RHODE ISLAND

officially The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, constituent state of the United States of America. It was one of the original 13 states and is one of the six New England states. With an area of 1,212 square miles (3,139 square kilometres), it is the smallest state in the Union and is only about 48 miles (77 kilometres) long and 37 miles (60 kilometres) wide. It is, however, one of the most densely populated states in the nation. The extreme compactness of area, large population, and economic activity have tied Rhode Island closely to its neighboursConnecticut on the west and Massachusetts on the north and east. The Rhode Island Sound on the south is the basis of the state's fishing industry. The capital is Providence. The contributions of Rhode Island to the forming of the new nation were remarkable. Particularly important was the concept of liberty of consciencethe legacy of Roger Williams, founder of the state. Rhode Island also had an important influence on the industrial development of the United States. also called Aquidneck Island, island, largest in Narragansett Bay, eastern Rhode Island, U.S., occupying an area of 44 square miles (114 square km). Aquidneck is the Indian name for what was later called Rhode Island. The source of the modern name is unclear: it either was given by colonist Roger Williams, thinking it was the island (Block Island) the Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano had seen in 1524, or it was named by Dutch explorer Adriaen Block in 1614. Known to American colonists by its Indian name, northern Aquidneck was the site of the Battle of Rhode Island between American forces and the British in 1778. A nearby memorial honours the black soldiers of the First Rhode Island Regiment who took the brunt of the British attack. Basically rural in character, Rhode Island includes two towns (townships), Portsmouth and Middletown, and a city, Newport. Pop. (1990) 64,544; (1996 est.) 60,204. New England. officially The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, constituent state of the United States of America, located in the northeast and bounded to the north and east by Massachusetts, to the south by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west by Connecticut. The capital is Providence. Rhode Island's first permanent European settlement was made in 1636 by the dissident minister Roger Williams and his followers, who had been banished from Massachusetts. Williams, who was friendly and dealt fairly with the Narraganset and Wampanoag Indians in the vicinity, based his settlement on the principle of religious toleration and freedom of conscience; this attracted other nonconformists and shaped the colony's views. By 1647 a confederacy of four towns was established, although a royal charter was not granted until 1663. In what are widely regarded as the first overt revolutionary deeds, the Rhode Islanders destroyed the British revenue sloop Liberty at Newport in 1769 and burned the revenue schooner Gaspee near Namquit (now Gaspee) Point in 1772. Rhode Island ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1790, only after the Bill of Rights was incorporated. Samuel Slater's cotton-textile mill built at Pawtucket in 1793 initiated the Industrial Revolution in the United States. Agitation for the adoption of a liberal state constitution led to the unsuccessful Dorr Rebellion against the state government in 1842. Eastern Rhode Island constitutes the Narragansett, or Seaboard, Lowland, while the New England Upland, part of the Appalachian Highlands, occupies the western two-thirds of the state, culminating in the highest point, Jerimoth Hill, 812 feet (247 metres), near the community of North Foster. The lowlands are characterized by numerous islands, sandy beaches, and salt marshes. The uplands consist mainly of glacial till. Rhode Island's principal rivers include the Blackstone and the Pawtuxet, which drain into Narragansett Bay, and the Pawcatuck, which drains into Block Island Sound. The state has a moist continental climate characterized by short summers with an average July temperature of 71 F (22 C) and longer, cold winters with an average January temperature of 29 F (-2 C). The average annual precipitation of 42 inches (1,067 mm) is evenly distributed year-round, with an average snowfall of 39 inches (990 mm). The state is subject to periodic storms. Rhode Island is the nation's smallest and also one of its most densely populated states. The earliest non-Indian settlers were Massachusetts (English) Protestants, followed by African slaves, Jews, Huguenots, and Irish Catholics. French Canadians, Italians, Portuguese, Finns, Poles, Hispanics, and Asians also have settled in the state. The main concentration of the state's population is in Providence city and its surrounding communities. Potatoes, corn (maize), and apples are grown on the coastal lowlands, but most of the other glacial, rocky land can be used only for pasture, dairying, and poultry raising. Nursery and greenhouse crops account for about one-third of the state's commercial farming. Fishing, for both shellfish and finfish, is important. Mining and quarrying is limited to granite, limestone, and sand and gravel for construction material. Manufacturing and services (including tourism) dominate the economy. Jewelry and silverware, textiles and clothing, machinery, and electronics wares are the principal products. The U.S. Navy maintains a base at Newport, a major local employer. Biomedical research facilities also are important. Narragansett Bay has many excellent harbours. The state is well served by railroads, highways, and airports. Rhode Island has numerous historical sites, including the Old State House (1762) in Providence, and there are some notable historical museums. Religious monuments include the Friends Meeting House (1699) and the Touro Synagogue (1763), both located in Newport. Providence has the state's largest concentration of institutions of higher learning, including Brown University (1764) and Rhode Island College (1854). Notable libraries include Newport's Redwood Library (1747) and Providence's Athenaeum (1753) and John Carter Brown Library. Area 1,213 square miles (3,142 square km). Pop. (1990) 1,003,464; (1996 est.) 990,225. Additional reading Federal Writers' Project, Rhode Island, Rhode Island: A Guide to the Smallest State (1937, reissued 1976), is still an excellent source for information about many aspects of the state. Marion I. Wright and Robert J. Sullivan, The Rhode Island Atlas (1982), includes extensive detail on the state's geography, place names, people, economy, and transportation. DeLorme Mapping Company, Connecticut, Rhode Island Atlas & Gazetteer (1999), focuses on topography.William G. McLoughlin, Rhode Island (1978, reissued 1986), is an ably written, popular interpretation of the state's history. George H. Kellner and J. Stanley Lemons, Rhode Island: The Independent State (1982), provides a lively treatment of various historical topics. Patrick T. Conley, An Album of Rhode Island History, 16361986 (1986), is also useful. Sydney V. James, Colonial Rhode Island: A History (1975), traces the state's contributions to a new nation. Jay Coughtry, The Notorious Triangle: Rhode Island and the African Slave Trade, 17001807 (1981), offers fascinating and detailed accounts. Peter J. Coleman, The Transformation of Rhode Island, 17901860 (1963, reprinted 1985), presents the shift from commerce to manufacturing across the state. Roger Parks (ed.), Rhode Island: A Bibliography of Its History (1983), is an invaluable reference. Recent historical research is noted in Rhode Island History (quarterly). Matthew Immanuel Wiencke The Editors of the Encyclopdia Britannica