Introduction

Imagine, seaside paradise in the up and coming New World.  It may be the smallest of the colonies in size, but in importance and heart, Rhode Island is truly the biggest of them all.  Founded by revolutionary settlers, namely Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, two free-thinking people who left their homes in Massachusetts Bay in search of a land with more religious tolerance.  Having experienced victories both on the battlefield, and the cornfield, Rhode Island is the center of the glorious New World. 

(Photo taken from: http://www.meriam-webster.com/maps/images/rhode_island_map.gif)

Daily Life

Life for townspeople in Rhode Island has no specific center.  Due to religious freedom, religion does not govern the lives of the people.  Young children attend school in order to learn basic reading and writing skills.  Only a small percentage of children continue on with their studies at universities.  Most mothers stay at home housekeeping during the day.  The men in the town usually work as merchants, ship builders, or artisans.  All make decent wages, with money to spare.

It is easy to make oneself a life in Rhode Island because of the lucrative farming business.  Most of these farming families own moderately sized farms and a fair amount of slaves.  Rhode Island has more slaves than any northern colony.  During the day, the mother home schools the children while the father oversees work on the farm, runs errands in a nearby town, or sits at the tavern. 

(picture taken from: http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t45/maggie6138/providence1650.jpg)

History

In 1636, Roger Williams founded Providence, a new colony devoted to religious freedom for all.  He had left (or technically been banished from) the Massachusetts Bay Colony because of its constrictions related to religion.  Soon after, his effort of establishing a free, thriving colony was joined by Anne Hutchinson, who founded Portsmouth, another colony located near Providence.  Pretty soon, four colonies were established all with matching goals and values. 

          In 1643, Williams ventured to England in an effort to obtain a parliamentary patent that would combine the four existing colonies.  His quest was a success, and Providence was declared the principle city of the newly united single colony.

         The colony’s name was given by a Dutch explorer named Adrian Block, who dubbed it “Roodt Eylandt,” which means “red island.”  This was in reference to the abundance of red clay that lay on the shoreline.  Eventually, the name was anglicized by the presence of British rule, and it became Rhode Island

(timeline by: Cecilia Huber)

Climate

Because of Rhode Island’s proximity to the ocean, the weather is mildly humid.  The winters are long but moderate, unlike most of New England, averaging approximately 30 degrees.  Due to cold conditions, Rhode Island sees slightly more than 35 inches of snow every winter.  During the short summer however, the weather is pleasant and mild, about 75 degrees.  Nearly 45 inches of rain fall year round, mainly during spring and summer, creating an abundance of water.  Heavy thunderstorms come often during rainy season, but pass quickly.  Infrequently, Rhode Island experiences blizzards and hurricanes, neither of which are very violent.  

Relations with Natives

The beautiful ocean-side land of our colony is shared by the culturally unique Wampanoag Indian tribe.  Initially our relations with these natives were peaceful, they helped us to learn to live with the land, but when they started to show signs of unnecessary aggression, we could do nothing but fight back.  Our efforts during King Philip’s War were heroic, and although we suffered some major damage in our principal city of Providence, we emerged victorious, showing once again the strength and resilience of our proud colony.  Today we keep the Wampanoag tribe as slaves, working on our plantations alongside black slaves brought over from Africa.  

Economics

The presence of wealth in Rhode Island is due mainly to molasses and rum production.  The abundance of molasses in Rhode Island makes rum production cheap and easy.  In this way, exporting molasses and rum boosts the economic wealth of the citizens and government. 

The wealthy group of landowners in Rhode Island, called the Narragansett Farmers, make most of their money producing livestock and dairy products.  The average Narragansett Farmer owns around 80 cattle and about 400 sheep, allowing for mass production of dairy products.  These products are then sold in general stores to the townspeople.

Also, smaller farms produce corn and rye for both local and transatlantic, profitable sales.

These major products also allow for job creation, boosting the local economy.  Therefore, finding a job in Rhode Island is anything but difficult. All types of people make money off of these lucrative products; for example- middle men and merchant jobs are abundant for the single man.

 

Works Cited

1) "Providence, Rhode Island." Weather Underground. 

http://www.wunderground.com/us/ri/providence.html.

2) Rao, Divya. "Regional History: The Economics of Empire in Colonial Rhode Island." 

http://www.brown.edu/courses/ha0293/empireecon.html.

3) "Rhode Island." Britannica. 

http://www.britannica.com/ebchecked/topic/501534/rhode-island.

4) Tindall, George B., and David E. Shi. America : A Narrative History. Boston: W. W. Norton & Company, Incorporated, 2007.

5) "Cities, Providence, Rhode Island, 1636-." Www.u-s-history.com. 24 Sept. 2008

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2081.html.

6) "Cities, Providence, Rhode Island, 1636-." Www.u-s-history.com. 24 Sept. 2008

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2081.html.

7)"Rhode Island and Providence Plantation." Massachusetts Bay--Colonization--New England. 24 Sept. 2008 

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/colonial/book/chap5_4.html.