Info about Providence
Providence: The City of Dissenters
Providence is well known today as the capital of Rhode Island and the most populous city in the state. With rich cultural heritage and long history this is truly a place worth visiting. However it was not always just another city in the United States. When it was formed nearly four centuries ago it was considered the city for dissenters – people who did not believe in what the Church preached and was against the British rule.
Providence was officially created in 1636 by Roger William. Roger was well known to the native people and they considered him to be a friend of theirs. In fact the name of the city was secured by Roger after the assent of the natives. The original name of the settlement there was called Providence Plantations.
Roger William was himself a breakaway radical who was out casted from Massachusetts because he questioned the need for church interfering with the state matters. He was strong proponent of having a state independent of church, which was not welcome at that time in the British colony. Hence Roger William moved to modern day Providence. He chose this name because he felt God had sent him here to create this new settlement.
Pretty soon anyone who opposed the church found refuge in Providence and it became popular as the city of dissenters. The first settlements here practiced agriculture and it was an agrarian city. But after the wharfs were built here it became a booming trade center. There were trade routes set to Europe, Africa and the West Indies. Pretty soon there was plenty of trade and wealth pouring into Providence and it started flourishing.
True to its tag of city of dissenters, the Independence of Rhode Island was signed in Providence a couple of days before the Independence of US. During the war that ensued, Providence was well protected from the British onslaught by a series of forts built along the Providence River.
A great place to witness the history of Rhode Island is the Roger William National Memorial at Providence. This park has special Native American Garden where plants grown by the Narragansett and Wampanoag are exhibited. These were mainly squash, beans and corn, which we cultivated by the natives for centuries before the arrival of the colonists.
The other garden in this area is the Colonial kitchen garden. This garden mimics the gardens built by early settlers from Britain. It was a mix of herbs and spices that were used for medicinal and garnishing purposes. This New England garden is well captured in this place.
Of course Rhode Island and Providence were not only about Roger William. There were many other great men who have graced this city through the centuries and this memorial captures a bit of every one. There are other similar exhibits, demonstrations and artefacts in this memorial that walk you from the pre-colonial era to the independence. Truly Providence was a city of dissenters and there is a rich culture in the city that ensures that the transformation captured for future generations to see and appreciate.