high of 83 °F (28 °C) to a low of 20 °F (−7 °C).[80]
Due to the relatively flat nature of Rhode Island's seashore, the state is vulnerable to storm surge and coastal erosion, especially as sea levels rise.
Rhode Island is divided intofive 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 theBlackstone,Seekonk, andProvidence Rivers with the advent of the water-powered mill. Providence is the base ofa large metropolitan area.
The state's 19 largest municipalities ranked by population are:[81]
Some of Rhode Island's cities and towns are further partitioned into villages, in common with many other New England states. Notable villages includeKingston in the town of South Kingstown, which houses the University of Rhode Island;Wickford in the town of North Kingstown, the site of an annual international art festival; andWakefield where the Town Hall is for the Town of South Kingstown.[82]
TheRhode Island State House in Providence boasts the world's fourth largest self-supported marble dome.
Thestate capitol building is made of white Georgian marble. On top is the world's fourth largest self-supported marble dome.[83] It houses the Rhode Island Charter granted byKing Charles II in 1663, the Brown University charter, and other state treasures.
The first fully automated post office in the country is in Providence. There are many historic mansions in the seaside city of Newport, includingThe Breakers,Marble House, andBelcourt Castle. Also there is theTouro 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. TheNewport Casino is aNational Historic Landmark building complex that houses theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame and features an active grass-court tennis club.
Scenic Route 1A (known locally as Ocean Road) is inNarragansett. "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 a tourist information center.
TheNewport Tower has been hypothesized to be ofViking origin, although most experts believe it was a Colonial-era windmill.[84]
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 reducegreenhouse gas and smog-causing emissions. The plan promoteszero-emissions vehicles and investments in the infrastructure to support them.[86]
In 2014, Rhode Island received grants of $2,711,685 from theEnvironmental Protection Agency to clean upBrownfield 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.[87]
In 2013, the "Lots of Hope" program 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.[88]
In 2012, Rhode Island passed bill S2277/H7412, "An act relating to Health and Safety – Environmental Cleanup Objectives for Schools", informally known as the School Siting Bill. Sponsored by SenatorJuan Pichardo and RepresentativeScott Slater, and signed into law by the governor, it made Rhode Island the first US State to prohibit school construction on Brownfield sites where toxic vapors can potentially affect indoor air quality. It also creates a public participation process whenever a city or town considers building a school on any other kind of contaminated site.[89]
On April 14, 2021, the 2021 Act on Climate was signed. It specified a set of increasingly stringent emissions mandates for the state for the first year of every decade from 2020 until 2050, with the ultimate goal of the state producingnet-zero emissions by 2050.[90]
According to the 2020 census, 71.3% of the population was White (68.7%non-Hispanic white), 5.7% was Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.6% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 9.4% from some other race, and 9.3% from two or more races. 16.6% of the total population was ofHispanic or Latino origin (they may be of any race).[96]
Racial and ethnic composition as of the2020 census
Of the people residing in Rhode Island, 58.7% were born in Rhode Island, 26.6% were born in a different state, 2.0% were born in Puerto Rico, U.S. Island areas or born abroad to American parent(s), and 12.6% were foreign born.[102]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2015[update], Rhode Island had an estimated population of 1,056,298, which is an increase of 1,125, or 0.10%, from the prior year and an increase of 3,731, or 0.35%, since the year 2010. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 15,220 people (that is 66,973 births minus 51,753 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 14,001 people into the state.Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 18,965 people, and migration within the country produced a net decrease of 4,964 people. In 2018, The top countries of origin for Rhode Island's immigrants were theDominican Republic,Guatemala,Portugal,Cape Verde andIndia.[103]
Hispanics in the state make up 12.8% of the population, predominantly Dominican, Puerto Rican, and Guatemalan populations.[104] Rhode Island has the highest percentage ofDominican Americans in the country at 5.1% according to latest estimates, putting the state at sixth largest Dominican community in the country.[98]
According to the2000 U.S. census, 84% of the population aged 5 and older spoke onlyAmerican English, while 8.07% spoke Spanish at home, 3.80% Portuguese, 1.96% French, 1.39% Italian and 0.78% speak other languages at home accordingly.[105]
The state's most populous ethnic group, non-Hispanic white, has declined from 96.1% in 1970 to 76.5% in 2011.[104][106] In 2011, 40.3% of Rhode Island's children under the age of one belonged to racial or ethnic minority groups, meaning they had at least one parent who was not non-Hispanic white.[107]
6.1% of Rhode Island's population were reported as under 5, 23.6% under 18, and 14.5% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 52% of the population.
According to the 2010–2015American Community Survey, the largest ancestry groups wereIrish (18.3%),Italian (18.0%),English (10.5%),French (10.4%), andPortuguese (9.3%).[102] Rhode Island has some of the highest percentages of Irish Americans and Italian Americans.[108] Italian Americans make up a plurality in central and southern Providence County andFrench-Canadian Americans form a large part of northern Providence County. Irish Americans have a strong presence in Newport and Kent counties. Americans of English ancestry still have a presence in the state as well, especially inWashington County, and are often referred to as "Swamp Yankees".
Rhode Island has a notable Lusophone community, having a higher percentage of Americans of Portuguese ancestry than any other state, includingPortuguese Americans andCape Verdean Americans. Additionally, the state also has the highest percentage ofLiberian immigrants, with more than 15,000 residing in the state.[109] African immigrants, including those from Cape Verde and Liberia, form significant and growing communities in Rhode Island. Rhode Island is one of the few states where Black people of recent foreign origin outnumber Black people of multigenerational American origin (African Americans).[108] Rhode Island also has a sizable Asian community. There is onefederally recognized tribe in Rhode Island, the Narragansett Indian Tribe.
Although Rhode Island has the smallest land area of all 50 states, it has thesecond highest population density, second to that of New Jersey.
Since 2016, data for births ofWhite Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in oneHispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
Rhode Island has had the highest proportion of Catholic residents of any state according to a study in 2000,[123] mainly due to large Irish, Italian, and French-Canadian immigration in the past; recently, significant Portuguese and various Hispanic or Latino communities have also been established in the state. Though it has the highest overall Catholic percentage of any state, none of Rhode Island's individual counties ranks among the 10 most Catholic in the United States, as Catholics are evenly spread throughout the state.
Rhode Island's Jewish community, centered in the Providence area, emerged during a wave of Jewish immigration predominantly from Eastern Europeansshtetls between 1880 and 1920. The presence of theTouro Synagogue in Newport, the oldest existing synagogue in the United States, emphasizes that these second-wave immigrants did not create Rhode Island's first Jewish community; a comparatively smaller wave ofSpanish and Portuguese Jews immigrated to Newport during the colonial era. In 2022, they made up 2% of the state's population.[125]
The religiously unaffiliated since 2014 were 20% of the population, though the separate study by the Public Religion Research Institute determined the irreligious increased to 29% of the adult population.[124] In 2022, the religiously unaffiliated declined to 24% of the population.[125]
Today, many inhabitants of Rhode Island identify as being Native American alone (6,058 people in 2010 census and 7,385 in 2020) or Native American in combination with one or more other races (8,336 people in 2010 census and 15,972 in 2020).[126] Many inhabitants of Rhode Island also reported belonging to tribes in 2010 census, the largest of which were the Narragansett (2,820 people), the Cherokee (987), the Wampanoag (559) and the Pequot (424). Other tribes included the Iroquois (278), theMicmac (101), theAbenaki (100), the Nipmuc (99) and more.[127]
The Blackstone River Valley was a major contributor to theAmerican Industrial Revolution. It was inPawtucket thatSamuel Slater set upSlater Mill in 1793,[129] using the waterpower of theBlackstone River to power hiscotton mill. For a while, Rhode Island was one of the leaders in textiles. However, with theGreat Depression, most textile factories relocated to southern U.S. states. The textile industry still constitutes a part of the Rhode Island economy but does not have the same power.
Other important industries in Rhode Island's past included toolmaking,costume jewelry, andsilverware. An interesting by-product of Rhode Island's industrial history is the number of abandoned factories, many of which are now condominiums, museums, offices, and low-income and elderly housing. Today, much of Rhode Island's economy is based on services, particularly healthcare and education, and still manufacturing to some extent.[130] The state's nautical history continues in the 21st century in the form ofnuclear submarine construction.
Per the 2013 American Communities Survey, Rhode Island has the highest paid elementary school teachers in the country, with an average salary of $75,028 (adjusted to inflation).[131]
Rhode Island's 2000 total gross state production was $46.18 billion (adjusted to inflation), placing it 45th in the nation. Its 2000per capita personal income was $41,484 (adjusted to inflation), 16th in the nation. Rhode Island has the lowest level of energy consumption per capita of any state.[135][136][137] Additionally, Rhode Island is rated as the 5th most energy efficient state in the country.[138][139] In December 2012, the state's unemployment rate was 10.2%.[140] This has gradually reduced to 3.5% in November 2019, however, the coronavirus pandemic brought the unemployment rate to a high of 18.1% in April 2020. This has since reduced to 10.5% in September 2020 and is projected to further decrease to 7% in October 2020.[141][142]
Health services are Rhode Island's largest industry. Second is tourism, supporting 39,000 jobs, with tourism-related sales at $4.56 billion (adjusted to inflation) in the year 2000. The third-largest industry is manufacturing.[143] Its industrial outputs are submarine construction, shipbuilding, costume jewelry, fabricated metal products, electrical equipment, machinery, and boatbuilding. Rhode Island's agricultural outputs are nursery stock, vegetables, dairy products, and eggs. The largest single product ismilk, which in 2017 totaled $4,563,000 in sales.[144]
Rhode Island's taxes were appreciably higher than those of neighboring states,[145] because Rhode Island's income tax was based on 25% of the payer's federal income tax payment.[146] Formergovernor Donald Carcieri claimed the higher tax rate had an inhibitory effect on business growth in the state and called for reductions to increase the competitiveness of the state's business environment. In 2010, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed a new state income tax structure that Governor Carcieri signed into law on June 9, 2010.[147] The income tax overhaul has made Rhode Island competitive with other New England states by lowering its maximum tax rate to 5.99% and reducing the number of tax brackets to three.[148] The state's first income tax was enacted in 1971.[149]
2,434 employees inSmithfield and 500 in Providence
12
Rhode Island ARC
2,851
Employees at James L. Maher Center (700), The Homestead Group (650), Cranston Arc (374), The ARC of Blackstone Valley (350), Kent County ARC (500), The Fogarty Center (225), and Westerly Chariho, ARC (52)
TheRhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) operates statewide intra- and intercity bus transport from its hubs atKennedy Plaza in Providence,Pawtucket, andNewport. RIPTA bus routes serve 38 of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns. (New Shoreham onBlock Island is not served). RIPTA operates 58 routes, including daytime trolley service (using trolley-style replica buses) in Providence and Newport.
From 2000 through 2008, RIPTA offered seasonal ferry service linking Providence and Newport (already connected by highway) funded by grant money from theUnited States Department of Transportation. Though the service was popular with residents and tourists, RIPTA was unable to continue after the federal funding ended. Service was discontinued as of 2010[update].[152] The service resumed in 2016 and has been successful. The privately run Block Island Ferry[153] linksBlock Island withNewport andNarragansett with traditional and fast-ferry service, while the Prudence Island Ferry[154] connectsBristol withPrudence Island. Private ferry services also link several Rhode Island communities with ports inConnecticut,Massachusetts, and New York.
Rhode Island is one of four states to have high-speedNortheast Corridor tracks capable of 165 mph. This was due to the fact that in the 1990s, Amtrak upgraded the NEC north of New Haven, CT to get it ready for the high-speedAcela Express trains and to extend electrifiedNortheast Corridor services to Boston.[158]
Rhode Island's primary airport for passenger and cargo transport isT. F. Green Airport inWarwick, though Rhode Islanders who wish to travel internationally on direct flights and those who seek a greater availability of flights and destinations often fly throughLogan International Airport in Boston.
Interstate 95 (I-95) runs southwest to northeast across the state, linking Rhode Island with other states along theEast Coast.I-295 functions as a partialbeltway encircling Providence to the west.I-195 provides a limited-access highway connection from Providence (andConnecticut and New York via I-95) to Cape Cod. Initially built as the easternmost link in the (now cancelled) extension ofI-84 fromHartford, Connecticut, a portion ofU.S. Route 6 (US 6) through northern Rhode Island is limited-access and links I-295 with downtown Providence.
TheEast Bay Bike Path stretches from Providence to Bristol along the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay, while theBlackstone River Bikeway will eventually link Providence and Worcester. In 2011, Rhode Island completed work on a marked on-road bicycle path through Pawtucket and Providence, connecting the East Bay Bike Path with the Blackstone River Bikeway, completing a 33.5 miles (54 km) bicycle route through the eastern side of the state.[159] TheWilliam C. O'Neill Bike Path (commonly known as the South County Bike Path) is an 8 mi (13 km) path through South Kingstown and Narragansett. The 19 mi (31 km)Washington Secondary Bike Path stretches from Cranston to Coventry, and the 2 mi (3.2 km)Ten Mile River Greenway path runs through East Providence and Pawtucket.
In late 2019, theRhode Island Public Transit Authority released a draft of the Rhode Island Transit Master Plan, documenting and describing a variety of proposed improvements and additions to be made to the state's public transit network by 2040. Several different proposals were offered and still under consideration as of December 2020,[160] including implementation of abus rapid transit system, express bus routes, expansion of Amtrak and MBTA services throughout the state, and construction of a newlight rail network through downtown Providence.[160][161]
Some Rhode Islanders speak with the distinctive,non-rhotic, traditionalRhode Island accent linguists describe as a cross betweenNew York City andBoston accents (e.g., "water" sounds like "watuh"[ˈwɔəɾə]).[163] Many Rhode Islanders distinguish a strongaw sound[ɔə] (i.e., resist thecot–caught merger of Boston) much like one might hear in New Jersey or New York City; for example, the wordcoffee is pronounced[ˈkʰɔəfi].[164] Rhode Islanders sometimes refer todrinking fountains as "bubblers", milkshakes as "cabinets", and overstuffed foot-long sandwiches (of whatever kind) as "grinders".[165]
Rhode Island, like the rest of New England, has a tradition ofclam chowder. Both the white New England and the red Manhattan varieties are popular, but there is also a unique clear-broth chowder known asRhode Island Clam Chowder available in many restaurants. A culinary tradition in Rhode Island is theclam cake (also known as a clam fritter outside of Rhode Island), a deep fried ball of buttery dough with chopped bits of clam inside. They are sold by the half-dozen or dozen in most seafood restaurants around the state, and the quintessential summer meal in Rhode Island is chowder and clam cakes.
Thequahog is a large local clam usually used in a chowder. It is also ground and mixed with stuffing or spicy minced sausage, and then baked in its shell to form astuffie.Calamari (squid) is sliced into rings and fried as an appetizer in most Italian restaurants, typically served Sicilian-style with sliced banana peppers and marinara sauce on the side. (In 2014, calamari became the official state appetizer.[166])Clams Casino originated in Rhode Island, invented by Julius Keller, themaître d' in the original Casino next to the seaside Towers in Narragansett.[167] Clams Casino resemble the beloved stuffed quahog but are generally made with the smaller littleneck or cherrystone clam and are unique in their use of bacon as a topping.
The official state drink of Rhode Island iscoffee milk,[168] a beverage created by mixing milk with coffee syrup. This unique syrup was invented in the state and is sold in almost all Rhode Island supermarkets, as well as its bordering states.Johnnycakes have been a Rhode Island staple since Colonial times, made with corn meal and water then pan-fried much like pancakes.
Submarine sandwiches are calledgrinders throughout Rhode Island, and the Italian grinder, made with cold cuts such as ham,prosciutto,capicola,salami, andProvolone cheese, is especially popular.Linguiça orchouriço is a spicy Portuguese sausage often served with peppers and eaten with hearty bread.
TheFarrelly brothers andSeth MacFarlane depict Rhode Island in popular culture, often making comedicparodies of the state. MacFarlane's television seriesFamily Guy is based in a fictional Rhode Island city named Quahog, and notable local events and celebrities are regularly lampooned.Peter Griffin is seen working at the Pawtucketbrewery, and other state locations are mentioned.
CartoonistDon Bousquet, a state icon, has made a career out of Rhode Island culture, drawing Rhode Island-themed gags inThe Providence Journal andYankee magazine. These cartoons have been reprinted in theQuahog series of paperbacks (I Brake for Quahogs,Beware of the Quahog, andThe Quahog Walks Among Us.) Bousquet has also collaborated with humorist andProvidence Journal columnistMark Patinkin on two books:The Rhode Island Dictionary andThe Rhode Island Handbook.
The first act of armed rebellion in America against the British Crown was the boarding and burning of the Revenue SchoonerHMS Gaspée in Narragansett Bay on June 10, 1772. The idea of aContinental Congress was first proposed at a town meeting in Providence on May 17, 1774. Rhode Island elected the first delegates (Stephen Hopkins andSamuel Ward) to the Continental Congress on June 15, 1774. The Rhode Island General Assembly created the first standing army in the colonies (1,500 men) on April 22, 1775. On June 15, 1775, the first naval engagement took place in the American Revolution between an American sloop commanded by Capt.Abraham Whipple and an armed tender of the British FrigateRose. The tender was chased aground and captured. Later in June, the General Assembly created the American Navy when it commissioned the sloopsKaty andWashington, armed with 24 guns and commanded by Abraham Whipple who was promoted to Commodore. Rhode Island was the first Colony to declare independence from Britain on May 4, 1776.[171]
Slater Mill in Pawtucket was the first commercially successful cotton-spinning mill with a fully mechanized power system in America and was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in the US.[172] The oldest Fourth of July parade in the country is still held annually inBristol, Rhode Island. The first Baptist church in America was founded in Providence in 1638.[173]Ann Smith Franklin of the NewportMercury was the first female newspaper editor in America (August 22, 1762).[171]Touro Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in America, founded in Newport in 1763.[171]
Pelham Street in Newport was the first in America to be illuminated by gaslight in 1806.[171] The first strike in the United States in which women participated occurred in Pawtucket in 1824.[171]Watch Hill has the nation's oldest flying horsescarousel that has been in continuous operation since 1850.[171] The motion picture machine was patented in Providence on April 23, 1867.[171] The first lunch wagon in America was introduced in Providence in 1872.[171] The first nine-hole golf course in America was completed in Newport in 1890.[171] The first state health laboratory was established in Providence on September 1, 1894.[171] TheRhode Island State House was the first building with an all-marble dome to be built in the United States (1895–1901).[171] The first automobile race on a track was held in Cranston on September 7, 1896.[171] The first automobile parade was held in Newport on September 7, 1899, on the grounds of Belcourt Castle.[171]
Rhode Island is nicknamed "The Ocean State", and the nautical nature of Rhode Island's geography pervades its culture. Newport Harbor, in particular, holds many pleasure boats. In the lobby ofT. F. Green, the state's main airport, is a large life-sized sailboat,[174] and the state's license plates depict an ocean wave or a sailboat.[175]
The large number of beaches inWashington County lures many Rhode Islanders south for summer vacation.[176]
The state constitution protects shore access, including swimming and gathering of seaweed.[177][178] The 1982 Rhode Island Supreme Court decision inState v. Ibbison[179][180] defines the end of private land as the mean high tide line, which is difficult to determine in day-to-day activities, and has resulted in beach access conflicts.[181] Underfunding of theRhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council has resulted in lax enforcement against encroachment on public access and building of illegal structures.[182]
The state was notorious for organized crime activity from the 1950s into the 1990s when thePatriarca crime family held sway over most of New England from its Providence headquarters.
Rhode Islanders developed a unique style of architecture in the 17th century called thestone-ender.[183]
Rhode Island is the only state to still celebrateVictory over Japan Day, which is officially named "Victory Day" but is sometimes referred to as "VJ Day".[184] It is celebrated on the second Monday in August.[185]
Nibbles Woodaway, more commonly referred to as "the Big Blue Bug", is a 58-foot-long termite mascot for a Providence extermination business. Since its construction in 1980, it has been featured in several movies and television shows, and has come to be recognized as a cultural landmark by many locals.[186] In more recent times, the Big Blue Bug has been given a mask to remind locals and visitors to mask-up during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[187]
On September 2, 1977, music iconsthe Beach Boys performed a concert atNarragansett Park inPawtucket, Rhode Island attended by 40,000 people, the largest concert audience in Rhode Island history. In 2017, music historiansAl Gomes and Connie Watrous of Big Noise were successful in getting the street where the concert stage stood (510 Narragansett Park Drive in Pawtucket, RI) officially renamed as "Beach Boys Way".[188][189][190][191]
In April of 1986, the music charityBandwagon was established in Rhode Island. On May 11, 1986, a 150-person celebrity chorus consisting of musicians, journalists (including MTV Networks executive producer Bill Flanagan), TV broadcasters, politicians (including members of the United States Congress), and the heads of human service agencies joined together at the recording studio Normandy Sound in Warren, RI to record the charity single “A Piece of Our Hearts.” Bandwagon's goal was to raise money for American agencies that aid the hungry and homeless and elevate awareness of the plight of the poor in America. Because of its efforts, the project received national recognition when Bandwagon went on to win the coveted Jefferson Award from the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Foundation for Outstanding Public Service, joining fellow recipients Oprah Winfrey,President Jimmy Carter, Paul Newman, andHarry Belafonte.[192][193][194]
TheProvidence Reds were a hockey team that played in theCanadian-American Hockey League (CAHL) from 1926 to 1936, and theAmerican Hockey League (AHL) from 1936 to 1977, the last season of which they played as the Rhode Island Reds. The team won the Calder Cup in 1938, 1940, 1949, and 1956. The Reds played at the Rhode Island Auditorium, on North Main Street in Providence, Rhode Island from 1926 through 1972, when the team affiliated with the New York Rangers and moved into the newly built Providence Civic Center. The team name came from the state bird, a rooster known as the Rhode Island Red. They moved to New York in 1977, then toConnecticut in 1997, and are now called theHartford Wolf Pack.
The Reds are the oldest continuously operating minor-league hockey franchise in North America, having fielded a team in one form or another since 1926 in the CAHL. It is also the only AHL franchise to have never missed a season. The AHL returned to Providence in 1992 in the form of the Providence Bruins.
1884 Baseball Champion Providence Grays
Before the great expansion of athletic teams all over the country, Providence and Rhode Island in general played a great role in supporting teams. TheProvidence Grays won the first World Championship in baseball history in 1884. The team played their home games at the old Messer Street Field in Providence. The Grays played in the National League from 1878 to 1885. They defeated the New York Metropolitans of the American Association in a best of five-game series at the Polo Grounds in New York. Providence won three straight games to become the first champions in major league baseball history.Babe Ruth played for the minor league Providence Grays of 1914 and hit his only official minor league home run for them before the Grays' parent club, theBoston Red Stockings, recalled him.
Rhode Island has deep history with the sport of soccer where the sport was played as early as 1886 when the state's first organized league would be founded, known as the Rhode Island Football Association (RIFA). One of their teams, the Pawtucket Free Wanderers, would establish themselves as a regional power and win theAmerican Cup in 1893. The first championship game of theU.S. Open Cup was also held in 1914 in Pawtucket's Coates Field to a crowd of 10,000. Later, a team known as Pawtucket Rangers F.C. would win the1941 edition of the U.S. Open Cup (then National Challenge Cup). TheRhode Island Oceaneers would later be founded, and went on to win the1974 American Soccer League championship. Other former semiprofessional soccer teams of the modern era include theRhode Island Stingrays of theUSL Premier Development League, and theRhode Island Reds of theNational Premier Soccer League, with both leagues regarded as the fourth tier of American soccer.
From 1930 to 1983,America's Cup races were sailed off Newport, and the extreme-sportX Games andGravity Games were founded and hosted in the state's capital city.
TheInternational Tennis Hall of Fame is in Newport at the Newport Casino, site of the first U.S. National Championships in 1881. The Hall of Fame and Museum were established in 1954 byJimmy Van Alen as "a shrine to the ideals of the game".[199][200]
Rhode Island is also home to the headquarters of the governing body for youth rugby league in the United States, the American Youth Rugby League Association or AYRLA. The AYRLA has started the first-ever rugby league youth competition in Providence Middle Schools, a program at the RI Training School, in addition to starting the first high school competition in the US in Providence Public High School.[201]
The state legislature is theRhode Island General Assembly, consisting of the 75-memberHouse of Representatives and the 38-memberSenate. The Democratic Party dominates both houses of the bicameral body; the Republican Party's presence is minor in the state government, with Republicans holding a handful of seats in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
Rhode Island's population barely crosses the threshold beyond the minimum of three for additional votes in both the federalHouse of Representatives andElectoral College; it is well represented relative to its population, with theeighth-highest number of electoral votes andsecond-highest number of House Representatives per resident. Based on its area, Rhode Island has the highest density of electoral votes of any state.[205]
Federally, Rhode Island is a reliably Democratic state during presidential elections, usually supporting the Democratic presidential nominee. The state voted for the Republican presidential candidate until1908. Since then, it has voted for the Republican nominee for president seven times, and the Democratic nominee 17 times. The last 16 presidential elections in Rhode Island have resulted in the Democratic Party winning the Ocean State's Electoral College votes 12 times. In the1980 presidential election, Rhode Island was one of six states to vote againstRepublicanRonald Reagan. Reagan was the last Republican to win any of the state's counties in a Presidential election until Donald Trump won Kent County in 2016. In 1988,George H. W. Bush won over 40% of the state's popular vote, something no Republican has done since.
Rhode Island was the Democrats' leading state in 1960, 1964, 1968, 1988 and 2000, and second-best in 1968, 1972, 1996, and 2004. Rhode Island's most one-sided Presidential election result was in 1964, with over 80% of Rhode Island's votes going forLyndon B. Johnson. In 2004, Rhode Island gaveJohn Kerry more than a 20-percentage-point margin of victory (the third-highest of any state), with 59.4% of its vote. All but three of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns voted for the Democratic candidate. The exceptions were East Greenwich, West Greenwich, and Scituate.[206] In 2008, Rhode Island gaveBarack Obama a 28-percentage-point margin of victory (the third-highest of any state), with 63% of its vote. All but one of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns voted for the Democratic candidate (the exception being Scituate).[207]
In a 2020 study, Rhode Island was ranked as the 19th easiest state for citizens to vote in.[208]
Rhode Island is one of 21 states that have abolished capital punishment; it was second do so, just afterMichigan, and carried out its last execution in the 1840s. Rhode Island was the second to last state to make prostitution illegal. Until November 2009 Rhode Island lawmade prostitution legal provided it took place indoors.[210] In a 2009 study Rhode Island was listed as the 9th safest state in the country.[211]
In 2011, Rhode Island became the third state in the United States to pass legislation to allow the use of medical marijuana. On May 25, 2022, Rhode Island fully legalized recreational use of marijuana, becoming the nineteenth state to do so.[212] Additionally, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed legislation that allowed civil unions which GovernorLincoln Chafee signed into law on July 2, 2011. Rhode Island became the eighth state to fully recognize either same-sex marriage or civil unions.[213] Same-sex marriage became legal on May 2, 2013, and took effect August 1.[214]
Rhode Island has some of the highest taxes in the country, particularly its property taxes, ranking seventh in local and state taxes, and sixth in real estate taxes.[145]
Joshua Babcock (1707–1783) – physician, American Revolution general, state Supreme Court justice, and postmaster
John Clarke (1609–1676) – Baptist minister, co-founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, author of its influential charter, and a leading advocate of religious freedom in America
Samuel Slater (1768–1835) – industrialist, "father of the industrial revolution"
Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828) – painter, one of America's foremost portraitists
James Mitchell Varnum (1748–1789) – general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War
Samuel Ward (1725–1776) – Supreme Court justice, Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and a delegate to the Continental Congress
Roger Williams (1603–1684) – founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, influential author, considered the first proponent ofseparation of church and state
Abraham Whipple (1733–1819) – Continental Navy commander-in-chief
^Giovanni da Verrazzano named a place on Rhode IslandPuntum Iovianum in honor of his friend Paolo Giovio (Jovium in Latin) (1483–1542), humanist and historian. Giovio owned theCèllere Codex of Verrazzano containing the text of his first trip.
^A somewhat similar ore has been described inTaberg, Sweden.[77]
^"Rhode Island's Ratification". The U.S. Constitution Online. January 8, 2010.Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. RetrievedJanuary 26, 2013.
^Hamilton B. Staples (1882)."Origins of the Names of the State of the Union".Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, Volume 1. p. 367.Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. RetrievedSeptember 4, 2018 – via Google Books.
^Warren, James (June 12, 2018).God, War, and Providence: the Epic Struggle of Roger Williams and the Narragansett Indians against the Puritans of New England. Scribner. p. 138.ISBN978-1501180415.
^The General Assembly of the Governor and Company of the English Colony of the Rhode Island (June 14, 1774).The Rhode Island Census of 1774 (Report). Hon. General Assembly.Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. RetrievedSeptember 20, 2016.
^Dearden, Paul F (1980).The Rhode Island Campaign of 1778. Providence, RI: Rhode Island Bicentennial Federation.ISBN978-0-917012-17-4.OCLC60041024.
^Duchesneau, John T.; Troost-Cramer, Kathleen (2014).Fort Adams: A History. The History Press. pp. 16–19.ISBN9781625850584.Archived from the original on February 20, 2021. RetrievedMarch 15, 2017.
^US Geological Survey topographical map Block Island (1:100,000) 30 × 60 minute series 1984 (41071-A1-TM-100)
^"Cumberlandite".Mineral Resource Data. United States Geological Survey.Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. RetrievedJune 19, 2019.
^Quinn, Alonzo W (1949)."Bedrock Geology of Rhode Island".Geological Survey Bulletin (1295). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior: 31.Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. RetrievedJune 19, 2019.
^"Act on Climate".State of Rhode Island, Climate Change. RetrievedOctober 27, 2024.
^Annie Simpson; Catherine Jarnevich; John Madsen; Randy Westbrooks; Christine Fournier; Les Mehrhoff; Michael Browne; Jim Graham; Elizabeth Sellers (2009). "Invasive species information networks: collaboration at multiple scales for prevention, early detection, and rapid response to invasive alien species".Biodiversity.10 (2 & 3):5–13.Bibcode:2009Biodi..10b...5S.doi:10.1080/14888386.2009.9712839.S2CID84730109.
^"2010".Decennial Census of Population and Housing. United States Census Bureau.Archived from the original on May 22, 2017. RetrievedFebruary 26, 2014.
^"The Largest Roman Catholic Communities".Adherents.com. April 29, 1999 [Last updated: July 29, 2000]. Archived from the original on August 18, 2000. RetrievedFebruary 13, 2009.
^Ruth Reichl, John Willoughby, Zanne Early Stewart The Gourmet Cookbook: More Than 1000 Recipes Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006ISBN0-618-80692-X, 97806188069281056 pages page 50The Gourmet CookbookArchived January 1, 2016, at theWayback Machine
Rhode Island State Databases – Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Rhode Island state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
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