Roger Williams established the earliest permanent settlement in Rhode Island at Providence in 1636 on property obtained from the Narragansett Indians. Forced to run away from Massachusetts because of harassment, Williams established a rule of religious and political freedom in his new settlement. Other leaders supporting freedom of worship quickly established similar societies on either side of Narragansett Bay. These societies united, and in 1663 King Charles II of England granted them a royal contract, providing for a greater level of self-government than any other colony in the New World, promoting the continuation of freedom of religion.
The early 1700s was a period of success for Rhode Island. Farming and sea trading became the most thriving trades. Providence and Newport were among the busiest ports in the New World. In spite of making profits from the slave trade, Rhode Island was the earliest colony to make the importation of slaves, illegal.
When the Revolutionary War started, the people of Rhode Island were amongst the first migrants to take action against British rule by attacking British vessels. On May 4, 1776, the first colony to give up loyalty towards Great Britain and announce independence was Rhode Island.
The independent spirit of Rhode Island was evident even at the close of the Revolutionary War. Rhode Island was the last of the 13 original colonies to approve the U.S. Constitution, demanding that the Bill of Rights, which secures individual freedom, be added.
At the same time, as industrialization increased, Rhode Island’s cities expanded. New people in search of employment opportunities came from a score of countries, mostly from Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, and French Canada. Over the years, as these people became a part of Rhode Island’s industrial structure, the state gained a reputation for its manufacturing skill and quality, which is still a significant asset for the state’s economy.
There is so much history here, that Rhode Island is almost a living museum. For a state so small, the state possesses one of the nation’s largest concentrations of historic landmarks. The most renowned, certainly, are the lavish gilded age Newport mansions that were formerly the summer ‘cottages’ of the wealthiest families of New York.
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