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This article is about the U.S. State. For the island, see Aquidneck Island.
"RI" redirects here. For other uses, see RI (disambiguation).
Rhode Island
State
CountryUnited States
Admitted to the UnionMay 29, 1790 (13th)
CapitalProvidence
Largest cityProvidence
Government
 • GovernorDonald Carcieri (R)
 • Upper house{{{Upperhouse}}}
 • Lower house{{{Lowerhouse}}}
U.S. senatorsJack Reed (D)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D)
Population
 • Total1,048,319
 • Density1,003.2/sq mi (387.34/km2)
 • Income rank
17th
Language
 • Official languageEnglish
Latitude41° 09' N to 42° 01' N
Longitude71° 07' W to 71° 53' W

Rhode Island (/roʊd 'aɪlɪnd/), officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,[3] is a state in the New England region of the United States of America. It is the smallest state by area, and the 8th smallest by population. Its official name is the longest official name of any U.S. state. Rhode Island was the first of the thirteen original American colonies to declare independence from British rule, signaling the start of the American Revolution; it was also the first state that engaged in armed hostilities with British property and authorities. Rhode Island did not participate in the Philadelphia Convention and was also the last of the original thirteen states to ratify the United States Constitution.

Despite its name, most of the state of Rhode Island lies on the North American mainland. Providence Plantations refers to the mainland, while Rhode Island was the 17th and 18th century name for Aquidneck Island (now composed of the city of Newport, and the towns of Middletown and Portsmouth).[4]

Rhode Island has long held the nickname of "Little Rhody", though the state has officially adopted the nickname of "the Ocean State," as nearly one tenth of Rhode Island's inland area is covered by salt water, and no part of the state is more than a 30-minute drive from the water's edge.[5]

Name origin

In 1524, Italian navigator, Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first European to visit any part of what is now Rhode Island. He came to what is now Block Island and named it "Luisa" after Louise of Savoy, Queen Mother of France. Verrazzano described Luisa as "about the size of the Island of Rhodes". When the founders of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations surveyed the land, they thought that Aquidneck Island was the place. A mistake occurred in 1614, when Luisa was charted by the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block, after whom Luisa was renamed by the Dutch West India Company; however, their motives in doing so are unknown.[6] The official explanation by the State of Rhode Island is that Adriaen Block named the area "Roodt Eylandt" meaning "red island" in reference to the red clay that lined the shore, and that the name was later anglicized when the region came under British rule.[7]

Geography

Block Island bluffs, Rhode Island
Terrain Map of Rhode Island
Further information: List of Rhode Island counties

Rhode Island covers an area of approximately 1,214 square miles (3,144 km²) and is bordered on the north and east by Massachusetts, on the west by Connecticut, and on the south by Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. It shares a water border with New York between Block Island and Long Island. The mean elevation of the state is 200 feet (60 m). Located within the New England province of the Appalachian Region, Rhode Island 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. Narragansett Bay is a major feature of the state's topography. Block Island lies approximately 12 miles (19 km) off the southern coast of the mainland. Within the Bay, there are over 30 islands. The largest is Aquidneck Island, shared by the municipalities of Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth. The second-largest island is Conanicut; the third-largest is Prudence.

Nicknamed the Ocean State, Rhode Island is home to a number of oceanfront beaches.

Rhode Island is mostly flat with no real mountains. Rhode Island's highest natural point is Jerimoth Hill, only 812 feet (247 m) above sea level.[2]

Climate

Rhode Island is an example of a warm summer humid continental climate with hot, rainy summers and cold, snowy winters. The highest temperature recorded in Rhode Island was 105 °F (40 °C), recorded on August 2, 1975 in Providence. The lowest temperature in Rhode Island, -13 °F (-25 °C), was recorded on February 6, 1996 in Coventry. Monthly average temperatures range from a high of 82 °F (28 °C) to a low of 20 °F (-7 °C).[8]

History

Main article: History of Rhode Island

Colonial Era

In 1524, Italian navigator Giovanni de Verrazzano traversed the mid-Atlantic coast of North America, searching for an all-water route through North America to China. In March of that year, he left what is now New York harbor and headed east until he discovered what was later called Block Island. Natives guided him into what is now Newport Harbor. He remained for two weeks while his crew surveyed the bay and the surrounding mainland. In early May, 1524, Verrazzano departed to renew his search for a Northwest Passage.

In 1614, the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block visited the island that is now called Block Island. Native American inhabitants included the Narragansett tribe, occupying most of the area, and the closely related Niantic tribe. Most of the Native Americans were decimated by introduced diseases such as smallpox, intertribal warfare, and the disastrous King Philip's War, but remnants of the Niantic merged into the Narragansett tribe, where they remain on a federally recognized reservation.

In 1636, Roger Williams, after being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views, settled at the tip of Narragansett Bay. He called the site Providence and declared it a place of religious freedom.

The following year, Anne Hutchinson was banished from Massachusetts for criticizing the clergy there. She and some others, including William Coddington and John Clark, founded the town of Portsmouth on Aquidneck Island. In 1639, Coddington left Portsmouth and founded Newport on Aquidneck Island.

In that same year a formal government was established for the island. William Coddington was the first governor and Philip Sherman was the first Secretary. In 1643, Samuel Gorton founded Shawomet, which is now called Warwick. In 1644, the name of Aquidneck Island was changed to Rhode Island.

John Clarke was granted a Charter in 1663 for Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, which effectively united the two colonies into one. Under the terms of the charter, only landowners could vote. Before the Industrial Revolution, when most people were employed as farmers, this was considered democratic. The original charter was used as the state constitution until 1842.

The relationship between the New Englanders and the Native Americans was strained, and caused some bloodshed. On December 19, 1675 colonist militia from Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Rhode Island massacred about 350 Narragansetts in the Battle of the Great Swamp.[9] The largest tribes that lived near Rhode Island were the Wampanoag, Pequots, Narragansett, and Nipmuck. One native named Squanto, from the Wampanoag tribe, stayed with the Pilgrims and taught them many valuable skills needed to survive in the area. He also helped greatly with the eventual peace between the colonists and the natives.

Roger Williams had kept the powerful Narragansetts on friendly terms with local white settlers. Having kept the Native Americans on friendly terms with settlers, the Narragansetts were even persuaded to form an alliance with the English in 1637, carrying out an attack that nearly extinguished the warlike Pequots. This peace did not last long, however, and by 1670 even the friendly tribes who had greeted Williams and the Pilgrims became estranged from the colonists and conflicts erupted.

The most important and traumatic event in 17th century Rhode Island was King Philip's War, which occurred during 1675–1676. King Philip (his British nickname. His real name was Metacomet) was the chief of the Wampanoag Indians. The settlers of Portsmouth had purchased their land from his father, Massasoit. King Philip rebelled against the English. The first attacks were around Narrangansett Bay, but spread throughout New England.

Revolution and industrialization: 1770–1860

Rhode Island's tradition of independence and dissent gave it a prominent role in the American Revolution. In 1772, the first bloodshed of the American Revolution took place in Rhode Island when a band of Providence residents attacked a grounded British ship for enforcing unpopular British trade regulations in the incident which would be come to known as the Gaspee Affair. Keeping with its culture of defiance, Rhode Island was the first of the original thirteen colonies to declare its independence from England (May 4, 1776,[1]) and the last to ratify the Constitution (which replaced the Articles of Confederation) (May 29, 1790)—doing the latter only after being threatened with having its exports taxed as a foreign nation.

As the Industrial Revolution moved large numbers of workers into the cities, a permanently landless, and therefore voteless, class developed. By 1829, 60% of the state's free white males were ineligible to vote.

Several attempts had been made to address this problem, but none passed. In 1842, Thomas Dorr drafted a liberal constitution which was passed by popular referendum. However, the conservative sitting governor, Samuel Ward King, opposed the people's wishes, leading to the Dorr Rebellion. Although this collapsed, a modified version of the constitution was passed in November, which allowed any white male to vote if he owned land or could pay a US $1 poll tax.

In addition to industrialization, Rhode Island was heavily involved in the slave trade during the post-revolution era. Slavery was extant in the state as early as 1652, and by 1774, the slave population of Rhode Island was 6.3%, nearly twice as high as any other New England Colony. In the late 18th century, several Rhode Island merchant families began actively engaging in the triangle slave trade. Notable among these was the Brown family, for whom Brown University is named, although some important Browns became prominent abolitionists. In the years after the Revolution, Rhode Island merchants controlled between 60% and 90% of the American trade in African slaves.[10][11]

Civil War to Progressive Era: 1860–1929

During the 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 which 1,685 died. On the home front, Rhode Island, along with the other northern states, used its industrial capacity to supply the Union Army with the materials it needed to win the war. In addition, Newport was the temporary home of the United States Naval Academy during the war. Rhode Island's continued growth and modernization led to the creation of an urban mass transit system, and improved health and sanitation programs. After the war, in 1866, Rhode Island abolished racial segregation throughout the state.[12] Post-war immigration increased the population. From the 1860s to the 1880s, most of the immigrants were from England, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, and Quebec, Canada. Towards the end of the century, however, most immigrants were from South and Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean.[13] At the turn of the century, Rhode Island had a booming economy, which fed the demand for immigration. In the years leading up to World War I, Rhode Island's constitution remained reactionary, in contrast to the more progressive reforms that were occurring in the rest of the country. The state never ratified the 18th Amendment establishing national Prohibition of alcohol.[14] During World War I, Rhode Island furnished 28,817 troops, of whom 612 died. After the war, the state was hit hard by the Spanish Influenza.[15] In the 1920s and 30s, rural Rhode Island saw a surge in Ku Klux Klan membership largely among the Swamp Yankee population in reaction to the large waves of immigrants moving to the state. The Klan is believed to be responsible for burning the Watchman Institute in Scituate, which was a school for African American children.[16]

Great Depression to present: 1929-

In the 20th century, the state continued to grow, though the decline in industry devastated many urban areas. These areas were impacted further, as with the rest of the country's urban areas, by construction of Interstate highways through city cores and the suburbanization caused by it and by the GI Bill.

File:Providence old.JPG
Providence in the mid-20th century

Since the Great Depression, the Rhode Island Democratic Party has dominated local politics. For years, the Speaker of the House, always a Democrat, has been one of the most powerful figures in government[citation needed]. The Democratic Party's core of support is in the urban areas of the state and immediate suburbs. While known for old school politics and corruption, Rhode Island also has comprehensive health insurance for low-income children, the RITE CARE program, as well as a large social safety net. Despite this, many urban areas still have a high rate of children in poverty. Due to an influx of residents from Boston, increasing housing costs have resulted in more homeless in Rhode Island (from about 3,000 individuals in 1999 to over 6,000 today), as well as a doubling of the cost of an average home.[17]

The Republican Party, virtually non-existent in the state legislature, has successfully put forward occasional state-wide "good government" reform candidates who criticize the state's high taxes and the excesses of the Democratic Party. Current Governor Donald Carcieri of East Greenwich, and former Mayor Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci of Providence (who later became an independent, political boss, and was convicted on RICO charges) ran as Republican reform candidates.

Prominent State Democrats include House Speaker William Murphy, Senate President Joseph Montalbano, Providence Mayor David Cicilline, Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis, General Treasurer Frank Caprio, Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva-Weed, and Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts. In recent years, the former Speaker of the House John Harwood, State Senator John Celona, and State Senate President William Irons were forced to resign in scandals.

In recent history, in 2003 a nightclub fire in West Warwick that claimed one hundred lives caught national attention and resulted in criminal sentences.[18]

Law and government

The capital of Rhode Island is Providence. The state's current governor is Donald L. Carcieri (R) and its United States Senators are Jack Reed (D) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D). Rhode Island's two United States Congressmen are Patrick J. Kennedy (D-1) and Jim Langevin (D-2).

Further information: List of Rhode Island Governors

Rhode Island is one of a few states that does not have an official Governor's residence.

The state legislature is the Rhode Island General Assembly, consisting of the 75-member state House of Representatives and the 38-member Senate. Both houses of the bicameral body are currently dominated by the Democratic Party.

Federally, Rhode Island is one of the most reliably Democratic states during presidential elections, regularly giving the Democratic nominees one of their best showings. In 1980, Rhode Island was one of only 6 states to vote against Ronald Reagan. In the 1984 Reagan landslide, Rhode Island provided Walter Mondale with his 3rd best performance. Rhode Island was the Democrats' best state in 1988 and 2000 and 2nd best in 1996 and 2004. The state was devoted to Republicans until 1908, but has only strayed from the Democrats 7 times in the 24 elections that followed. In 2004, Rhode Island gave John Kerry a greater than 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 only exceptions were East and West Greenwich, and Scituate.[19] Rhode Island has abolished capital punishment, making it one of the 12 states that have done so. Rhode Island abolished the death penalty very early, just after Michigan (first state to abolish it), and carried out its last execution in the 1840s.

Rhode Island has some of the highest taxes in the country, particularly in its property taxes, ranking seventh in local and state taxes and sixth in real estate taxes in the country, the end result of a decade's trend of increasing taxes relative to other states.[20]

Economy

Textron's headquarters, in the company of One Financial Plaza and the Rhode Island Hospital Trust building

The Blackstone River Valley is known as the "Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution".[21] It was in Pawtucket, that Samuel Slater set up Slater Mill in 1793,[22] using the waterpower of the Blackstone River to power his cotton mill. For a while, Rhode Island was one of the leaders in textiles. However, with the Great Depression, most textile factories relocated to the American South. The textile industry still constitutes a part of the Rhode Island economy, but does not have the same power that it once had. Other important industries in Rhode Island's past included toolmaking, costume jewelry, and silverware. An interesting by-product of Rhode Island's industrial history is the amount of abandoned factories - many of them now being used for low-income or elderly housing or converted into offices or trendy condos. In Pawtucket and Providence, these abandoned mills are used as housing for artists. Today, much of the economy of state is based in services, particularly healthcare and education, and still to some extent, manufacturing.[23][24]

The Fortune 500 companies CVS and Textron are based in Woonsocket and Providence, respectively. FM Global, Hasbro, American Power Conversion, Nortek, and Amica Mutual Insurance are all Fortune 1000 companies based in Rhode Island. The GTECH Corporation is headquartered in Providence.

Rhode Island's 2000 total gross state product was $33 billion, placing it 45th in the nation. Its 2000 per capita Personal Income was $29,685, 16th in the nation. Rhode Island has the lowest level of energy consumption per capita of any state.[25]

Health services are Rhode Islands largest industry.[citation needed] Second is tourism, supporting 39,000 jobs, with tourism related sales at $3.26 billion in the year 2000. The third largest industry is manufacturing. Its industrial outputs are fashion jewelry, fabricated metal products, electric equipment, machinery, shipbuilding and boatbuilding. Rhode Island's agricultural outputs are nursery stock, vegetables, dairy products, and eggs.

The state's taxes are appreciably higher than neighboring states.[20] Governor Carcieri has claimed that this higher tax rate has had an inhibitory effect on business growth in the state and is calling for reductions to increase the competitiveness of the state's business environment. Rhode Island's income tax is based on 25% of the payer's federal income tax payment.[26]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
179068,825—
180069,1220.4%
181076,93111.3%
182083,0598.0%
183097,19917.0%
1840108,83012.0%
1850147,54535.6%
1860174,62018.4%
1870217,35324.5%
1880276,53127.2%
1890345,50624.9%
1900428,55624.0%
1910542,61026.6%
1920604,39711.4%
1930687,49713.7%
1940713,3463.8%
1950791,89611.0%
1960859,4888.5%
1970946,72510.1%
1980947,1540.0%
19901,003,4645.9%
20001,048,3194.5%
Demographics of Rhode Island (csv)
By race White Black AIAN* Asian NHPI*
2000 (total population) 90.96% 6.45% 1.07% 2.74% 0.19%
2000 (Hispanic only) 7.14% 1.42% 0.18% 0.08% 0.07%
2005 (total population) 90.16% 7.07% 1.09% 3.07% 0.21%
2005 (Hispanic only) 9.12% 1.49% 0.22% 0.08% 0.08%
Growth 2000–05 (total population) 1.76% 12.52% 4.91% 15.09% 9.93%
Growth 2000–05 (non-Hispanic only) -0.75% 13.80% 1.03% 15.44% 8.90%
Growth 2000–05 (Hispanic only) 31.21% 7.98% 24.03% 3.78% 11.64%
* AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native; NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Providence County, in the city of Cranston.[27] A corridor of population can be seen from the Providence area, northwest, following the Blackstone River to Woonsocket, where nineteenth-century mills had been built. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2005, Rhode Island had an estimated population of 1,076,189, which is a decrease of 3,727, or 0.3%, from the prior year and an increase of 27,870, or 2.7%, since the year 2000. 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.

Rhode Island Population Density Map

The six largest ancestry groups in Rhode Island are: Italian (19%), Irish (19%), French Canadian (17.3%),[28] English (12%), Hispanic 11% (predominantly Puerto Rican and Dominican, with smaller Central American populations), [4] Portuguese (8.7%).

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 8.07% of the population aged 5 and over speaks Spanish at home, while 3.80% speaks Portuguese, 1.96% French, and 1.39% Italian [5].

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.

Rhode Island has a higher percentage of Americans of Portuguese ancestry (who dominate Bristol County), including Portuguese Americans and Cape Verdean Americans, than any other state in the nation. French Canadians form a large part of northern Providence County whereas Irish Americans have a strong presence in Newport and Kent counties. Yankees of English ancestry still have a presence in the state as well, especially in Washington county, and are often referred to as "Swamp Yankees."

Religion

The religious affiliations of the people of Rhode Island are:[29]

Rhode Island is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence and the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island.

Rhode Island has the highest percentage of Roman Catholics[30] in the nation mainly due to large Irish, Italian, and French Canadian immigration in the past (these 3 groups form roughly 55-60% of the state population); recently, significant Portuguese (though Portuguese communities have existed since the mid 19th century) and Hispanic communities (these 2 groups form roughly 20% of the state population) 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 ten most Catholic in the United States, as Catholics are very evenly spread throughout the state.[30] Rhode Island and Utah are the only two states in which a majority of the population are members of a single religious body.

Culture

The Rhode Island state quarter, depicting a vintage sailboat sailing in front of the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge

Many Rhode Islanders speak with a non-rhotic accent that many compare to a "Brooklyn" or a cross between a New York and Boston accent ("water" becomes "wata"). Many Rhode Islanders pronounce the 'aw' sound as one might hear in New Jersey; e.g., "coffee" is pronounced "cauwwefee."[31]

The nautical nature of Rhode Island's geography pervades its culture. Newport Harbor, in particular, holds many pleasure boats. In the lobby of the state's main airport, T. F. Green, is a large lifesize sailboat.[32] The state's license plates depict an ocean wave.[33] Additionally, the large number of beaches in Washington County (known locally as South County) lures many Rhode Islanders south for summer vacation.[34]

The Fox show Family Guy takes place in a fictional town in Rhode Island named Quahog, a satirised example of a small town, which may or may not have a real-life counterpart.[35]

The state was notorious for organized crime activity from the 1950s into the 1990s when the Patriarca crime family held sway over most of New England from its Providence headquarters. Although the power of organized crime has greatly diminished in Rhode Island over the last 20 years, its residents are still stigmatized by popular perceptions of rampant graft and corruption that have haunted the state for decades.

Rhode Islanders developed a unique style of architecture in the 17th century, called the stone-ender.

Rhode Island is the only state to still celebrate Victory over Japan Day. It is known locally as "VJ Day", or just plain "Victory Day" is more common.[36]

Beavertail State Park

Food

Rhode Island is a large per capita consumer of coffee. According to a Providence Journal article, the state features the highest number of coffee/donut shops per capita in the country, with over 225 Dunkin' Donuts locations in the state alone.[37] The Official State Drink of Rhode Island is coffee milk,[38] a beverage created by mixing milk with coffee syrup. This unique syrup was invented in the state and is bottled and sold in most Rhode Island supermarkets. Although coffee milk contains some caffeine, it is sold in school cafeterias throughout the state. Strawberry milk is also popular. Iced coffee is popular in both summer and winter. Frozen lemonade, a mixture of ice-slush, lemons and sugar is popular in the summer, especially Del's Frozen Lemonade, a company based in Cranston.

File:Weiners.jpg
Wein-O-Rama is a popular Cranston restaurant which serves weiners.

Several foods and dishes are unique to Rhode Island, and are hard to find outside of the state. "Wieners," which are sometimes called "gaggers" or "weenies" are smaller than a standard hot dog but are covered in a meat sauce, chopped onions, mustard, and celery salt. If you want all of these on your weiners, you don't have to ask for them separately. Just ask for one (or more) "all the way." The most common way the word is spelled on menus is "weiner." Many restaurants advertise "New York System" weiners. However, this item cannot be found in New York. Legend has it that the term was coined by Greek immigrants who wanted to increase sales of the weiners they sold. The Original New York System on Smith Street in Providence was reportedly the first in the state (look for the initials "ONYS" set in tile as you go in). The "system" is the combination of the hot dog and meat sauce. Submarine sandwiches are referred to as "grinders" in Rhode Island, with a popular version being the Italian grinder, which is made with Italian cold cuts (usually ham, prosciutto, capicola, salami, and Provolone cheese). Chouriço (a spicy Portuguese sausage) and peppers, eaten with hearty bread, is also popular among the state's large Portuguese community. Another popular item is pizza strips. Sold in most supermarkets, they are rectangular strips of pizza without the cheese. Spinach pies, similar to a calzone but filled with seasoned spinach instead of meat, sauce and cheese, are sold in many Italian bakeries and local supermarkets. Variations can include black olives or pepperoni with the spinach, or broccoli instead of spinach.

The state is also known for its johnny cakes. As in colonial times, johnny cakes are made with corn meal and water, and pan fried much like pancakes. During fairs and carnivals, Rhode Islanders enjoy dough boys, plate-sized disks of deep fried dough sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. While these are known as zeppolas in other states, such as New York, in Rhode Island zeppolas or zeppolis are completely different. Traditionally eaten on Saint Joseph's Day (widely celebrated across the state), St. Joseph's Day zeppolis are doughnut-like pastries with exposed centers of vanilla pudding or riccota cream, topped with a cherry.

The Ocean State's tradition of seafood is one of the most celebrated in the country. Shellfish is extremely popular, with clams being used in multiple ways. The quahog (whose shell is Rhode Island's state shell) is a large clam which is mixed with stuffing and spicy minced sausage and then baked in the shell to form a "Stuffie." Steamed clams are also a very popular dish. Fried squid, or "calamari," is most popular in Italian restaurants, typically served Sicilian-style: tossed with spicy banana peppers and with marinara sauce on the side.

Rhode Island, like the rest of New England, has a long tradition of clam chowder. While the white "New England" variety is popular and the red "Manhattan" variety is not uncommon, Rhode Island makes a clear chowder, known as "Rhode Island Clam Chowder." It is very possible that the first chowders cooked were the RI version. Fishermen used to use clams as bait and towards the end of a trip would cook the clams with water, potatoes, onion, and salt pork. The older potatoes would create a starchier broth, so that the chowder was milk free, but still thick and creamy. Ironically, Manhattan chowder is also a Rhode Island creation - Portuguese immigrants who loved chowder but were short on cream substituted something that they had a lot of - tomatoes - to create red chowder.

Perhaps the most unusual culinary tradition in Rhode Island is the "clam cake." The clam cake is 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. The quintessential summer meal in Rhode Island is "clam cakes and chowder."

It is also said that Clams Casino originated in Rhode Island after being "invented" by Julius Keller, the maitre d' in the original Casino next to the seaside Towers in Narragansett.[original research?] 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.

Rhode Island also has a couple of local happy hour treats. Sakonnet Vineyards in Little Compton, Greenvale Vineyards in Portsmouth, Diamond Hill Vineyard in Cumberland, and Newport Vineyards in Middletown produce several varieties of red and white wine. Narragansett Beer was originally brewed in Providence. It is currently brewed outside of the state, but the old brewery sign can still be found in Rhode Island, welcoming visitors to the town of the same name. Newport Storm Brewing Co. is located in Newport and makes a beer of the same name and distills Tew rum, named after the famous Rhode Island pirate.

Sports

The Providence 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 that team before being recalled by the Grays parent club, the Boston Red Stockings.

A now defunct professional football team, the Providence Steam Roller won the 1928 NFL title. They used to play in a 10,000 person stadium called the Cycledrome.[39]

A team by a similar name, the Providence Steamrollers, played in the Basketball Association of America, which would become the National Basketball Association.

From 1930 to 1983, America's Cup races were sailed off Newport.

Local media

Main article: Media in Rhode Island

Landmarks

Rhode Island State House with Providence Place mall at left

The state capitol building is made of white Georgian marble. On top is the world's fourth largest self-supported marble dome.[40] It houses the Rhode Island Charter of 1663 and other state treasures.

Providence is home to the First Baptist Church in America, the oldest Baptist church in the Americas, which was founded by Roger Williams in 1638. Providence is the home of the first fully automated post office in the country. The seaside city of Newport is home to many famous mansions, including The Breakers, Marble House and Belcourt Castle. It is also home to the Touro Synagogue, dedicated on 2 December 1763, the first synagogue within the United States, and still serving. The synagogue showcases the religious freedoms that were 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 presently houses the International Tennis Hall of Fame and features an active grass-court tennis club.

Rhode Island is home to the famous roadside attraction Nibbles Woodaway, the Big Blue Bug, the world's largest termite.

Fort Adams, on Narragansett Bay, was the setting for the finish of Eco-Challenge 1995.

Scenic Route 1A (known locally as Ocean Road)in Narragansett is home to "The Towers", a large stone arch. It was once the entrance to the famous Narragansett casino that burned down in 1900. The towers now serve as a tourist information center and also a banquet hall for events like weddings and birthday parties.

Famous Rhode Islanders

Main article: Famous people from Rhode Island

State items

Famous firsts in Rhode Island

Cities and towns

Main article: Cities and towns in Rhode Island
See also: Rhode Island locations by per capita income
A historic side street in Newport

There are 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island. Major population centers today result from historical factors — with the advent of the water-powered mill development took place predominantly along the Blackstone, Seekonk, and Providence Rivers.

Ranked by population, the state's 8 cities are:

  1. Providence (175,255)
  2. Warwick (87,233)
  3. Cranston (79,269)
  4. Pawtucket (73,742)
  5. East Providence (49,515)
  6. Woonsocket (44,328)
  7. Newport (26,475)
  8. Central Falls (19,159)

In common with many other New England states, some Rhode Island cities and towns are further partitioned into villages that reflect historic townships which were later combined for administrative purposes. Notable villages include Kingston, in the town of South Kingstown, which houses the University of Rhode Island, and Wickford, in North Kingstown, the site of an annual international art festival.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Further information: Rhode Island schools

Colleges and universities

Main article: List of colleges and universities in Rhode Island

Rhode Island has 14 colleges and universities:

Transportation

A Woonsocket bound RIPTA bus loads at Kennedy Plaza

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), which has its hub in downtown Providence manages local bus transit for the state, serving 38 out of 39 Rhode Island communities. RIPTA has 58 bus lines, 2 tourist trolley lines known as LINK, and a seasonal ferry to Newport.[45] The southern terminus of the MBTA commuter rail Providence/Stoughton Line is also in downtown Providence and connects to Boston. Ferry services link Block Island, Prudence Island, and Hog Island to the Rhode Island mainland.

The major airport is T. F. Green Airport in Warwick, though Logan International Airport in Boston is also used. The commuter rail is in the process of being extended to the airport, which will link by rail T.F. Green to Providence and Boston.

The Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge

Interstate 95 runs diagonally across the state connecting major population centers, while the auxiliary interstate 295 provides a bypass around Providence. Narragansett Bay has a number of suspension bridge crossings connecting Aquidneck Island and Conanicut Island to the mainland, most notably the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge(right) and Jamestown Bridge.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Know Rhode Island, RI Secretary of State. Accessed October 17, 2006.
  2. ^ a b c "Elevations and Distances in the United States". U.S Geological Survey. 29 April 2005. Retrieved November 7. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |year= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  3. ^ "Constitution of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations". State of Rhode Island General Assembly. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
  4. ^ http://www.dlt.ri.gov/lmi/map.htm accessed 27 February 2007
  5. ^ "The Living Bay, Providenceri.com
  6. ^ "How Rhode Island got its name", State of Rhode Island, Secretary of State, accessed October 14 2007
  7. ^ "Facts & History", RI.gov, accessed October 14 2007
  8. ^ Average Temperature Range, RSSWeather.com
  9. ^ http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/regional_review/vol1-6f.htm
  10. ^ Slavery in Rhode Island, from Slavery in the North. Accessed October 17, 2006
  11. ^ Slavery, the Brown Family of Providence, and Brown University, Brown News Bureau. Accessed October 17, 2006
  12. ^ "Rhode Island History: CHAPTER V: Change, Controversy, and War, 1846-1865". Retrieved 2006-03-28.
  13. ^ "Rhode Island History: CHAPTER VI: The Gilded Age, 1866-1899". Retrieved 2006-03-28.
  14. ^ Cool Quiz
  15. ^ "Rhode Island History: CHAPTER VII: Boom, Bust, and War, 1900-1945". Retrieved 2006-03-28.
  16. ^ Robert Smith, In The 1920s the Klan Ruled the Countryside, The Rhode Island Century, The Providence Journal, 4/26/1999
  17. ^ http://204.17.79.244/profiles/cw_pro.html Providence Neighborhood Profiles
  18. ^ Butler, Brian (February 21, 2003). "Nightclub Fire Kills 39 People". CNN.
  19. ^ Stewart, Charles. "nationwide2004". Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved 2007-08-28. taken from http://web.mit.edu/cstewart/www/election2004.html
  20. ^ a b Downing, Neil. "R.I. taxes rising, now seventh in the country". Retrieved 2007-07-2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  21. ^ http://www.nps.gov/blac/historyculture/index.htm
  22. ^ http://www.slatermill.org/Educators.htm
  23. ^ http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-Northeast/Providence-Economy.html
  24. ^ http://stats.bls.gov/eag/eag.ri.htm
  25. ^ http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/txt/ptb0106.html Energy Information Association
  26. ^ http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/ind_inc.pdf TaxAdmin.org State Individual Income Taxes (table)
  27. ^ http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt
  28. ^ [1]
  29. ^ http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_284.html#631
  30. ^ a b http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_romcath.html
  31. ^ [2] Quahog.org Guide to Rhode Island Language Stuff. Accessed May 30, 2007
  32. ^ http://www.pvdairport.com/main.aspx?guid=E41AC564-9E66-4D80-B6B6-B5037AD944EA
  33. ^ http://www.worldlicenceplates.com/usa/US_RIXX.html
  34. ^ http://www.quahog.org/factsfolklore/index.php?id=105
  35. ^ "The Family Guy Reference Archives". Retrieved 2007-12-16. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |Work= ignored (|work= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ "Know Rhode Island: History And Facts About The Ocean State". Rhode Island Office of the Secretary of State.
  37. ^ Patinkin, Mark. Providence Journal "Chewing over why we love doughnut shops". Retrieved 2007-01-20. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  38. ^ RI Government Facts and History
  39. ^ http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1921-1930#1928
  40. ^ [3]
  41. ^ "The Paragon Times: Capes Return to Paragon City!". 2004-07-19. Retrieved 2007-01-25. An in-game newspaper article, that mentions Paragon City, Rhode Island. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  42. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "RHODE ISLAND HISTORY AND FACTS OF INTEREST" (PDF). Rhode Island State Library. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
  43. ^ "Slater Mill Today". Slater Mill Historic Site. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
  44. ^ http://www.fbcia.org/page110.html
  45. ^ "About RIPTA". RIPTA. Retrieved 2007-12-16.

Bibliography

Primary sources

Secondary sources

  • Adams, James Truslow. The Founding of New England (1921)
  • Adams, James Truslow. Revolutionary New England, 1691–1776 (1923)
  • Adams, James Truslow. New England in the Republic, 1776–1850 (1926)
  • Andrews, Charles M. The Fathers of New England: A Chronicle of the Puritan Commonwealths (1919). short survey by leading scholar.
  • Axtell, James, ed. The American People in Colonial New England (1973), new social history
  • Brewer, Daniel Chauncey. Conquest of New England by the Immigrant (1926).
  • Coleman, Peter J. The Transformation of Rhode Island, 1790–1860 (1963)
  • Conforti, Joseph A. Imagining New England: Explorations of Regional Identity from the Pilgrims to the Mid-Twentieth Century (2001)
  • Dennison, George M. The Dorr War: Republicanism on Trial, 1831–1861 (1976)
  • Hall, Donald, ed. Encyclopedia of New England (2005)
  • Karlsen, Carol F. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England (1998)
  • Lovejoy, David S. Rhode Island Politics and the American Revolution, 1760–1776 (1969)]
  • McLaughlin, William. Rhode Island: A Bicentennial History (1976)
  • Palfrey, John Gorham. History of New England (5 vol 1859–90)
  • Slavery in the North - Slavery in Rhode Island [6]
  • Sletcher, Michael. New England. (2004).
  • Stephenson, Nathaniel Wright. Nelson W. Aldrich, a Leader in American Politics (1930).
  • WPA. Guide to Rhode Island (1939).
  • Zimmerman, Joseph F. The New England Town Meeting: Democracy in Action. (1999)


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