rhode island independence day

Today is Rhode Island Independence Day. From its inception as a colony, Rhode Island has had a rich history of social, political, and religious dissent. This history was highlighted on May 4, 1776, when Rhode Island's general assembly declared Rhode Island and Providence Plantations sovereign and independent. As with most things American, it came down to money:

"That, therefore, the General Assembly of this colony have, in their representative capacity, the only exclusive right to levy taxes and imposts upon the inhabitants of this colony; and that every attempt to vest such power in any person or persons, whatever, other than the General Assembly, aforesaid, is unconstitutional, and hath a manifest tendency to destroy the liberties of the people of this colony."

A misconception is that the use of "plantations" in the state's name was a reference to slavery. It was not- plantations served as a common term for colony. That being said, Rhode Island has a documented history as a major player in the Atlantic slave trade, as well as a state in which slaves were held well into the nineteenth century.

Sources:

http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/title25/25-2/25-2-1.HTM https://archive.org/stream/lippittrhodeisland00warrrich/lippittrhodeisland00warrrich_djvu.txt