This page will contain additional articles about Rhode Island, as they become available.Rhode Island |
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| State nickname: The Ocean State, Little Rhody | |
| Other U.S. States | |
| Capital | Providence |
| Largest city | Providence |
| Governor | Donald Carcieri |
| Official languages | None |
| Area | 4,005 kmē (50th) |
| - Land | 2,709 kmē |
| - Water | 1,296 kmē (32.4%) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Population | 1,048,319 (43rd) |
| - Density | 387.35 /kmē (2nd) |
| Admission into Union | |
| - Date | May 29, 1790 |
| - Order | 13th |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Latitude | 41°18'N to 42°1'N |
| Longitude | 71°8'W to 71°53'W |
| Width | 50 km |
| Length | 65 km |
| Elevation | |
| - Highest | 247 m |
| - Mean | 60 m |
| - Lowest | 0 m |
| Abbreviations | |
| - USPS | RI |
| - ISO 3166-2 | US-RI |
| Web site | www.ri.gov |
The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (commonly known as Rhode Island) is geographically the smallest state in the United States, while also the state with the longest official name. Rhode (pronounced "Road") Island is part of the New England region, and was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. It originally consisted of the mainland Providence Plantations, which was originally all part of the town of Providence, and Rhode Island (also known as Aquidneck Island), on which the city of Newport, and the towns of Middletown and Portsmouth are located. Despite the fact that most of the state is part of the mainland, the shortened name for the state of Rhode Island leads some out-of-staters to erroneously believe that the entire state is an island, while it is just a source of confusion for others. Rhode Island is known as "The Ocean State", due to its naval history and the fact that every point in the state is within 30 miles of sea water.
In 1614 the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block visited the island that is now called Block Island.
In 1636 Roger Williams, after being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views, settled at the tip of Narragansett Bay near the Moshassuck River. He called the site Providence and declared it a place of religious freedom for Baptist settlers. Historically, the land is unique because it was purchased twice, once from the King of England, and once from the Native American tribes which lived on the land.
In 1637 Anne Hutchinson was banished from Massachusetts for expressing her beliefs that people could talk to God by themselves, not necessarily through a minister. She and some others, including William Coddington and John Clarke, 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.
On May 18, 1652 Rhode Island passed the first law in North America making slavery illegal.
Charles II of England granted John Clarke a Royal Charter on July 8, 1663 to Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, which effectively united the two colonies into one. Rhode Island was the only one of the thirteen colonies that had complete religious freedom. 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 royal charter was used as the state constitution until 1842.
In 1664 the seal of the colony was adopted. It pictured an anchor and the word 'HOPE.'
King Philip's War occurred during 1675-1676. King Philip (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.
Rhode Island was the first of the British colonies in America to declare its independence on May 4, 1776. Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 states to ratify the United States Constitution (May 29, 1790) doing so after being threatened of 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 that owned land or could pay a $1 poll tax.
The capital of Rhode Island is Providence and its current governor is Donald Carcieri (Republican). Its two U.S. Senators are John "Jack" Reed (Democrat) and Lincoln Chafee (Republican). Its two U.S. Congressmen are Patrick J. Kennedy (Democrat, district one) and Jim Langevin (Democrat, district two). (See list of Rhode Island Governors.) Rhode Island tends to vote Democratic in presidential elections.
See: List of Rhode Island counties
Rhode Island 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. Narragansett Bay is a major feature of the state's topography. Block Island, known for its beaches, lies approximately 12 miles off the southern coast of the mainland. Within the Bay, there are over 30 islands. The largest in the state is Rhode Island, also known by its former name: Aquidneck Island. Among the other islands in the Bay are Hope, Prudence, and Despair.
Rhode Island is mostly flat with no real mountains. Rhode Island's highest point is Jerimoth Hill, which is only 812 feet above sea level.
Rhode Island's 1999 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's agricultural vegetables, dairy products, and eggs. Its industrial outputs are fashion jewelry, fabricated metal products, electric equipment, machinery, shipbuilding and boatbuilding, and tourism.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2003, Rhode Island's population was estimated at 1,076,164 people.
The racial makeup of the state is:
The 5 largest ancestry groups in Rhode Island are Italian (19%), Irish (18.4%), English (12%), French (10.9%), Portuguese (8.7%).
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 claims to have more Italian-Americans than any other state in the nation. It is unknown whether or not this is true. The state that is considered to be the most Italian-American state in America is New Jersey followed closely by New York, but Rhode Island has a higher percentage of Italian-Americans than either New Jersey or New York.
The religious affiliations of the citizens of Rhode Island are:
The three largest Protestant denominations in Rhode Island are: Baptist (6% of the total state population), Episcopalian (5%), Methodist (2%).
Rhode Island has a higher percentage of Catholics than any other state in the nation, probably due to heavy Italian and Irish communities throughout the state.
Ranked by per capita income
See complete list of Rhode Island locations ranked by per capita income
Providence is home to a number of schools including Brown University, the Rhode Island School of Design, and Providence College.
Rhode Island has several state colleges and universities, the University of Rhode Island, located in Kingston in the southern part of the state and Rhode Island College in Providence.
See Rhode Island schools
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See Rhode Island schools. Wizards games are announced by Steve Buckhantz and
Phil Chenier. Rhode Island has several state colleges and universities, the University of Rhode Island, located in Kingston in the southern part of the state and Rhode Island College in Providence. All Wizards regular season games can be seen on Comcast
SportsNet which is available in the Washington, DC area and other
local areas. Providence is home to a number of schools including Brown
University, the Rhode Island School of
Design, and Providence College. Injured Reserve. See complete list of Rhode Island locations ranked by per capita income. Bench Ranked by per capita income. Starters The state that is considered to be the most Italian-American state in America is New Jersey followed closely by New York, but Rhode Island has a higher percentage of Italian-Americans than either New Jersey or New York. In Game 3 of the first round against the Chicago Bulls, the Wizards won their first playoff game since 1988. It is unknown whether or not this is true. The 2004-2005 season marked the first time the franchise had ever made the playoffs as the Wizards; the last time the team had made the postseason was in 1996-1997, when it was still known as the Bullets. Rhode Island claims to have more Italian-Americans than any other state in the nation. The MCI Center is also home to the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League and the Washington Mystics of the WNBA. Females made up approximately 52% of the population. Also that year the Wizards moved to the MCI Center located at 601 F Street in Northwest Washington, DC. 6.1% of Rhode Island's population were reported as under 5, 23.6% under 18, and 14.5% were 65 or older. The names Seadogs, Express, and Monuments were also considered but rejected. The 5 largest ancestry groups in Rhode Island are Italian (19%), Irish (18.4%), English (12%), French (10.9%), Portuguese (8.7%). They had changed it because the name Bullets carried a violent overtone. The racial makeup of the state is:. On May 15, 1997, the Bullets officially unveiled their new name and logo. Census Bureau, as of 2003, Rhode Island's population was estimated at 1,076,164 people. During the transition, the Bullets also played home games at Cole Field House, the home of the University of Maryland Terrapins, while waiting for the completion of their new arena in Landover, the Capital Centre (later known as the USAir/US Airways Arena.) Through the mid-1990s, the Bullets still played a few games per season in Baltimore. According to the U.S. In 1973, the team moved to Landover, Maryland and became the Capital Bullets, and they changed their name to the Washington Bullets the next season. Its industrial outputs are fashion jewelry, fabricated metal products, electric equipment, machinery, shipbuilding and boatbuilding, and tourism. And the season after that, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland and became the Baltimore Bullets, no relation to the 1940s Bullets franchise. Rhode Island's agricultural vegetables, dairy products, and eggs. The next season, they changed their name to the Zephyrs. Its 2000 per capita Personal Income was $29,685, 16th in the nation. The team now known as the Wizards started as the Chicago Packers in the 1961-62 season. Rhode Island's 1999 total gross state product was $33 billion, placing it 45th in the nation. The Washington Wizards are a National Basketball Association team based in Washington, D.C.. Rhode Island's highest point is Jerimoth Hill, which is only 812 feet above sea level. C - #34 Peter Ramos (Puerto Rico). Rhode Island is mostly flat with no real mountains. SF - #24 Jarvis Hayes (Georgia). Among the other islands in the Bay are Hope, Prudence, and Despair. SF - #10 Damone Brown (Syracuse). The largest in the state is Rhode Island, also known by its former name: Aquidneck Island. F/C - #36 Etan Thomas (Syracuse). Within the Bay, there are over 30 islands. PF - #51 Michael Ruffin (Tulsa). It shares a water border with New York. Narragansett Bay is a major feature of the state's topography. Block Island, known for its beaches, lies approximately 12 miles off the southern coast of the mainland. G/F - #7 Laron Profit (Maryland). Rhode Island 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. SG - #8 Anthony Peeler (Missouri). See: List of Rhode Island counties. G - #3 Juan Dixon (Maryland). (See list of Rhode Island Governors.) Rhode Island tends to vote Democratic in presidential elections. F/C - #5 Kwame Brown (Glynn Academy, Brunswick, Georgia). Kennedy (Democrat, district one) and Jim Langevin (Democrat, district two). PG - #2 Steve Blake (Maryland). Congressmen are Patrick J. SG - #20 Larry Hughes (Saint Louis). Its two U.S. PG - #0 Gilbert Arenas (Arizona). Senators are John "Jack" Reed (Democrat) and Lincoln Chafee (Republican). C - #33 Brendan Haywood (North Carolina). Its two U.S. SF - #1 Jared Jeffries (Indiana). The capital of Rhode Island is Providence and its current governor is Donald Carcieri (Republican). PF - #4 Antawn Jamison (North Carolina). Although this collapsed, a modified version of the constitution was passed in November, which allowed any white male to vote that owned land or could pay a $1 poll tax. 41 - Wes Unseld. However the conservative sitting governor, Samuel Ward King, opposed the people's wishes, leading to the Dorr Rebellion. 25 - Gus Johnson. In 1842 Thomas Dorr drafted a liberal constitution which was passed by popular referendum. 11 - Elvin Hayes. Several attempts had been made to address this problem, but none passed. Don Nelson. By 1829, 60% of the state's free white males were ineligible to vote. Chris Webber. As the Industrial Revolution moved large numbers of workers into the cities, a permanently landless, and therefore voteless class developed. Rasheed Wallace. Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 states to ratify the United States Constitution (May 29, 1790) doing so after being threatened of having its exports taxed as a foreign nation. Ben Wallace. Rhode Island was the first of the British colonies in America to declare its independence on May 4, 1776. Rod Strickland. The first attacks were around Narrangansett Bay but spread throughout New England. Brent Price. King Philip rebelled against the English. Robert Pack. The settlers of Portsmouth had purchased their land from his father, Massasoit. Gheorghe Muresan. King Philip (Metacomet) was the chief of the Wampanoag Indians. Bernard King. King Philip's War occurred during 1675-1676. Michael Jordan. It pictured an anchor and the word 'HOPE.'. Gus Johnson. In 1664 the seal of the colony was adopted. Juwan Howard. The royal charter was used as the state constitution until 1842. Bob Dandridge. Before the Industrial Revolution, when most people were employed as farmers, this was considered democratic. Phil Chenier. Under the terms of the charter, only landowners could vote. Manute Bol. Rhode Island was the only one of the thirteen colonies that had complete religious freedom. Michael Adams. Charles II of England granted John Clarke a Royal Charter on July 8, 1663 to Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, which effectively united the two colonies into one. Wes Unseld. On May 18, 1652 Rhode Island passed the first law in North America making slavery illegal. Earl "The Pearl" Monroe. In 1644 the name of Aquidneck Island was changed to Rhode Island. Elvin Hayes. In 1643 Samuel Gorton founded Shawomet, which is now called Warwick. Walt Bellamy. William Coddington was the first governor and Philip Sherman was the first Secretary. In that same year a formal government was established for the island. In 1639 Coddington left Portsmouth and founded Newport on Aquidneck Island. She and some others, including William Coddington and John Clarke, founded the town of Portsmouth on Aquidneck Island. In 1637 Anne Hutchinson was banished from Massachusetts for expressing her beliefs that people could talk to God by themselves, not necessarily through a minister. He called the site Providence and declared it a place of religious freedom for Baptist settlers. Historically, the land is unique because it was purchased twice, once from the King of England, and once from the Native American tribes which lived on the land. In 1636 Roger Williams, after being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views, settled at the tip of Narragansett Bay near the Moshassuck River. In 1614 the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block visited the island that is now called Block Island. Rhode Island is known as "The Ocean State", due to its naval history and the fact that every point in the state is within 30 miles of sea water. Despite the fact that most of the state is part of the mainland, the shortened name for the state of Rhode Island leads some out-of-staters to erroneously believe that the entire state is an island, while it is just a source of confusion for others. It originally consisted of the mainland Providence Plantations, which was originally all part of the town of Providence, and Rhode Island (also known as Aquidneck Island), on which the city of Newport, and the towns of Middletown and Portsmouth are located. Rhode (pronounced "Road") Island is part of the New England region, and was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (commonly known as Rhode Island) is geographically the smallest state in the United States, while also the state with the longest official name. Mena Suvari, actress, born in Newport. Spalding Gray, writer, actor born in Barrington. Bobby Farrelly, writer, director born in Cumberland. Gilbert Stuart, painter, born in Saunderstown. Oliver Hazard Perry, naval officer, born in South Kingstown. Lovecraft, author, born in Providence. P. H. Napoleon Lajoie, baseball player, born in Woonsocket. Van Johnson, entertainer, born in Newport. David Hartman, television newscaster, born in Pawtucket. Bobby Hackett, trumpet player, born in Providence. Nathaniel Greene, general, born in Newport. Nelson Eddy, entertainer, born in Providence. Cohan, dramatist, born in Providence. George M. Ambrose Burnside, general and governor but not a native. Harry Anderson, comedian, born in Newport. Providence Bruins, AHL (minor league hockey) affiliate of the Boston Bruins. Pawtucket Red Sox, AAA (minor league baseball) affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Trinity Theater. First Night Providence. Convergence art festival. WaterFire Providence. South Kingstown, Rhode Island $23,827. Hopkinton, Rhode Island $23,835. Westerly, Rhode Island $24,092. Wakefield-Peacedale, Rhode Island $24,191. Greenville, Rhode Island $24,770. North Smithfield, Rhode Island $25,031. Newport East, Rhode Island $25,193. Newport, Rhode Island $25,441. Exeter, Rhode Island $25,530. Cumberland, Rhode Island $25,592. Charlestown, Rhode Island $25,642. West Greenwich, Rhode Island $25,750. Middletown, Rhode Island $25,857. Lincoln, Rhode Island $26,779. Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island $26,811. Scituate, Rhode Island $28,092. North Kingstown, Rhode Island $28,139. Portsmouth, Rhode Island $28,161. Narragansett, Rhode Island $28,194. Cumberland Hill, Rhode Island $28,879. New Shoreham, Rhode Island $29,188. Little Compton, Rhode Island $32,513. Barrington, Rhode Island $35,881. East Greenwich, Rhode Island $38,593. Jamestown, Rhode Island $38,664. Non-Religious – 7%. Other Religions – 2%. Other Christian – 1%. Protestant – 25%. Roman Catholic – 62%. 2.7% mixed race. 0.5% American Indian. 2.3% Asian. 4.5% Black. 8.7% Hispanic. 81.9% White. |