One of America's original 13 colonies, Rhode Island traces its roots to Providence Plantations, a settlement established by Roger Williams. The Rev. They enjoyed hunting parties and horse races on Narragansett beach. PROVIDENCE – A majority of Rhode Islanders whose votes had been counted by shortly after midnight supported a proposal to remove “and Providence Plantations” from the … Successfully ending a campaign that began over 10 years ago, a referendum to remove “Providence Plantations” from the state name of Rhode Island passed on Tuesday with a vote of 52.9 percent approval, according to the Rhode Island Board of Elections.Rhode Island is the first state to change its name without a change of territory, according to the website of Vote Yes on One, an … There have been efforts to drop the "Providence Plantations" before by those who say it evokes the legacy of slavery. The folks in ‘Providence Plantations’ were among the first principled opponents of slavery anywhere in the Americas, certainly in New England and by … Discipline was harsh. Rhode Island will remove the phrase "Providence Plantations" in the state's formal name from some official documents and executive agency websites, Gov. 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.”. Gina Raimondo signed an executive order to that could lead to “and Providence Plantations” being removed from the state’s official name (Rhode Island and Providence Plantations). While the official state name includes “Providence Plantations” in reference to the mainland colony founded by Roger Williams in 1636, Raimondo said … 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. Raimondo's order will remove the phrase "Providence Plantations" from gubernatorial orders and citations, executive agency websites, official correspondence, and state employee pay stubs. Amid the calls for racial justice that have swept America since George Floyd’s death at the hands of a white police officer, the Rhode Island Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bill to let voters decide this November whether to shorten the state’s name, “State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations” and strike the racially offensive “plantations.” The sponsor is the Senate’s lone African-American member, Harold M. Metts, who sponsored a similar measure a decade ago that voters emphatically rejected, 78 to 22 percent. Detail “Rhode Island and the rest of the Colonie of Providence Plantations” in the Charter of 1663 by King Charles II. 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 … This all happened down south before the Civil War — down in southern Rhode Island. This isn't the first time the state has attempted to change its name: When the state tried in 2010, 78% of voters opposed the removal of "Providence Plantations." 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. Worried about unsupervised gatherings of freed and enslaved Blacks, Rhode Island first outlawed them, then co-opted them. Their Southern-style agricultural economy relied on slave labor to produce exports of meat, dairy products and livestock, including the prized Narragansett Pacer horse, to the American South and the Caribbean. As Harry was untying him, my poor passionate dear (wife) saying I had not given him enough, gave him a lash or two, upon which he ran.” Newspapers carried ads for runaway slaves, many with distinguishing scars. Removing the phrase from the state's official name would have to be approved by the Legislature before being put before voters as a constitutional amendment. On the west side of Narragansett Bay, an aristocratic class known as Narragansett planters operated large plantations, some covering a few … Providence Plantations: Exploring the History and Meanings. The “plantations” portion has come under increased scrutiny following widespread protests after the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. 'Providence Plantations' was the name of the first European American settlement in Rhode Island, founded in 1636 by a group led by Roger Williams, who left … Mirroring rituals on Southern plantations, the Narragansett planters on the third week of June sponsored “Election Day” fairs in which slaves elected a “Negro governor.” It was both a rare opportunity for them to celebrate and a demeaning spectacle. Rhode Island slave traders transported more than 100,000 Africans into bondage. History has largely forgotten, though, that Rhode Island also had plantations, and not the kind cultivated by yeoman New England farmers. Rhode Island, one of the original 13 colonies, traces its history back to Providence Plantations, founded by Roger Williams in 1636. Black leaders say the word “plantations” conjures up images of slavery and serves as a … In the 18th Century, Rhode Island became the leading American colony in the African slave trade, including members of the Brown family, who gave Brown University its name. The enslaved were buried at the bottom of the hill outside, in the segregated cemetery, their graves marked by plain fieldstones. 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. . Though it was the first colony to … Gina Raimondo said it should be up to voters to decide if "Providence Plantations" is removed from the state's full name due to slavery implications. Attend church America 's original 13 colonies, Rhode Island was incorporated as the State of Rhode,! Though, that Rhode Island Gov and General Assembly leaders all struck the word Plantations from official... 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