In South Kingstown, 1 in 5 residents were enslaved, compared to less than 3 percent in the rest of New England. Rhode Island will remove the phrase "Providence Plantations" in the state's formal name from some official documents and executive agency websites, Gov. This all happened down south before the Civil War — down in southern Rhode Island. Today, Rhode Islanders should reflect on that past, and pay their respects by removing “Providence Plantations” from its name. Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo has signed an Executive Order as a first step to change the formal name of Rhode Island. In Portsmouth, coroner’s inquests of Africans who had died violently concluded that they had died accidentally. On the west side of Narragansett Bay, an aristocratic class known as Narragansett planters operated large plantations, some covering a few hundred acres, in what is now Narragansett, South Kingstown and North Kingstown. They enjoyed hunting parties and horse races on Narragansett beach. Thursday, Oct. 29, 4:30-6:00 pm. Gina Raimondo and General Assembly leaders all struck the word ‘plantations’ from their official documents this summer, as did Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza. The Associated Press projected that with 100% of the state's precincts reporting, the ballot question to remove "and Providence Plantations" passed with nearly 53% of … The name "Providence Plantations" comes from the state's founder, Roger Williams. Kristin Knudson-Groh, Neighbor. But Metts said he … … The folks in ‘Providence Plantations’ were among the first principled opponents of slavery anywhere in the Americas, certainly in New England and by … Gina Raimondo said Monday in announcing an executive order. The … The horses of the wealthy land-owners were on this day all surrendered to the use of the slaves, and with cues, real or false, head pomatumed and powdered, cocked hat, mounted on the best Narragansett pacers, sometimes with their masters’ sword, with their ladies on pillions, they pranced to election, which commenced generally, at 10 o’clock.”. Rhode Island slave traders transported more than 100,000 Africans into bondage. The Rev. Providence Plantations: Exploring the History and Meanings. Raimondo said … Conversations around the history of slavery had been pushed to the margins for many decades. By the early 1700s, enslaved Africans were working on farms in the East Bay communities near Newport — Portsmouth, Middletown, Bristol, Jamestown — harvesting crops, shearing sheep and pressing apples for cider. Gina Raimondo has signed an executive order to take the first step in order to get rid of the state’s full name, which includes the word “plantations,” the New York Post reported on Tuesday.. The Narragansett planters grew wealthy, investing in slave-trading voyages and building manor houses modeled after English country gentry, filled with imported linens and silks, porcelain and silver. As in the South, enslaved Africans in Rhode Island were forced to attend church. At the Anglican meeting house in South Kingstown, the Rev. Rhode Island never had large farms on the scale of slave plantations in the South, but it certainly did have slaves. Today, Rhode Islanders should reflect on that past, and pay their respects by removing “Providence Plantations” from its name. "Rhode Island was founded on the principles of acceptance and tolerance, and our state's name - and actions - should reflect those values.". Providence Plantations became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, which became the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations after the American Revolution. Rhode Island was incorporated as The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations when it declared statehood in 1790. Rhode Island will remove the phrase "Providence Plantations" in the state's formal name from some official documents and executive agency websites, Gov. MacSparran wrote in his diary of a disobedient slave, “I got up this morning early, and finding Hannibal had been out . She also directed the Rhode Island State Police to form an outreach team to work with community leaders to find ways for police to better serve residents, and to develop a plan to equip all state police troopers with body-worn cameras. Where did Rhode Island's state name come from, which histories does it refer to, and what does it mean now in RI communities? Mike Stanton is a journalism professor at the University of Connecticut. Rhode Island, one of the original 13 colonies, traces its history back to Providence Plantations, founded by Roger Williams in 1636. The move comes after several weeks of meetings with community and youth leaders and is an effort to address racial inequities in the state following a national push for progress after George Floyd's killing last month, the Democratic governor said. Although the state did not have the large, slave-holding plantations most … A similar history has been buried in Rhode Island, he says. Providence Plantations was the first permanent European American settlement in Rhode Island. Roger Williams founded a settlement called Providence Plantations in 1636, while Anne Hutchinson and her followers founded a separate settlement a year later, on what is now Aquidneck Island, but was known at the time as Rhode Island. 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