Rhode Island
Rhode Island is the smallest state in the United States. Its full name is the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations until November 2020. Rhode Island is part of the New England region, and was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. It is the smallest state in the USA.
Rhode Island is bordered on the north and east by Massachusetts, on the west by Connecticut, and on the south by Rhode Island Sound and the North Atlantic Ocean. Naragansett Bay is a major feature of the state's topography. Block Island lies off the southern coast.
Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams as a place of religious freedom for Baptist settlers. Historically, the land of Rhode Island is unique because it was purchased twice, once from the King of England, and once from the Native American tribes which lived on the land.
It has miles of white ocean beaches, great ethnic food, a reputation for organized crime, and friendly natives who tend to drive terribly. The state is the former home of the Rhode Island Reds, a defunct minor league hockey team.
Smithfield, Rhode Island is home of Bryant College, a prestigious business school; Providence, the oldest and largest city in the state, is the home of Providence College and Brown University. The less-prestigious state university, the University of Rhode Island, is located in Kingston in the southern part of the state. Other important cities are Newport, Woonsocket and Pawtucket.
Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the United States Constitution in 1791 and did so only under the threat of being declared a foreign nation and having its exports taxed. Rhode Island was the site of the Dorr Rebellion of 1842 in which Thomas Dorr drafted a liberal constitution which was passed by popular referendum but which was opposed by the sitting governor Samuel Ward King.
