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From Saints to Bootleggers:  The Struggle for Temperance and Prohibition in Kent County, 1805-1937 Part I:  The Struggle for Temperance, 1805-1889
10 years ago

From Saints to Bootleggers: The Struggle for Temperance and Prohibition in Kent County, 1805-1937 Part I: The Struggle for Temperance, 1805-1889

Early ministers in Rhode Island, traveling from place to place to preach, often spoke out against various vices. For example, in his 1754 journal, the Reverend Jacob Bailey of Massachusetts …
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Providence’s Merchants Influence the State to Ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1790
10 years ago

Providence’s Merchants Influence the State to Ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1790

There is perhaps no better known expression from the American Revolutionary period than “no taxation without representation.” In July 1768, Silas Downer, a member of the Providence Sons of Liberty, …
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Arnold Buffum and Elizabeth Buffum Chace
10 years ago

Arnold Buffum and Elizabeth Buffum Chace

Arnold Buffum, one of Rhode Island’s leading abolitionists, was the second son among the eight children of William Buffum and Lydia Arnold.  He was born on December 13, 1782 …
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Top Ten Turning Points in Rhode Island’s History
10 years ago

Top Ten Turning Points in Rhode Island’s History

The following are my top ten turning points in the history of Rhode Island.  You may differ with some of my choices, but that is part of the fun.


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The Tragic 1925 Sinking of the Submarine USS S-51
10 years ago

The Tragic 1925 Sinking of the Submarine USS S-51

Submarines carry a unique danger and mystique to their volunteer crews. In the early days of submarine technology, if a sub ran into trouble, it usually meant a one-way trip …
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The Providence Macaroni Riots of 1914
10 years ago

The Providence Macaroni Riots of 1914

In 1914 the city of Providence was convulsed with riots. Starting in late August and lasting into September the streets of the city’s Federal Hill section came alive with violence …
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The People’s Martyr
10 years ago

The People’s Martyr

The People’s Martyr, by Erik J. Chaput (Lawrence, Kansas:  University Press of Kansas, 2013)

“The Rhode Island Question,” otherwise known as the Dorr Rebellion of 1842, is one of the …
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Father of “12 Years a Slave” Protagonist Hailed from North Kingstown
10 years ago

Father of “12 Years a Slave” Protagonist Hailed from North Kingstown

Rhode Island has many claims to fame.  It is unusual, however, to discover a new one.  With “12 Years a Slave” winning the 2013 Academy Award for best picture, its …
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