Overview
The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was an English Colony in North America. It became one of the 13 Original Colonies that voted to declare independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776, and played an important role in the American Revolution. On May 4, 1776, the Rhode Island Assembly voted to break ties with Britain and became the first colony to separate from Britain. Two months later, the Rhode Island delegates to the Second Continental Congress voted to support the Lee Resolution, which confirmed the independence of all 13 American Colonies from Great Britain.
Essential Facts
- Region: The colonies are generally divided into three regions — New England, Middle, and Southern. Rhode Island was one of the New England Colonies.
- First Settlement: The first permanent settlement in Rhode Island was Providence Plantations.
- First Settlement Established: Providence Plantations was established in 1636.
- Purpose: The first settlements in Rhode Island were founded to establish towns that provided Religious Freedom and the Separation of Church and State.
- Charter: Rhode Island received a Royal Charter from King Charles II on July 15, 1663.
Significance
Rhode Island Colony is important to American History because it was one of the Original 13 Colonies and helped establish essential rights, including religious freedom and the separation of church and state, which are framed in the United States Constitution.
History
The Four Settlements of Rhode Island
From 1636 to 1644, four primary settlements were established in what became Rhode Island.
- Providence Plantations
- Portsmouth
- Newport
- Warwick
Providence and Warwick were on the mainland, while Portsmouth and Newport were on Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay.
Providence, Religious Freedom, and Separation of Church and State
Rhode Island started in 1636 when Roger Williams purchased land from the Narragansett Indians. Afterward, he established a settlement, which he called Providence Plantations, on the east bank of the Moshassuck River on Narragansett Bay.
Williams was a Separatist minister who was banished from Massachusetts in 1635 for his religious beliefs and criticism of Puritan leaders and the King. Williams advocated Religious Freedom and Separation of Church and State, and those views—seen as extreme in Massachusetts — made Rhode Island a refuge for people who had religious disputes with the Puritans. Over time, this included Jews, Catholics, Baptists, Quakers, and others.
Williams implemented a system in which church leaders were only responsible for enforcing religious laws, and public officials were responsible for enforcing civic laws. This was completely different than Massachusetts, where there was no separation. Rhode Island became a haven for religious freedom and set the standard for the Separation of Church and State found in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Providence Civil Compact
On August 20, 1637, the citizens of Providence agreed to the Providence Civil Compact. The compact said:
“We, whose names are hereunder, desirous to inhabit in the town of Providence, do promise to subject ourselves in active or passive obedience to all such orders or agreements as shall be made for public good of our body, in an orderly way, by the major assent of the present inhabitants, master of families, incorporated together into a town fellowship, and others whom they shall admit unto them only in civil things.”
This agreement established two things:
- Majority Rule. This meant the laws for Providence were determined by the consent of the majority.
- The Separation of Church and State. This meant that town officials, not church officials, would enforce laws governing civil matters.
Anne Hutchinson, the Portsmouth Compact, and Portsmouth
In 1637, another group of religious dissidents led by Anne Hutchinson prepared to leave Massachusetts. Like Williams, Hutchinson disagreed with Puritan leaders. As a result, she was tried and convicted of heresy and banished. Around 60 of her followers — known as Antinomians — were forced to give up their weapons and ammunition.
On March 7, 1638, some of Hutchinson’s followers and supporters, including William Coddington and John Clarke, met at Coddington’s home in Boston. They agreed to leave Boston, and 23 men signed an agreement known as the Portsmouth Compact. The compact organized the men into a Christian government under the leadership of Coddington. The compact said:
“We whose names are underwritten do hereby solemnly in the presence of Jehovah incorporate ourselves into a Bodie Politick and as He shall help, will submit our persons, lives and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and to all those perfect and most absolute laws of His given in His Holy Word of truth, to be guided and judged thereby.”
Some of them, including Coddington, traveled to Providence and visited Williams. He helped them buy land from the Narragansetts on Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay, where they established a settlement they called Pocasset. Later, the town was renamed Portsmouth, and the island was renamed Rhode Island.
Hutchinson arrived in Providence in April and then took boats to the settlement on the island, where she became the first woman to play a role in founding a town in the English Colonies in Colonial America.
Establishment of Newport
Less than a year later, in 1639, a disagreement between the leaders of Portsmouth led Coddington and others to leave and move to the southern tip of the island, where they established Newport.
On March 16, 1641, Coddington, who had the land title to the entire island, convinced the two island towns to merge together under a single government, with him as governor. The new government was a democracy and guaranteed Religious Freedom.
At the same time, Coddington started working toward developing a colony separate from Providence, which he would be under his control.
The Rhode Island Patent of 1644
In the early years, the Rhode Island settlements faced two significant issues.
- There were disagreements between the settlements due to the lack of a cohesive government.
- The land they owned had been purchased from the Indians, but English courts did not recognize the land titles.
To resolve these issues, Williams went to England in 1643 and secured a patent from Parliament that united Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport into a confederation called “Providence Plantations in Narragansett Bay.”
The patent was granted to Williams on March 14, 1644, by Robert Rich, the Earl of Warwick. The Commission on Foreign Plantations also legalized their claims to the land under the name “Providence Plantations in Narragansett Bay in New England.”
It gave the towns the authority to govern themselves and make laws as long as they were “comfortable to the laws of England.” It also confirmed that the deeds Williams and others had purchased from the Indians were legal in English courts.
Williams returned to Rhode Island in September 1644.
Establishment of Warwick
While Williams was in England negotiating the patent, Samuel Gorton purchased land from the Indians on the mainland to establish a new settlement. The land he bought was known as the Shawomet Purchase, and the settlement was called Shawomet. As Shawomet grew, it was renamed Warwick.
Portsmouth Assembly of 1647 and the Acts and Orders of 1647
Under the patent, Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport were legal. However, Rhode Island officials took nearly three years to organize the new government and agree to laws. In May 1647, they finally agreed to organize a new government and draft laws for their confederation, known as the Acts and Orders of 1647.
The Acts and Orders established a democratic government with rights based on those found in the Magna Carta. One key provision provided people in Rhode Island with a right to trial by a jury of peers. This right would be stripped away from Rhode Islanders and all Americans more than 100 years later when Parliament passed the Sugar Act (1764) and allowed trials to be conducted by the Vice-Admiralty Courts, which did not use juries.
The Acts and Orders included Warwick in the new government, and these men were selected as officers:
- John Coggeshall was chosen as the President of the colony.
- Roger Williams was selected to represent Providence.
- John Samford was selected for Portsmouth.
- William Coddington was selected for Newport.
- Randall Holden was selected for Warwick.
Coddington’s Commission
Despite the agreement on the new government, a rivalry developed between Coddington and Williams. Because of this, Coddington wanted to keep the island towns separate from the ones on the mainland. In 1651, Coddington traveled to England and secured a commission that appointed him as the Governor of Aquidneck Island and Conanicut Island for life.
Williams responded by sailing to England with John Clarke and William Dyer in November 1651 to have Coddington’s commission revoked. They also hoped to secure a Charter that would confirm the Parliamentary Patent. They were successful in having Coddington’s commission revoked but failed to secure a Charter for Rhode Island. Dyer and Williams returned to Rhode Island, while Clarke remained in England and continued to work on securing a Charter.
Upon their return to Rhode Island, Dyer announced that the previous government had been restored.
- New elections were held in September 1654.
- Williams was elected President and held the position for three years.
Royal Charter of 1663
In 1660, the Stuart Restoration ended the Commonwealth of England. King Charles II returned from exile and ascended the throne.
On July 15, 1663, Dyer finally secured a Royal Charter for Rhode Island when King Charles II granted the Charter of “Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.”
This charter allowed the inhabitants of Rhode Island to govern themselves and guaranteed religious freedom. It said a “flourishing civil state may stand and best be maintained with full liberty in religious concernments.”
The Royal Charter of 1663 served as the basis of Rhode Island law until 1843.
Appendix
William Blackstone — The First Settler in Rhode Island
One of the first settlers in the territory that became Rhode Island was William Blackstone — sometimes spelled Blaxton. Blackstone left England in 1623 as part of the Gorges Expedition that failed to create a permanent settlement at Wessagusset. Afterward, most of the colonists returned to England, however, Blackstone stayed and settled what is present-day Beacon Hill in Boston, making him the first settler in Boston. When the Puritans arrived, Blackstone welcomed them but eventually disagreed with their religious views. He moved roughly 35 miles south of Boston and settled on the bend of present-day Blackstone River in Rhode Island. He called his settlement Study Hill. Roger Williams arrived two years later and settled a few miles away from Blackstone. Although they disagreed on religious issues, they became friends. They also agreed on the idea of religious freedom, which was essential to the development of Rhode Island.
Rehoboth Settlement
When William first moved into the area, he chose land for a settlement that he called Rehoboth. However, it was within the boundaries of the territory granted to Plymouth Colony. To keep the peace with Plymouth, Williams and his group moved to the mouth of the Mooshansic River and established Providence. Williams and 12 settlers formed the Proprietors’ Company for Providence Plantations.
First Baptist Church in America
In 1638, Williams and others established the First Baptist Church in Providence, the oldest Baptist congregation in America.
Common Burying Ground for All Inhabitants
In 1640, Newport established a Common Burying Ground for all residents, regardless of religion, race, or social status. Dr. John Clarke donated the land.
Origin of the Names Aquidneck and Rhode Island
The land was initially called Aquidneck, which came from the Narragansett word for “Isle of Peace.” In 1644, Aquidneck Island was renamed Rhode Island. This name was taken from the Dutch explorer Adrian Block, who called the area “Roodt Eylandt,” meaning “red island,” as a reference to the red clay that lined the shore.
