Rhode Island - The Ocean State

About Rhode Island

Rhode Island, officially the State of Rhode Island, is the smallest U.S. state by area at just 1,214 square miles—roughly 37 miles long and 48 miles wide. Despite its tiny size, over 1 million people call Rhode Island home, making it the second-most densely populated state after New Jersey. The state's full official name was "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" until 2020, when voters approved removing "and Providence Plantations" due to slavery connotations, making it simply the State of Rhode Island.

Rhode Island consists of two main parts: the mainland and 35+ islands in Narragansett Bay, including Aquidneck Island (home to Newport and Middletown), Conanicut Island (Jamestown), and Block Island. Providence serves as both state capital and largest city. Despite being America's smallest state, Rhode Island has 400 miles of coastline due to its complex geography of bays, inlets, and islands, earning its nickname "The Ocean State." The state's compact size means you can drive from one end to the other in less than an hour.

Roger Williams & Religious Freedom

Rhode Island was founded on principles of religious freedom and separation of church and state—revolutionary concepts in the 1600s. Roger Williams, a Puritan minister banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636 for his radical beliefs in religious liberty and fair treatment of Native Americans, fled south and founded Providence. Williams purchased land from the Narragansett Indians, establishing a settlement where people of all faiths could worship freely without government interference.

Williams's principles attracted religious minorities persecuted elsewhere. Anne Hutchinson, also banished from Massachusetts for challenging Puritan orthodoxy, founded Portsmouth on Aquidneck Island in 1638. Other settlements including Newport (1639) and Warwick (1642) formed Rhode Island's early communities. The colony welcomed Quakers, Jews, Baptists, and others denied religious freedom in other colonies. In 1658, 15 Jewish families arrived in Newport, establishing Touro Synagogue in 1763—the oldest surviving synagogue in the United States and a National Historic Site.

Williams's radical ideas about religious freedom, individual conscience, and separation of church and state profoundly influenced American democracy. His concepts appeared in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution over a century later. Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 colonies to ratify the Constitution (May 29, 1790), waiting until the Bill of Rights was added to protect individual liberties. This independent streak and commitment to personal freedom remain central to Rhode Island's identity.

Newport Mansions & Gilded Age

Newport became America's premier summer resort during the Gilded Age (1870s-1900s), when wealthy families including the Vanderbilts, Astors, and Morgans built extravagant "summer cottages" that were actually palatial mansions. These estates, concentrated along Bellevue Avenue and Ocean Drive, showcased unprecedented wealth and architectural grandeur. The Breakers, built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II in 1895, is the most famous—a 70-room Italian Renaissance palazzo costing $7 million (over $200 million today) with rooms decorated in marble, gold, and alabaster.

Other magnificent mansions include Marble House (built by William K. Vanderbilt, inspired by Versailles' Petit Trianon), Rosecliff (modeled after Versailles' Grand Trianon), and The Elms (French château-style). These estates hosted lavish parties and social events where Gilded Age society competed for status through displays of wealth and extravagance. Mrs. Astor's legendary "400" represented New York high society's inner circle, many of whom summered in Newport. The mansions employed armies of servants, featured cutting-edge technology, and contained priceless art and furnishings.

Today, the Preservation Society of Newport County maintains nine historic mansions open to the public, offering glimpses into Gilded Age opulence. Newport attracts millions of visitors annually to tour the mansions, walk the Cliff Walk (a 3.5-mile public path along the shoreline behind the estates), and explore the historic waterfront. The mansions represent both architectural masterpieces and symbols of the extreme wealth inequality that characterized the Gilded Age, when industrial titans amassed fortunes while workers labored in difficult conditions.

Naval Heritage & America's Cup

Newport has been a Navy town since the American Revolution. The Naval Station Newport, established in 1883, remains a major Navy presence housing the Naval War College (founded 1884), the oldest institution of its kind in the world, where Navy officers study strategy, national security, and leadership. Naval Station Newport also hosts Naval Undersea Warfare Center and other commands. Thousands of military personnel and civilians work at Navy installations, making the military a significant economic factor.

Newport was home to the America's Cup, yacht racing's most prestigious competition, from 1930 to 1983. The America's Cup, named after the yacht America which won the inaugural race around the Isle of Wight in 1851, became synonymous with Newport. The New York Yacht Club successfully defended the Cup 24 consecutive times over 132 years, the longest winning streak in sports history. Most defenses occurred in Newport waters. In 1983, Australia II's victory ended the streak, breaking American dominance and beginning the Cup's travels to other nations.

Despite losing the America's Cup, Newport remains a world sailing capital. The International Tennis Hall of Fame is also located in Newport, housed in the Newport Casino where the first U.S. National Lawn Tennis Championship (now the U.S. Open) was held in 1881. The Newport Folk Festival, founded in 1959, is where Bob Dylan famously "went electric" in 1965, and the Newport Jazz Festival, founded in 1954, brought legends like Duke Ellington and Miles Davis to perform. These festivals continue attracting music fans to Fort Adams State Park each summer.

Industrial Revolution & Textiles

Rhode Island played a crucial role in America's Industrial Revolution. Samuel Slater, known as the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution," built the first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill in Pawtucket in 1793. Slater had worked in English textile mills and memorized the designs of machinery (exporting plans was illegal). His mill at Slater Mill Historic Site launched America's textile industry, transforming the nation from agricultural to industrial economy.

The Blackstone River, connecting Worcester, Massachusetts, to Providence, powered numerous mills, making the Blackstone Valley one of America's first industrialized regions. Textile mills proliferated across Rhode Island through the 1800s, attracting immigrant workers from Ireland, Italy, Portugal, French Canada, and Eastern Europe. Cities like Pawtucket, Woonsocket, and Central Falls developed around mills. Rhode Island became a manufacturing powerhouse producing textiles, jewelry, silverware, and machinery.

The textile industry declined in the 20th century as companies moved south for cheaper labor, then overseas. Mill closures devastated Rhode Island communities economically. However, many historic mill buildings have been adaptively reused as apartments, offices, museums, and restaurants. The Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park preserves this industrial heritage. Rhode Island has transitioned toward education, healthcare, tourism, and technology sectors, though it still maintains jewelry and silverware manufacturing in Providence's Jewelry District.

Federal Hill & Italian Heritage

Providence's Federal Hill neighborhood is one of America's most authentic Italian-American communities, often called "Little Italy." Italian immigrants arrived in large numbers in the late 1800s and early 1900s, primarily from southern Italy and Sicily, seeking work in mills, construction, and other industries. They established homes, businesses, churches, and social clubs centered on Federal Hill, creating a vibrant ethnic enclave that preserved Italian language, customs, and traditions.

Federal Hill's Atwells Avenue is lined with Italian restaurants, bakeries, cafes, specialty food shops, and bocce courts. The neighborhood's iconic gateway arch, topped with a bronze pine cone (La Pigna), symbolizes welcome, abundance, and quality—Italian hospitality values. The area comes alive during feasts honoring patron saints, with processions, music, food, and community gatherings. The Columbus Day celebration and St. Joseph's Day feast are major annual events.

Rhode Island's Italian-American influence extends beyond Federal Hill. The state has the highest percentage of Italian-Americans of any state (approximately 19% of the population). This heritage shapes Rhode Island cuisine (pizza strips, stuffies, calamari), politics (numerous Italian-American politicians), and culture. Federal Hill remains a living Italian neighborhood where families still run businesses, Italian is spoken, and traditions are maintained, unlike many other "Little Italys" that have become primarily tourist destinations.

Major Cities

Counties

Rhode Island has 5 counties, though they have no governmental functions (abolished 1846). Counties are used for statistical purposes:

Interesting Facts

Neighboring States

Rhode Island also has extensive coastline along the Atlantic Ocean to the south, including Block Island Sound.