Rhode Island Colony

Founded in: 1636. Founder: Roger Williams

Made by: Tyler, Andrew, and Jacob!!!

FIRST PEOPLE• The Narragansett Indians were the first inhabitants of

the lands we know today as Rhode Island.• Their villages homed near 100 people.• The Narragansett were nomads which means they

moved with the seasons.• They did their best to stay away from the colonists who

invaded their lands.

• Rhode Island colonists went there for religious freedom. • People of different faiths came to the colony. Leaders of other

colonies disliked having these people around their colonies.• Massachusetts’ puritan leaders planned to arrest Rodger Williams

and send him back to England.• Anne Hutchinson was kicked out of Massachusetts for preaching.

After she was kicked out she began starting Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

• The Massachusetts and Connecticut tried to take over some cities in Rhode Island.

Early settlers continued

• Providence, Portsmouth, Warwick, and Newport needed legal protection.

• In 1663, King Charles II of England gave a charter.• The colony began to grow rapidly.

• Rhode Island’s first settlers built farms and houses in the wilderness.

• People built fences around their homes to keep wild animals out.

• Daily life was filled with chores. Men cleared land and built homes. Women cooked, cleaned, and raised children. Children would help their parents whenever they could. Children learned adult tasks at very young ages.

• Education was less important in Rhode Island than in the rest of New England.

• Many people were Whalers and they were very good at it.

• Merchants and craftsmen set up shops along main streets and waterfronts.

• By the 1760s life for most Rhode Island colonists was tied to trade.• There were many jobs. Some were; dock workers, warehouse

workers, bookkeepers, farmers, and good transporters.• Families produced most of their own food. Corn was the main crop.

Colonists also raised animals for meat, eggs, milk, and cheese. Families that lived near Narragansett Bay fished for clams, shrimp, and other seafood.

Work and Trade in the Colony

• In early years most Rhode Islanders were fishers and farmers.

• The colonists used their fish and crops for themselves them and did not trade.

• By the early 1700s some farmers owned large plantations.

• Many plantations grew apples, corn, and onions. They sold wool and cheese.

• Many plantations owners bought slaves from Africa.

• Many people relied on work and trade for their lives.

ExportsAgricultural exports• Apples• Cattle • Corn • Dairy products• onions

Industrial exports

•ships

Natural resource exports

•Fish

•Seafood

•Lumber/wood

Religion• In 1658 groups of Jewish settlers began arriving in

Newport.• Baptist, Jewish, Puritan, and Quaker were the major

religions in Rhode Island. • In 1763 the Jewish community there finished building

Touro Synagogue. This was the first Jewish house of worship in America.

• By 1739 the colony was home to more than 30 places of worship including Congregationalist, Baptist, Anglican, and Quaker churches.

Community• Rhode Island’s charter allowed the colonists to form their

own government. • Land-owning white men voted for representatives and a

governor to make laws.• This system worked so well , it went unchanged for 180

years. • In 1843, white men who did not own land were also

allowed to vote.

Becoming a State

• By the 1760s the American colonies had busy cities and large plantations.

• Taxes upset many colonists. They had no say in Britain's government.

• In 1774 the colonies sent representatives to the Continental Congress.

Statehood

• Rhode Island became the 13th state of America, May 29, 1790.

Fast Facts

• Rhode Island was a New England Colony.• Rhode Island was named after Cecil Rhodes.• In 1774 Rhode Island’s population was 59,678.• The first colonies were Providence, Warwick, Newport,

Pawtucket, and Bristol.• Rhode Island was, and still is today, the smallest

American colony.• Many New England colonists were minutemen. This

meant they were ready to fight at all times.• Rhode Island is the ocean state.

Glossary

• Charter-a written document giving a colony permission to exist. • Craftsman-a crafting artist• Exports-to ship for sale or trade• Inhabitants-the things living in a designated area• Invaded-to intrude; to enter uninvited• Merchants-people who sell goods• Minutemen-soldiers from the revolutionary war that were always

ready for battle.• Nomads-people who move with the seasons• Plantations-large farms• Population-how many people lived in an area• Preaching-a person who teaches religious ways• Puritan- a pilgrim• Quaker-a member of a religious group that followed a set of rules• Representatives- people who represent a colony

•Waterfronts- land on the edge of a body of water

•Whalers- people who hunted whales.