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Rhode Island
Capital:
Providence
State abbreviation/Postal code:
R.I./RI
Nickname:
Ocean State
Origin of name:
Named after the Greek Island of Rhodes.
Briefs on Rhode
Island:
Rhode island, the smallest state in the union,
but with longest official name, also known as the Ocean State has an
extensive coastline and some interesting sites to offer. The main city
of the state is Providence. Providence is the historic capital and
also the largest city of the state. Nick named as the Beehive of the
Industry, Providence is a vibrant city with rich cultural heritage.
The city is a home to the famous Rhode Island School of Design, Brown
University and the State House. The thrilling events and festivals of
the state especially the semi-monthly festivals along the river
running through the heart of the city are largely acclaimed
attractions.
 Rhode island spreads in an area of 4000 square
kilometers approximately. But the state has a thick population that is
nearly 1,048,319. On the north and east of Rhode Island lies
Massachusetts; on the west is Connecticut, on the south the Rhode
Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. The state is mostly flat with
hardly any mountains.
In 1614 the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block visited
the island, which is now called as the Block Island. The island was
under the control of the Native Americans for a long time. But
gradually their population decreased due to spread of diseases and
wars in the region. The most disastrous war was the King Philip’s War
that commenced in 1675 and continued for a year.
The site of Providence came into prominence
during 1636 when Roger Williams settled at the tip of the Narragansett
Bay. Williams named the site as Providence and a place of religious
freedom. In order to construct a colony Williams had to sign a charter
i.e. a document that confers some rights on a town, city, university
etc. Thus Rhode Island was a charter colony, one of the three types
of colonies that existed in the British Empire during its glorious
years.
In 1639 a federal government was installed in the
island. William Coddington was designated as the first governor while
Philip Sherman was the foremost secretary of the state.
In 1643 Samuel Gorton, English sectary, founder
of the American sect of Gortonites, founded Shawomet which is called
Warwick. In 1644 the name of Aquidneck Island was changed to Rhode
Island.
On 4th May 1776 Rhode Island was the
first of the British colonies in America to declare independence. On
29th May 1970 Rhode Island became the last state to ratify
the United States Constitution.
In 1842 the constitution of the state was passed.
Rhode island was one of the Union states during
the Civil War. After the war the state witnessed large-scale
immigration. In 1866 racial discrimination was abolished from the
state. The economy of the country advanced at the end of this century.
While the First World War was going on, Rhode
Island was a great source of manpower. But right after the war, the
state was gripped by the Spanish Influenza epidemic.
However over the years the state has recovered
from all damages and has successfully groomed in different sectors.
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