Rhode Island is known as “Little Rhody” and the “Ocean State.”[1] The full name of the state was Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.[2] In November 2020, the state's voters approved an amendment to the state constitution formally dropping "and Providence Plantations" from its full name.[3] It is the smallest state in the United States, with an area of 1,214 square miles. The state is only 37 miles wide and 48 miles long. Rhode Island is known for its beautiful coastline, with over 400 miles of shoreline on Narragansett Bay in the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the top attractions include The Breakers, a grand mansion symbolizing the Vanderbilt family’s social and financial pre-eminence in the Gilded Age, and Block Island, a quintessential New England Island covered in bluffs and rocky beaches.[4] As of 2022, the population of Rhode Island is approximately 1.1 million.[5] Rhode Island’s economy ranks 45th in size among states and Washington, DC. The unemployment rate in Rhode Island was 2.9% in November 2023. The state’s economy grew in 2021 with the 20th highest GDP growth rate in the country.[6]
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History of Rhode IslandHistory of Rhode Island
The area now contained in the state of Rhode Island was first visited by Europeans in 1614 by the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block.[7]Roger Williams (c. 1603 – March 1683) was an English-born New England Puritan minister, theologian, and author who founded Providence Plantations in 1636, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and later the State of Rhode Island. He was a staunch advocate for religious freedom, separation of church and state, and fair dealings with the Native Americans.[8]
Rhode Island became a haven for Baptists, Quakers, Jews, and other religious minorities.[9] The importation of enslaved people to the colonies began as early as 1652. However, slavery was banned in Rhode Island in 1784. Rhode Island was the first colony to declare its independence from England on May 4, 1776, and became the 13th state to join the Union on May 29, 1790.[10]
The government of Rhode Island follows the form established throughout the United States with executive, a legislative, and judicial branches; although Rhode Island is divided into counties, it does not have any local government at the county level.[11] Instead, local governance is provided by the eight cities and thirty-one towns. Counties in Rhode Island have had no governmental functions since 1846 other than as court administrative and sheriff corrections boundaries which are part of state government.
Demographics of Rhode IslandDemographics of Rhode Island
According to Data USA,[12] Rhode Island has the following demographic distribution:
- White alone: 82.8%
- Black or African American alone: 9.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 1.2%
- Asian alone: 3.7%
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.2%
- Two or More Races: 3.1%
- Hispanic or Latino: 17.6%
- White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 69.9%
Most common surnames in Rhode IslandMost common surnames in Rhode Island
The ten most common surnames in Rhode Island according to Forebears.io[13] are:
| Surname | Incidence | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith | 5,087 | 1:213 | |
| Brown | 3,710 | 1:292 | |
| Johnson | 3,188 | 1:340 | |
| Silva | 2,740 | 1:396 | |
| Medeiros | 2,447 | 1:443 | |
| Martin | 2,212 | 1:490 | |
| Sullivan | 2,156 | 1:503 | |
| Williams | 2,141 | 1:507 | |
| Anderson | 2,029 | 1:535 | |
| Costa | 2,019 | 1:537 |
Researching family history in Rhode IslandResearching family history in Rhode Island
Rhode Island is part of the United States known as New England and many of the repositories, libraries, and societies with general New England records will have significant collections of records from Rhode Island. For example, the New England Historic Genealogical Society has an extensive collection of records including Rhode Island. Vital Records are available on the city and town level or through Rhode Island State Archives, home to more than 10 million letters, photographs, and important state documents. There is also a Rhode Island State Digital Archives.
The Rhode Island Genealogical Society, the Rhode Island Historical Society and the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association all have valuable additional resources.
Rhode Island County listRhode Island County list
Rhode Island has no county governments. It is divided into 39 municipalities each having its own form of local government. The first list is a list of the counties, and the second list is the 39 municipalities.
Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence, and Washington
| Barrington | Bristol | Burrillville | Central Falls |
| Charlestown | Coventry | Cranston | Cumberland |
| East Greenwich | East Providence | Exter | Foster |
| Glocester | Hopkinton | Jamestown | Johnston |
| Lincoln | Little Compton | Middletown | Narragansett |
| New Sherman | Newport | North Kingstown | North Providence |
| North Smithfield | Pawtucket | Portsmouth | Providence |
| Richmond | Scituate | Smithfield | South Kingstown |
| Tiverton | Warren | Warwick | West Greewich |
| West Warwick | Westerly | Woonsocket |
See alsoSee also
Explore more about Rhode IslandExplore more about Rhode Island
MyHeritage has 65 collections of completely searchable Rhode Island records containing a total of 1,294,082 items. These collections include Rhode Island Historical Cemeteries, U.S. Naturalization Records, New England, 1791-1906, Rhode Island, Providence Catholic Burials and books containing vital records for individual counties, all available at the Rhode Island - Collection Catalog.
References
- ↑ 78 Interesting Facts About Rhode Island. The Fact File (blog)
- ↑ Snyder, Alec. “Rhode Island’s Formal Name Is ‘the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.’ There’s a Move Now to Change That.” CNN, June 23, 2020]
- ↑ Shamsian, Jacob. “Rhode Islanders Voted to Strip the Word ‘plantations’ from Their Official State Name.” Business Insider
- ↑ “18 Top Things to Do in Rhode Island.” US News & World Report
- ↑ Rhode Island Population 1900-2023
- ↑ Economy of Rhode Island Statistics and Data Trends: GDP Ranking, Unemployment Rate, and Economic Growth. USAFacts
- ↑ Rhode Island History Timeline: Rhode Island Important Dates
- ↑ Roger Williams. History Channel
- ↑ Roger Williams - Theology, Death & Facts. Biography.com
- ↑ The May 4, 1776, Act of Renunciation. Secretary of State of Rhode Island
- ↑ NACo – Find a county. National Association of Counties
- ↑ Rhode Island. Data USA
- ↑ Most Common Surnames in Rhode Island, With Meanings