History of Rhode Island - wikipedia History of Rhode Island Part of a series on the History of the United States Timeline Prehistory Pre-colonial Colonial period 1776 -- 1789 1789 -- 1849 1849 -- 1865 1865 -- 1918 1918 -- 1945 1945 -- 1964 1964 -- 1980 1980 -- 1991 1991 -- 2008 2008 -- present By ethnicity African American Asian American Chinese American Filipino American Japanese American Jewish American Mexican American Native Americans Polish American By topic Antisemitism Civil Rights 1896 -- 1954 1955 -- 1968 Civil War Culture Demographics Diplomacy Economics Historiography Labor Medicine Military Socialism Southern By state Frontier ( Old West ) Technology and industry Territory LGBT Women United States portal The history of Rhode Island includes the history of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations since pre-colonial times. Contents 1 Pre-colonization 2 Rhode Island Colony period : 1636 -- 1776 2.1 Colonial relations with Indians 3 Revolutionary era 1775 -- 1790 3.1 Slavery in Rhode Island 4 1790 -- 1860 4.1 Industrial Revolution 4.2 Dorr Rebellion 5 Civil War 6 The Gilded Age 7 Since 1929 8 Population 9 See also 10 References 11 Bibliography 12 External links Pre-colonization King Philip 's Seat, an Indian meeting place on Mount Hope, ( Rhode Island ) Indian inhabitants occupied most of the area now known as Rhode Island, including the Wampanoag, Narragansett, and Niantic tribes. Many Indians were killed by diseases, possibly contracted through contact with European settlers and explorers ( though no definitive source has been proven ), and through warfare with other tribes and with European settlers. The Narragansett language died out for many years but was partially preserved in Roger Williams 's A Key into the Languages of America ( 1643 ). Rhode Island Colony period : 1636 -- 1776 Main article : Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations The original 1636 deed to Providence, signed by Chief Canonicus In 1636, Roger Williams settled on land granted to him by the Narragansett tribe at the tip of Narragansett Bay after being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views. He called the site `` Providence Plantations '' and declared it a place of religious freedom. In 1638, Anne Hutchinson, William Coddington, John Clarke, Philip Sherman, and other religious dissidents settled on Rhode Island after conferring with Williams, forming the settlement of Portsmouth which was governed by the Portsmouth Compact. The southern part of the island became the separate settlement of Newport after disagreements among the founders. Dissident Samuel Gorton purchased Indian lands at Shawomet in 1642, precipitating a dispute with the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1644, Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport united for their common independence as the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, governed by an elected council and president. Gorton received a separate charter for his settlement in 1648, which he named Warwick after his patron. The union of these four towns was strengthened by the Royal Charter of 1663. Critics at the time sometimes referred to the Colony as `` Rogue 's Island '', and Cotton Mather called it `` the sewer of New England '' because of the Colony 's willingness to accept people who had been banished from Massachusetts Bay. In 1686, King James II ordered Rhode Island to submit to the Dominion of New England and its appointed governor Edmund Andros. This suspended the Colony 's charter, but Rhode Island still managed to retain possession of it until Andros was deposed and the Dominion was dissolved. William of Orange became King after the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and Rhode Island 's independent government resumed under the 1663 charter, which was used as the state constitution until 1842. In 1693, William III and Mary II issued a patent extending Rhode Island 's territory to three miles `` east and northeast '' of Narragansett Bay, conflicting with the claims of Plymouth Colony. This resulted in several later transfers of territory between Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Colonial relations with Indians Roger Williams meeting with the Narragansetts The early relationship between New Englanders and Indians was mostly peaceable. The largest tribes that lived near Rhode Island were the Wampanoags, Pequots, Narragansetts, and Nipmucks. Squanto was a member of the Wampanoag tribe who stayed with the Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony and taught them many valuable skills needed to survive in the area. Roger Williams won the respect of his Colonial neighbors for his skill in keeping the powerful Narragansetts on friendly terms with the Colonists. In 1637, the Narragansetts formed an alliance with Rhode Island during the Pequot War. However, this peace did not last long, as the most traumatic event in 17th century Rhode Island was King Philip 's War ( 1675 -- 76 ). Metacomet, the chief of the Wampanoag Indians, was known as King Philip by the settlers of Portsmouth who had purchased their land from his father Massasoit. He led attacks around Narragansett Bay, despite Rhode Island 's continued neutrality, and later these spread throughout New England. A force of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Plymouth militia under General Josiah Winslow invaded and destroyed the fortified Narragansett Indian village in the Great Swamp in southern Rhode Island on December 19, 1675. The Narragansetts also invaded and burned down several of the Rhode Island settlements, including Providence, although they allowed the population to leave first. In one of the final actions of the war, troops from Connecticut led by Captain Benjamin Church hunted down and killed King Philip at Mount Hope. Revolutionary era 1775 -- 1790 William Ellery Governor Joseph Wanton ( being doused with punch and vomit ) and other prominent Rhode Island merchants in `` Sea Captains Carousing in Surinam, '' a 1755 painting Rhode Island was the first British colony in America to formally declare its independence, doing so on May 4, 1776, a full two months before the national Declaration of Independence. Previously, Rhode Islanders attacked the British warship HMS Gaspee in 1772 as one of the first overt acts of rebellion in America. British naval forces under Captain James Wallace controlled Narragansett Bay for much of the Revolution, periodically raiding the islands and the mainland. The British raided Prudence Island for livestock and engaged in a skirmish with American forces, losing approximately a dozen soldiers. Newport remained a hotbed for Tory or Loyalist sympathizers who assisted the British forces. The state appointed General William West of Scituate to root out Tories in the winter of 1775 -- 76. British forces eventually occupied Newport from 1777 to 1778, causing the colonial forces to flee to Bristol. The Battle of Rhode Island was fought during the summer of 1778 and was an unsuccessful attempt to expel the British from Narragansett Bay, although few colonial casualties occurred. The Marquis de Lafayette called the action the `` best fought '' of the war. The following year, the British wanted to concentrate their forces in New York and consequently abandoned Newport. In 1780, the French under Rochambeau landed in Newport and, for the rest of the war, Newport was the base of the French forces in the United States. The French soldiers behaved themselves so well that, in gratitude, the Rhode Island General Assembly repealed an old law banning Catholics from living in Rhode Island. The first Catholic mass in Rhode Island was said in Newport during this time. Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 states to ratify the United States Constitution ( May 29, 1790 ), only doing so after being threatened with having its exports taxed as a foreign nation. Rural resistance to the Constitution was strong in Rhode Island, and the anti-federalist Country Party controlled the General Assembly from 1786 to 1790. In 1788, anti-federalist politician and revolutionary general William West led an armed force of 1,000 men to Providence to oppose a July 4 celebration of the state ratifying the Constitution. Civil war was narrowly averted by a compromise limiting the Fourth of July celebration. Slavery in Rhode Island a typical 19th - century Rhode Island farm in North Smithfield Moses Brown. Portrait by Martin Johnson Heade Rhode Island was heavily involved in the slave trade during the post-Revolution era, prior to industrialization. In 1652, Rhode Island passed the first abolition law in the thirteen colonies, banning African slavery, but the law was not enforced by the end of the 17th century. By 1774, the slave population of RI was 6.3 %, nearly twice as high as any other New England colony. In the late 18th century, several Rhode Island merchant families began actively engaging in the triangle slave trade, most notably the Browns, for whom Brown University is named. In the years after the Revolution, Rhode Island merchants controlled between 60 and 90 percent of the American trade in African slaves. In the 18th century, Rhode Island 's economy depended largely upon the triangle trade, where Rhode Islanders distilled rum from molasses, sent the rum to Africa to trade for slaves, and then traded the slaves in the West Indies for more molasses. Stephen Hopkins introduced a bill while serving in the Rhode Island Assembly in 1774 that prohibited the importation of slaves into the colony. This became one of the first anti-slavery laws in the United States. In February 1784, the Rhode Island Legislature passed a compromise measure for gradual emancipation of slaves within Rhode Island. All children of slaves born after March 1 were to be `` apprentices, '' the girls to become free at 18, the boys at 21. By 1840, the census reported only five African Americans enslaved in Rhode Island. Despite the antislavery laws of 1774, 1784, and 1787, an international slave trade continued. In 1789, an Abolition Society was organized to secure enforcement of existing laws against the trade. Leading merchants continued to engage in the trade even after it became illegal, especially John Brown and George DeWolf. After 1770, slaving was never more than a minor aspect of Rhode Island 's overall maritime trade. Rhode Island manufactured numerous textiles throughout the early 19th century using southern cotton cultivated with slave labor -- as did all other American textile manufacturers of the time. By the mid-19th century, many Rhode Islanders were active in the abolitionist movement, particularly Quakers in Newport and Providence such as Moses Brown. 1790 -- 1860 Industrial Revolution Samuel Slater ( 1768 -- 1835 ) popularly called `` The Father of the American Industrial Revolution '' In 1790, English immigrant Samuel Slater founded the first textile mill in the United States in Pawtucket, Rhode Island ( Slater Mill ) and became known as the father of the American industrial revolution. During the 19th century, Rhode Island became one of the most industrialized states in the United States with large numbers of textile factories. The state also had significant machine tool, silverware, and costume jewelry industries. Dorr Rebellion Main article : Dorr Rebellion The Industrial Revolution moved large numbers of workers into cities and attracted large numbers of immigrants from Ireland, and a permanently landless -- and therefore voteless -- class developed. By 1829, 60 % of the state 's white men were ineligible to vote. All efforts at reform failed in the face of rural control of the political system. In 1842, Thomas Dorr drafted a liberal constitution which he tried to ratify by popular referendum. However, conservative Governor Samuel Ward King opposed the constitution, leading to the Dorr Rebellion. The Rebellion gained little support and failed, and Dorr went to prison. The conservative elements relented, however, and allowed most American - born men to vote, but the conservative rural towns remained in control of the legislature. Civil war Main article : Rhode Island in the American Civil War During the American Civil War, Rhode Island furnished 25,236 fighting men to the Union armies, of which 1,685 died. These comprised 12 infantry regiments, three cavalry regiments, and an assortment of artillery and miscellaneous outfits. Rhode Island used its industrial capacity to supply the Union Army with the materials needed to win the war, along with the other northern states. Rhode Island 's continued growth and modernization led to the creation of an urban mass transit system and improved health and sanitation programs. In 1866, Rhode Island abolished racial segregation throughout the state. Governor William Sprague IV fought at the First Battle of Bull Run while a sitting governor, and Rhode Island general Ambrose Burnside emerged as one of the major heroes of the war. The Gilded Age Nelson W. Aldrich pushed for protectionist tariffs The fifty or so years following the Civil War were a time of prosperity and affluence that author William G. McLoughlin called `` Rhode Island 's halcyon era. '' Rhode Island was a center of the Gilded Age and provided a home ( or summer home ) to the many of the country 's most prominent robber barons. This was a time of incredible growth in textile mills and manufacturing, and saw a huge influx of immigrants to fill those jobs. The state saw increased population growth and urbanization, even as the state denied the growing urban masses access to political power. In politics, the state was dominated by Republicans allied with their mouthpiece newspaper, The Providence Journal. The Journal 's editor Henry B. Anthony and his later protege Nelson Aldrich, along with war hero Ambrose Burnside, all Republicans, dominated politics during this time. Aldrich, as US Senator, became known as the `` General Manager of the United States, '' for his ability to set high tariffs to protect Rhode Island -- and American -- goods from foreign competition. In Newport, New York 's wealthiest industrialists created a summer haven to socialize and build ostentatious grand mansions. In Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket, thousands of French - Canadian, Italian, Irish, and Portuguese immigrants arrived to fill jobs in the textile and manufacturing mills. In response, the Know Nothing party, allied with the Republicans and the Providence Journal, sought to exclude these newcomers from the political process. The constitution of 1843 denied the vote to the landless poor, and ensured that urban centers were disproportionately underrepresented in the state legislature. Around the start of the 20th century, Rhode Island had a booming economy, which fed the demand for immigration. During World War I, Rhode Island furnished 28,817 troops, of whom 612 died. After the war, the state was hit hard by the Spanish Influenza. In the 1920s and 30s, rural Rhode Island saw a surge in Ku Klux Klan membership, largely among the native - born white population, in reaction to the large waves of immigrants moving to the state. The Klan is believed to be responsible for burning the Watchman Industrial School in Scituate, Rhode Island, which was a school for African American children. Since 1929 U.S. Senator and Governor, T.F. Green In 1935, Governor Theodore Francis Green and Democratic majorities in the state House and Senate replaced a Republican dominance that had existed since the middle of the 19th century in what is termed the `` Bloodless Revolution. '' The Rhode Island Democratic Party has dominated state politics ever since. Since then, the Speaker of the House has always been a Democrat and one of the most powerful figures in government. The Democratic Party presents itself as a coalition of labor unions, working class immigrants, intellectuals, college students, and the rising ethnic middle class. The Republican Party has been dominant in rural and suburban parts of the state, and has nominated occasional reform candidates who criticize the state 's high taxes and excesses of Democratic domination. Cranston Mayors Edward D. DiPrete and Stephen Laffey, Governor Donald Carcieri of East Greenwich, and former Mayor Vincent A. `` Buddy '' Cianci of Providence ran as Republican reform candidates. The state income tax was first enacted in 1971 as a temporary measure. Prior to 1971, there was no income tax in the state, but the temporary income tax soon became permanent. The tax burden in Rhode Island remains among the five highest in the United States, including sales, gasoline, property, cigarette, corporate, and capital gains taxes. Rhode Islanders have overwhelmingly supported and re-elected Democrats to positions of authority, where issues are promoted involving education, health care, and liberal causes. As of 2014 Rhode Island has heavily Democrat - controlled legislatures ; both U.S. Senators and Congressmen, and all statewide offices are held by Democrats. The state has been carried by Democrat presidential candidates in every election since 1988. Population Historical population Census Pop. % ± 1790 68,825 -- 1800 69,122 0.4 % 1810 76,931 11.3 % 1820 83,059 8.0 % 1830 97,199 17.0 % 1840 108,830 12.0 % 1850 147,545 35.6 % 1860 174,620 18.4 % 1870 217,353 24.5 % 1880 276,531 27.2 % 1890 345,506 24.9 % 1900 428,556 24.0 % 1910 542,610 26.6 % 1920 604,397 11.4 % 1930 687,497 13.7 % 1,052,567 -- See also British Empire portal United Kingdom portal England portal United States portal North America portal Rhode Island portal Main article : Historical outline of Rhode Island Ratification of the United States Constitution by Rhode Island History of New England Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Thirteen Colonies List of newspapers in Rhode Island in the 18th century Timeline of Rhode Island Timeline of Newport, Rhode Island Timeline of Providence, Rhode Island Regarding border disputes Washington County, Rhode Island Bristol County, Rhode Island History of Massachusetts History of Connecticut References Jump up ^ O'Brien, Francis J. ( 2004 ) Bibliography for Studies of American Indians in and Around Rhode Island, 16th -- 21st Centuries Jump up ^ berkeley.edu website Jump up ^ This is the largest island in Narragansett Bay, called Aquidneck Island today. Jump up ^ Charter of Rhode Island ( 1663 ) Jump up ^ Marty, Martin E. ( 1985 - 08 - 06 ). Pilgrims in Their Own Land : 500 Years of Religion in America. Penguin ( Non-Classics ). p. 77. ISBN 0 - 14 - 008268 - 9. Jump up ^ Mike Stanton, `` Rhode Island : The Story Behind the Numbers, '' http://www.stateintegrity.org/rhodeisland_story_subpage Jump up ^ Alan Taylor, American Colonies, ( 2001 ), pp. 276 -- 284 Jump up ^ Sean Wilentz, The Rise of American Democracy : Jefferson to Lincoln, ( 2005 ), p. 540. Jump up ^ The Rhode Islander : The border is... where ? Part II Jump up ^ King Philip 's War Archived 2007 - 10 - 26 at the Wayback Machine. in historyplace.com Jump up ^ The North American Review, `` Hunter 's Oration, '' Published by Oliver Everett, 1826, Item notes : v. 23 ( 1826 ), pg. 457 ( 1 ) Jump up ^ William R. Staples, Annals of the Town of Providence from its First Settlement to the Organization of the City Government in June 1832 ( Providence, 1843 ), p. 332 ( Rhode Island Historical Society Collections, accessed on Google Book Search July 18, 2008 ) Jump up ^ John Carter Brown Library Exhibitions ^ Jump up to : Slavery in Rhode Island Jump up ^ J. Stanley Lemons, `` Rhode Island and the Slave Trade, '' Rhode Island History, Nov 2002, Vol. 60 Issue 4, pp 94 -- 104, Jump up ^ Providence Journal Rhode Island news, sports, weather & more -- Providence Journal Jump up ^ Providence Journal Rhode Island news, sports, weather & more -- Providence Journal Jump up ^ Peter J. Coleman, The Transformation of Rhode Island, 1790 -- 1860 ( 1963 ). Jump up ^ George M. Dennison, The Dorr War : Republicanism on Trial, 1831 -- 1861 ( 1976 ) Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2006 - 02 - 03. Retrieved 2006 - 03 - 28. Accessed 3 / 28 / 06 ^ Jump up to : McLoughlin, William G ( 1986 ). Rhode Island : A History. New York : W.W. Norton & Company. pp. 148 -- 168. ISBN 0393302717. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2006 - 03 - 02. Retrieved 2006 - 03 - 28. Accessed 3 / 28 / 06 Jump up ^ Robert Smith, In The 1920s the Klan Ruled the Countryside, The Rhode Island Century, The Providence Journal, 4 / 26 / 1999 Jump up ^ MacKay, Scott ( 23 May 2010 ). `` Fighting Bob Quinn and the Bloodless Revolution ''. RIPR website. Rhode Island Public Radio. Retrieved 22 March 2014. Jump up ^ Nesi, Ted ( 1 January 2013 ). `` New Year 's Day marks 78 years since RI ' Bloodless Revolution ' ''. WPRI.com. WPRI Eyewitness News. Retrieved 22 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` CHAPTER VIII, The Era of Transition. 1946 -- 1983 ''. State of Rhode Island General Assembly. 2009 - 12 - 29. Archived from the original on 2012 - 09 - 02. Jump up ^ Fred Brock, Retire on Less Than You Think : The New York Times Guide to Planning Your Financial Future ( Macmillan, 2007 ) https://books.google.com/books?id=xkJvS7juYXwC&source=gbs_navlinks_s Jump up ^ Ronald J. Hrebenar, S. Thomas Clive S. Thomas Interest Group Politics ( Penn State Press, 2004 ) pg. 301 -- 305 ISBN 027102576X, 9780271025766 https://books.google.com/books?id=CH5bjzuQ2eAC&source=gbs_navlinks_s Jump up ^ Federal Writers ' Project ( 1937 ), `` Chronology '', Rhode Island, American Guide Series, Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, OCLC 691847 Bibliography Aubin, Albert K. The French in Rhode Island ( Rhode Island Heritage Commission, 1988 ). Coleman, Peter J. The Transformation of Rhode Island, 1790 -- 1860 ( 1963 ). online edition Conley, Patrick T. The Irish in Rhode Island ( Rhode Island Heritage Commission, 1988 ). Coughtry, Jay A. The Notorious Triangle : Rhode Island and the African Slave Trade, 1700 -- 1807 ( 1981 ). Crane, Elaine Forman. A Dependent People : Newport, Rhode Island in the Revolutionary Era ( Fordham University Press, ( 1992 ) online edition Dennison, George M. The Dorr War : Republicanism on Trial, 1831 -- 1861 ( 1976 ) online edition Field, Edward. State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations ( 3 vols. 1902 ). Hall, Donald, foreword, Feintuch, Burt and Watters, David H., editors, Encyclopedia of New England ( 2005 ), comprehensive coverage by scholars James, Sidney V. Colonial Rhode Island : A History ( 1975 ). Levine, Erwin L. Theodore Francis Green, The Rhode Island Years ( Brown University Press, 1963 ) Lockard, Duane. New England State Politics ( 1959 ) pp 172 -- 227 ; covers 1932 -- 1958 Lovejoy, David. Rhode Island Politics and the American Revolution, 1760 -- 1776 ( 1958 ). online edition McLoughlin, William G. Rhode Island : A History ( States and the Nation ) ( 1976 ) excerpt and text search Mayer, Kurt B. Economic Development and Population Growth in Rhode Island ( 1953 ). Moakley, Maureen, and Elmer Cornwell. Rhode Island Politics and Government ( 2001 ) online edition Morse, J. ( 1797 ). `` Rhode Island ''. The American Gazetteer. Boston, Massachusetts : At the presses of S. Hall, and Thomas & Andrews. Peirce, Neal R. The New England States : People, Politics, and Power in the Six New England States ( 1976 ) pp 141 -- 81 ; updated in Neal R. Peirce and Jerry Hagstrom, The Book of America : Inside the Fifty States Today ( 1983 ) pp 187 -- 92 Polishook, Irwin. Rhode Island and the Union ( 1969 ). Preston, Howard W. Rhode Island and the Sea ( 1932 ). Santoro, Carmela E. The Italians in Rhode Island : The Age of Exploration to the Present, 1524 -- 1989 ( Rhode Island Heritage Commission, 1990 ), Weeden, William B. Early Rhode Island : A Social History of the People ( 1910 ). Withey, Lynne E. Urban Growth in Colonial Rhode Island : Newport and Providence in the Eighteenth Century ( 1984 ). WPA ( Works Progress Administration ). Rhode Island : A Guide to the Smallest State ( 1937 ), famous guide to state & every town & city External links O'Brien, Francis J. ( 2004 ) Bibliography for Studies of American Indians in and Around Rhode Island, 16th -- 21st Centuries Providence Journal Rhode Island History Rhode Island Naval History 1853 History of Rhode Island ( full text online ) State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at the end of the century by Edward Field. History of the state, published in 1902. ( Full text available online. ) 1663 charter Indian Place Names State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Providence ( capital ) Topics Index Buildings and structures Colonial Colleges Communications Delegations Geography Government History Images Narragansett people People State symbols Thirteen Colonies Visitor attractions Quahog Society Crime Culture Demographics Economy Education Politics Regions Counties Bristol Kent Newport Providence Washington Geographic Blackstone Valley Block Island Historic Regions Rhode Island Providence Plantations Cities Central Falls Cranston East Providence Newport Pawtucket Providence Warwick Woonsocket Towns Barrington Bristol Burrillville Charlestown Coventry Cumberland East Greenwich Exeter Foster Glocester Hopkinton Jamestown Johnston Lincoln Little Compton Middletown Narragansett New Shoreham ( Block Island ) North Kingstown North Providence North Smithfield Portsmouth Richmond Scituate Smithfield South Kingstown Tiverton Warren West Greenwich West Warwick Westerly Years in Rhode Island ( 1790 -- present ) 1790 1791 1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800 1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 History of the United States by polity States Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Federal district Washington, D.C. 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Question: what was the original purpose of the rhode island colony
Answer: religious freedom