Native Americans lived around
Narragansett Bay for thousands of years before English settlers began arriving in the early 17th century. Rhode Island was unique among the
Thirteen British Colonies in having been founded by a refugee,
Roger Williams, who fled
religious persecution in the
Massachusetts Bay Colony to establish a haven for religious liberty. He founded Providence in 1636 on land purchased from local tribes, creating the first settlement in North America with an explicitly secular government. The
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations subsequently became a destination for religious and political dissenters and social outcasts, earning it the moniker "Rogue's Island".
Rhode Island was the first colony to call for a
Continental Congress, in 1774, and the first to renounce its allegiance to the British
Crown, on May 4, 1776. After the
American Revolution, during which it was heavily occupied and contested, Rhode Island became the fourth state to ratify the
Articles of Confederation, on February 9, 1778. Because its citizens favored a weaker central government, it boycotted the
1787 convention that had drafted the
United States Constitution, which it initially refused to ratify; it finally ratified it on May 29, 1790, the last of the original 13 states to do so.
The state was officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations since the colonial era but came to be commonly known as "Rhode Island". In November 2020, the state's voters
approved an amendment to the
state constitution formally dropping "and Providence Plantations" from its full name. Its official nickname 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. (Full article...)
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Harry Kizirian (
Armenian: Հէրի Գիզիրեան; July 13, 1925 – September 13, 2002) was an
Armenian American member of the
United States Marine Corps who served during World War II. Kizirian's service lasted from February 1944 to February 1946, during which he spent seventeen months overseas. Kizirian took part in the
Battle of Okinawa, where he landed during the first assault wave while heading a Marine
fire team.
Having been awarded the
Navy Cross, the
Rhode Island Cross, the
Bronze Star with
Combat "V", and the
Purple Heart twice, Kizirian is considered one of the most decorated marines of World War II. He is also the most decorated serviceman from
Rhode Island. In 1961 he was appointed by
John F. Kennedy as the
postmaster of
Providence, becoming (at age 36) one of the youngest postmasters in the United States. During his postmastership, Kizirian was instrumental in establishing the first automated post office in the country, which made the Providence post office an operational model for the United States and worldwide. (Full article...)
Thomas Harper Ince (November 16, 1880 – November 19, 1924) was an American
silent era filmmaker and media proprietor.
Ince was known as the "Father of the
Western" and was responsible for making over 800 films.
Political corruption is to Rhode Islanders as smog is to people who live in Los Angeles: nobody complains of its absence, but when it rolls around everyone feels right at home.
Image 19Map of Rhode Island, showing major cities and roads (from Rhode Island)
Image 20In 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 (from Rhode Island)
Image 21In 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 (from Rhode Island)
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