Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence was settled in June 1636 by Puritan theologian Roger Williams and grew into one of the original Thirteen Colonies. In 1652, Providence prohibited African and African American slavery for periods of longer than 10 years. Providence residents were among the first Patriots to spill blood in the lead-up to the American Revolutionary War during the Gaspee Affair of 1772. In 1770, Brown University moved to Providence from nearby Warren. By the start of the 20th century, Providence hosted some of the largest manufacturing plants in the country.

About Providence, Rhode Island in brief

Summary Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence was settled in June 1636 by Puritan theologian Roger Williams and grew into one of the original Thirteen Colonies. In 1652, Providence prohibited African and African American slavery for periods of longer than 10 years. Providence residents were among the first Patriots to spill blood in the lead-up to the American Revolutionary War during the Gaspee Affair of 1772. In 1770, Brown University moved to Providence from nearby Warren. By the start of the 20th century, Providence hosted some of the largest manufacturing plants in the country, including Brown & Sharpe, Nicholson File, and Gorham Manufacturing Company. With an estimated population of 179,883, Providence is the third-most-populous city in New England after Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts. The city of Providence is home to eight hospitals and seven institutions of higher learning which have shifted the city’s economy into service industries, though it still retains some manufacturing activity. It was also the last of the Thirteen States to ratify the U.S. Constitution on May 29, 1790, once assurances were made that a Bill of Rights would become part of the Constitution. It is the capital and most populous city of the state of Rhode Island and is located at the mouth of the Providence River at the head of Narragansett Bay. Providence was a major labor-powered industrial center of the early 1900s, powered by labor powered by immigrants from the Southern United States. It became noted for its textile manufacturing and subsequent machine tool, jewelry, and silverware industries.

It split over slavery during the American Civil War, as many had ties to the Southern cotton and slave trade, and the number of military volunteers proved invaluable to the Union. Providence thrived after the war, and waves of immigrants brought the population from 54,595 in 1865 to 175,597 by 1900. The city offices moved into the Providence City Hall in 1878, which was the geographic and social centre of the city. In 1845, the City Council resolved to create a permanent municipal building in 1845. Providence residents ratified a city charter in 1831 as the population passed 17,000. Providence was the nation’s ninth-largest city with 7,614 people after the Civil War. It has been home to Brown University since 1770 and is now home to the University of Providence, which is located on College Hill in the heart of the downtown area. It also hosts the Rhode Island School of Medicine, which opened in 1881. The Providence River runs through the city and is the source of the Pawtucket River, which flows into the Mystic River in the north and the Woonasquatucket River to the south. The  Providence River was named in honor of \”God’s merciful Providence\” which he believed was responsible for revealing such a haven for him and his followers. In 1638, Providence lacked a royal charter. The settlers thus organized themselves, allotting tracts on the eastern side of the Providence River in 1638. Roughly six acres each, these home lots extended from Towne Street to Hope Street.