Editing Rhode Island (section)

===Colonial era: 1636–1770===
{{Main|Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations}}
[[File:Alonzo_Chappel_-_The_Landing_of_Roger_Williams_in_1636_-_43.003_-_Rhode_Island_School_of_Design_Museum.jpg|thumb|In 1636, Roger Williams and his followers founded the settlement of Providence Plantations.]]
At the onset of European colonization what is now Rhode Island was inhabited mainly by five Native American tribes — by far most of the state's territory was inhabited by the [[Narragansett people|Narragansett]], eastern borderlands were occupied by the [[Wampanoag]], south-western coast by the [[Niantic people|Niantic]], western borderlands by the [[Pequots|Pequot]] and northern borderlands by the [[Nipmuc]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rhode Island Indian Tribes and Languages |url=https://www.native-languages.org/rhode.htm |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=www.native-languages.org}}</ref>{{Self-published inline|date=September 2024}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Swanton |first=John Reed |title=The Indian Tribes of North America |pages=27–29}}</ref> In 1636, [[Roger Williams]] was banished from the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] for his religious views, and he settled at the top of Narragansett Bay on land sold or given to him by Narragansett sachem [[Canonicus]]. He named the site Providence, "having a sense of God's merciful providence unto me in my distress",<ref name="Conley">An Album of Rhode Island History by Patrick T. Conley</ref> and it became a place of religious freedom where all were welcome.

[[File:Rhode Island statehood Tercentenary, 3c, 1936 issue.jpg |thumb|upright|left|In 1936, on the 300th anniversary of the settlement of Rhode Island in 1636, the U.S. Post Office issued a commemorative stamp, depicting Roger Williams]]
In 1638 (after conferring with Williams), [[Anne Hutchinson]], [[William Coddington]], [[John Clarke (Baptist minister)|John Clarke]], [[Philip Sherman (settler)|Philip Sherman]], and other religious dissenters were allowed to settle on [[Aquidneck Island]] (also known as Rhode Island), by the Narragansett Sachems [[Canonicus]] and [[Miantonomi]]. They were given a few items in reciprocity for their generosity. However, as Roger Williams made clear in a letter to John Winthrop in June 1638: "Sir, concerning the islands Prudence and…Aquedenick…neither of them were sold properly, for a thousand fathom would not have bought either, by strangers. The truth is, not a penny was demanded for either, and what was paid was only gratuity, though I chose, for better assurance and form, to call it sale."<ref>{{cite web |title=Roger Williams to John Winthrop |url=https://www.masshist.org/publications/winthrop/index.php/view/PWF04d035#sn=6 |website=Winthrop Family Papers |publisher=[[Massachusetts Historical Society]] |access-date=6 September 2023}}</ref> This settlement was first called Pocasset and then changed in 1639 to [[Portsmouth, Rhode Island|Portsmouth]]. The town was governed by the [[Portsmouth Compact]]. The island's southern part became the separate settlement of [[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]] after disagreements among the founders.

[[Samuel Gorton]] purchased lands at [[Warwick, Rhode Island|Shawomet]] in 1642 from the Narragansetts, precipitating a dispute with the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1644, Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport united for their common independence as the [[Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations]], governed by an elected council and "president". Gorton received a separate charter for his settlement in 1648 which he named [[Warwick, Rhode Island|Warwick]] after his patron.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lonang.com/exlibris/organic/1663-cri.htm |title=Charter of Rhode Island (1663) |publisher=Lonang.com |access-date=July 31, 2010 |archive-date=November 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126053349/http://lonang.com/exlibris/organic/1663-cri.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Metacomet]] was the [[Wampanoag people|Wampanoag]] tribe's war leader, whom the colonists called King Philip. They invaded and burned down several of the towns in the area during [[King Philip's War]] (1675–1676), including Providence which was attacked twice.<ref name="Conley"/> A force of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Plymouth militia under General [[Josiah Winslow]] invaded and destroyed the fortified Narragansett Indian village in the [[Great Swamp Fight|Great Swamp]] in [[South Kingstown, Rhode Island]], on December 19, 1675.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyplace.com/specials/kingphilip.htm |title=King Philip's War in New England |year=1997 |author=Michael Tougias |website=The History Place |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608035001/http://www.historyplace.com/specials/kingphilip.htm |archive-date=June 8, 2010 }}</ref> In one of the final actions of the war, an Indian associated with [[Benjamin Church (ranger)|Benjamin Church]] killed King Philip in [[Bristol, Rhode Island]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/horsemusket/kingphilip/default.aspx |title=King Philip's War |publisher=Military History Online |date=July 17, 2004 |access-date=January 26, 2013 |archive-date=May 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516191654/http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/horsemusket/kingphilip/default.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Touro_Park,_Newport,_Rhode_Island.jpg|thumb|right|In 1680, Newport was the third largest Anglo-American city. It remained a prosperous population center until the 1770s.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Purvis |first=Thomas L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BZRJSx3uMYEC |title=Colonial America To 1763 |date=2014-05-14 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-1-4381-0799-8 |page=227 |language=en |access-date=May 26, 2021 |archive-date=October 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016225430/https://books.google.com/books?id=BZRJSx3uMYEC |url-status=live}}</ref>]]

The colony was amalgamated into the [[Dominion of New England]] in 1686, as [[James II of England|King James II]] attempted to enforce royal authority over the autonomous colonies in [[British North America]], but the colony regained its independence under the Royal Charter after the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688. Slaves were introduced in Rhode Island at this time, although there is no record of any law legalizing slave-holding. The colony later prospered under the slave trade, distilling rum to sell in Africa as part of a profitable [[triangular trade]] in slaves and sugar with the Caribbean.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.projo.com/extra/2006/slavery/day1/ |title=The Unrighteous Traffick |website=[[The Providence Journal]] |date=March 12, 2006 |access-date=July 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912032147/http://www.projo.com/extra/2006/slavery/day1/ |archive-date=September 12, 2009 }}</ref> Rhode Island's legislative body passed an act in 1652 abolishing the holding of slaves (the first British colony to do so), but this edict was never enforced and Rhode Island continued to be heavily involved in the [[Slave trade in the United States|slave trade]] during the post-revolution era.<ref>{{cite web |author=Ricardo Howell |url=https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Info/Slavery.html |title=Slavery, the Brown Family of Providence, and Brown University |publisher=The Brown University News Service |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615153948/https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Info/Slavery.html |archive-date=June 15, 2009}}</ref> In 1774, the slave population of Rhode Island was 6.3% of the total (nearly twice the ratio of other [[New England]] colonies).<ref>{{cite report |author=The General Assembly of the Governor and Company of the English Colony of the Rhode Island |date=June 14, 1774 |title=The Rhode Island Census of 1774 |url=https://www.brown.edu/Facilities/John_Carter_Brown_Library/exhibitions/jcbexhibit/Pages/item_6.html |publisher=Hon. General Assembly |access-date=September 20, 2016 |archive-date=September 23, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160923030151/https://www.brown.edu/Facilities/John_Carter_Brown_Library/exhibitions/jcbexhibit/Pages/item_6.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=24 June 2020 |author=Kenya Evelyn |title=Rhode Island Moves To Change Official Name Over Slavery Ties |website=The Guardian – US Edition |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/24/rhode-island-official-name-change-governor-slavery |access-date=25 June 2020 |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119144659/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/24/rhode-island-official-name-change-governor-slavery |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Brown University]] was founded in 1764 as the College in the British Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was one of nine [[Colonial colleges]] granted charters before the American Revolution and was the first college in America to accept students regardless of religious affiliation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Widmer |first=Ted |title=Brown: The History of An Idea |location=New York |publisher=Thames & Hudson |year=2015 |page=42}}</ref>