Rhode Island

 

Rhode Island is, by area, the smallest state in the US. Despite its name, most of its territory is actually on the mainland. Its capital and at the same time its largest city is Providence. Its full name is ‘Rhode Island and Providence Plantations’, which is the longest name of any of the US states. The climate is warm most of the time; hot summers with a lot of downfall and cold winters are characteristic of Rhode Island’s humid continental climate.

History

Rhode Island was one of the thirteen original American colonies, and it was also the first of those to declare its independence from the British reign. It was the last colony to sign the American constitution. The first person to ever visit it was the Italian navigator Giovanni da Verazzano in 1524. Before the area was colonized, many Native American tribes lived there, but they soon died for the same reason as many other tribes did, namely diseases brought to them by Europeans, which their immune system was not trained to fight. In 1636, Roger Williams was banned from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views, and therefore settled on a site he called Providence, declaring it a place of religious freedom. Other people who were banned from Massachusetts similarly founded the town of Portsmouth. A memorable episode in the fight of the Europeans against the Native Americans was King Philip’s War which lasted a year, from 1675 to 1676. Rhode Island was the first state to send troops in response to President Lincoln’s request during the Civil War. The population of the state was increased considerably by post-war immigration. In the beginning of the twentieth century, the economy of Rhode Island was weakened, especially in urban areas, because of the Great Depression, and in rural areas the state saw an increase in Ku Klux Klan members. Since that time, the Democratic Party has dominated the political happenings in Rhode Island.

Politics and economy

Rhode Island’s capital is Providence. The current governor is Donald L. Carcieri, and US Senators are Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse. The state is one of the only ones where there is no official residence for the Governor. It was the second state after Michigan to abolish death penalty. This happened relatively early, the last execution took place in the 1840s. This makes Rhode Island one of the fifteen states of the US where capital punishment does not exist. In the 2008 election, Rhode Island has once again proven its Democratic orientation, giving 64% of electoral votes to the Democratic candidate and current US president Barack Obama. The taxes in Rhode Island are amongst the highest in the country; this is especially true for property taxes.
As for the economy of the state, the Blackstone River Valley is actually known as the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. For a while, the textile industry thrived in Rhode Island, but was soon relocated to the South of America due to the Great Depression. Today most of the economy of the state is based on services. Governor Carcieri has been trying to work towards lower taxes, claiming this would encourage economical growth.

Culture

The overwhelming majority of Rhode Island’s population is of Christian religion.  The Hispanic community forms an important part of Rhode Island’s population. From 1950 to 1990, the state was famous for organized crime, and while this phenomenon has significantly decreased, the stigma is not yet gone. A lot of food that is typical to the state has an Italian background, due to the large number of immigrants of Italian heritage that came to Rhode Island. The state is also home to fourteen universities and colleges, of which the most famous and renowned is undoubtedly Brown University, one of the eight prestigious Ivy League institutions of higher education in the United States, located in the city of Providence. Admission is extremely competitive and the university is highly selective and offers high quality degrees that ensure excellent employability. Brown is also the largest institutional landowner in Providence.

Rhode Island is a state of the US which has a very interesting historical background and an accordingly diverse and fascinating culture. Home to a diverse population, an economy that continues to thrive and one of the eight Ivy League colleges, it is a place that can be of interest for many people.