736+Rhode+Island+Colony,+New+England

__Group Members__ __Mirlanda Toci__ __Amirah Hanif__ __Jordan Haigel__ __Arron__ __This is from this website__ http://www.smithsoniansource.org/display/primarysource/viewdetails.aspx?TopicId=&PrimarySourceId=1173

Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island, in //A Key into the Language of America//, 1643:
Roger Williams was the founder of Rhode Island. His book //A Key into the Language of America// is the first study of an Indian language, the Narragansett language. I once traveled to an island of the wildest in our parts, where in the night an Indian (as he said) had a vision or dream of the sun (whom they worship for a god) darting a beam into his breast which he conceived to be the messenger of his death: this poor native called his friends and neighbors, and prepared some little refreshing for them, but himself was kept waking and fasting in great humiliations and invocations for ten days and nights; I was alone (having traveled from my bark, the wind being contrary) and little could I speak to them to their understandings especially because of the change of their dialect or manner of speech from our neighbors: yet so much (through the help of God) I did speak, of the //true// and //living only wise God//, of the creation: of man, and his //fall// from God, etc. that at parting many burst forth, “Oh when will you come again, to bring us some more news of this God?”. . . Nature knows no difference between Europe and Americans in blood, birth, bodies, etc. God having of one blood made all mankind, Acts 17, and all by nature being children of wrath, Ephes, 2. More particularly: > Boast not proud English, of thy birth and blood > Thy brother Indian is by birth as good. > Of one blood God made him, and thee, and all. > As wise, as fair, as strong, as personal. > By nature, wraith’s his portion, thine, no more > Till grace his soul and thine in Christ restore. > Make sure thy second birth, else thou shalt see > Heaven ope to Indians wild, but shut to thee.

=Colony of Rhode Island= Website- From History.com By: Amirah

Rhode Island, measuring only about 48 miles long and 37 miles wide, is the smallest of the U.S. states. Despite its small area, Rhode Island, known as the "Ocean State," boasts over 400 miles of coastline. Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams in 1636, who had been banished from the Massachusetts colony for his advocacy of religious tolerance and the separation of church and state. During the colonial period, Newport was a major hub for shipping and trade, and in the 19th century Rhode Island was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution and the establishment of power-driven textile mills. Rhode Island hosted the first National Lawn Tennis Championship in 1899, and is home to the Tennis Hall of Fame. Famous Rhode Islanders include novelists Cormac MacCarthy and Jhumpa Lahiri, actor James Woods, television personality Meredith Vieira and Civil War U.S. Army officer Ambrose Burnside. - Rhode island colonial era

====The founder of Rhode Island was Roger Williams who came to get religious freedom. Roger found a land that was owned by the Narragansett Native Americans so he bought the land from them. So many people were coming and established a freedom of religion colony. Although they used slaves to make rum.==== In this picture it shows William paying the Native Americans for Rhode Island. This is how state looked like when it was a colony ====**__Education answer:__** Rhode Island had public schools and tutors. Children who lived on a farm got their education at home from their parents. Boys who wanted to go to college studied from the bible and learned science. If they didn't want to go to college they had the choice of becoming an apprentice. Girls, after attending middle school, learned how to run a house. Ministers started schools for boys. Women teachers operated "dame schools" where they taught girls and very young boys. In 1640 a man named Robert Lenthal made the first public school. In 1845 the first parochial schools in Rhode Island were started, and the State Board of Education was founded in 1870. ====

====**__Religion answer: __** In Rhode Island there was religious freedom. The reason why is because when Roger Williams decided to leave Massachusetts (the area was becoming crowded and he opposed the Puritan teachings) he went up north and found Rhode Island and established it. When the people wanted freedom of religion in the 13 colonies, Europe, or any other place they would come to Rhode Island to be able to practice any religion they want. ====

Why slavery? Can slaves make that big business for colonies to make money?
In Rhode Island the slaves were a huge part of their life. First of all, Rhode Island started getting slaves because they needed more people to work on rice plantations. (Also to make rum out of sugar and molasses). Even though in 1652 Rhode island passed a law for slavery where your not allowed to indenture any slaves more than 10 years, no one followed the rules because the market for sugar and rum was very compelling. Lucky for Rhode island they were at the corner of the "triangular trade". The trade went like this the Caribbeans would give Rhode Island slave made sugar and molasses for Rhode island to make rum. Then, the rum was carried to West Africa and exchanged for slaves to produce more sugar, rum, and of course slaves. In 1783 Moses Brown and other Quakers made a petition to abolish slavery. After a battle the general Assembly of Rhode Island passed the Gradual Emancipation Act of March 1, 1784 which says that children born to slaves were not to become slaves and masters could manumit healthy slaves between the ages 21 and 40 without financial responsibility. __**Fun Facts on Rhode Island**__
 * The flag of Rhode Island is a flag that has 13 stars on it (to represent 13 colonies), an anchor, and a blue ribbon with their motto "Hope".
 * The colony was named "red island" in Dutch.
 * The importance of slaves in the US was first banned in Rhode Island in 1774.
 * Rhode Island became a state on May 1, 1790.