From its beginnings, Rhode Island has
been distinguished by its support for freedom of
conscience and action: Clergyman Roger Williams
founded the present state capital, Providence, after
being exiled by the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Puritans in 1636. Williams was followed by other
religious exiles who founded Pocasset, now
Portsmouth, in 1638 and Newport in 1639.
Rhode Island's rebellious, authority-defying nature
was further demonstrated by the burnings of the
British revenue cutters Liberty and Gaspee prior to
the Revolution; by its early declaration of
independence from Great Britain in May 1776; by its
refusal to participate actively in the War of 1812;
and by Dorr's Rebellion of 1842, which protested
property requirements for voting.
Rhode Island, smallest of the 50 states, is densely
populated and highly industrialized. It is a major
center for jewelry manufacturing. Electronics,
metal, plastic products, and boat and ship
construction are other important industries.
Non-manufacturing employment includes research in
health, medicine, and the ocean environment.
Providence is a wholesale distribution center for
New England.
Fishing ports are at Galilee and Newport. Rural
areas of the state support small-scale farming,
including grapes for local wineries, turf grass, and
nursery stock. Tourism generates over a billion
dollars a year in revenue.
Newport became famous as the summer capital of high
society in the mid-19th century. Touro Synagogue
(1763) is the oldest in the U.S. Other points of
interest include the Roger Williams National
Memorial in Providence, Samuel Slater's Mill in
Pawtucket, the General Nathanael Greene Homestead in
Coventry, and Block Island. |
