Rhode Island Alternate uses: see RI (disambiguation) The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (commonly known as Rhode Island) is geographically the smallest state in the United States. Rhode Island (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 Middletown, and Portsmouth are located. History Rhode Island Colony was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams after being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views. He settled at the tip of Narragansett Bay near the Moshassuck River, calling the site Providence and declaring it as a place of religious freedom for Baptist settlers. Historically, the land of Rhode Island 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. 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 made founded the town of Portsmouth in present-day 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. 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. 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. Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the United States Constitution (May 29, 1790) and did so only under the threat of being declared a foreign nation and having its exports taxed. Law and Government 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.) Geography Geography of Rhode Island See: List of Rhode Island counties Rhode Island is bordered on the north and east by Massachusetts, on the west by Connecticut, on the southwest by New York (sea border), and on the south by Rhode Island Sound and the North Atlantic Ocean. Narragansett Bay is a major feature of the state's topography. Block Island lies off the southern coast. Economy 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 outputs are nursery stock, vegetables, dairy products, and eggs. Its industrial outputs are fashion jewelry, fabricated metal products, electric equipment, machinery, shipbuilding and boatbuilding, and tourism. Demographics 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: 81.9% White 8.7% Hispanic 4.5% Black 2.3% Asian 0.5% American Indian 2.7% are multiracial The 5 largest ancestry groups in Rhode Island are Italian (19%), Irish (18.4%), English (12%), French (10.9%), Portuguese (8.7%). The 5 largest religious denominations in Rhode Island are Roman Catholic (53%), Episcopalian (8%), Baptist (6%), "Christian" (4%), Jehovah's Witnesses (2%). 16% of the population is nonreligious. 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. Important cities and towns Rhode Island, showing major cities and roads. Providence For a more exhaustive list, see List of cities in Rhode Island Newport Woonsocket Warwick Cranston Pawtucket Cumberland East Providence Westerly Education 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. Colleges and universities Brown University Bryant College (a business school) Johnson & Wales University Naval War College New England Institute of Technology Community College of Rhode Island Providence College Rhode Island College Rhode Island School of Design Roger Williams University Salve Regina University University of Rhode Island Arts WaterFire Providence Convergence art festival First Night Providence Trinity Theater Professional sports teams Pawtucket Red Sox, AAA (minor league baseball) affiliate of the Boston Red Sox Providence Bruins, AHL (minor league hockey) affiliate of the Boston Bruins Miscellaneous information Area: 1,545 mile² (4,002 km²) Population: 1,048,319 (2000) Capital: Providence Counties: 5 (see: List of Rhode Island counties) State bird: Rhode Island Red (A chicken) State flower: Violet State tree: Red Maple Nicknames: The Ocean State, Little Rhody State rock: Cumberlandite State drink: Coffee Milk External links http://www.state.ri.us Block Island's best business directory U.S. Census Bureau FAVORITE ARTICLES: History of the World    History of the United States    History of Europe    Ancient History    History    Military History    World War I    Bombing of Dresden    California    US Constitution    Frank Sinatra    Boston    Marbury v. Madison This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhode_Island