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Island Found
Dutch trader, Adrianen Block, discovered island, now named for him -
Trading post established
Dutch established temporary trading post on Dutch Island,traded with local Indians -
Roger William's Found providence
Roger William's founded Providence on land received from Indians -
Portsmouth was founded
Anne Hutchison founded Portsmouth after being banished from Massachusetts for heresy -
Roger William's received Parliamentary patent
Roger Williams received parliamentary patent for Providence, Portsmouth, Newport colony, confirmed fellow settlers' land claims -
One government is formed
Rhode Island united with Providence, formed single government -
War between colonists and Indians
King Philip’s war between Narragansett’s Indians and colonists; several thousand Indians died, six hundred colonists died, much property damage -
Charter suspended
King James II suspended charter, ordered Rhode Island to submit to Dominion of New England -
Government resumed
William of Orange became King; Rhode Island resumed government under 1663 charter -
The Bill of Rights
In 1790 Rhode Island became the last state to ratify it. -
Refused participation in War
Rhode Island refused participation in the War of 1812 -
Women strike
Women weavers from Pawtucket struck -
Constitutional reform
Dorr Rebellion led to constitutional reform -
State constitution adopted
Rhode Island adopted the constitution -
First train
Rhode island first train ran played very important part in civil war -
Rhode Island fought in Civil War
25,236 Rhode Islanders fought in the Civil War; 1685 died -
Segregation
Put an end to racial segregation -
New telephone
President Rutherford Hayes tested new telephone, call from Rocky Point to Providence, distance 8 miles -
War college
Naval War College opened in Rhode Island -
Newport mansion
The Breakers, Cornelius Vanderbilt's Newport mansion, completed -
Democrats take over
Rhode Island was generally controlled by Republicans until the 1930s, when the Democrats' insistence on reapportionment of helped bring their party into power. -
300 Years
Rhode Island celebrated 300 year anniversary -
"Bloodless Revolution"
The "Bloodless Revolution" - Democrats replaced Republican dominance in House and Senate -
Bridge was built
In Rhode Island the Jamestown Bridge was completed. It connected North Kingstown and Jamestown. It was demolished in 2006 and replaced by the Jamestown-Verrazano Bridge. -
Hurricane struck
Hurricane Carol struck, 19 killed, 3,800 homes lost, over $90,000,000 in damages -
Blizzard
Blizzard of 78 worst snowstorm in history, 21 lives lost -
Sewage treatment
Voters approve an $87 million bond issue to improve municipal sewage treatment plant -
Tanker spilled
World Prodigy, 500-foot tanker, spilled millions gallons of fuel near Newport -
Tug towing fire
Tug towing barge caught fire, millions of gallons of fuel oil spilled near South Kingstown -
Flooding
Rainstorms caused flooding, forced thousands from homes, property damage over $200 million
