Providence

Providence was founded by Roger Williams in 1636. Williams chose the site for the city, after he was exiled from Massachusetts. He secured title to the land from Narragansett chiefs and named the settlement in gratitude for 'God's merciful providence'. The settlement grew as a refuge for religious dissenters. During King Philip's war in 1675 and 1676 many of the town's original buildings were burned.

Prosperity came with foreign commerce in the 18th century. After the American Revolution, industrial development was rapid. The brothers John, Nicholas and Moses Brown, played a leading role in Providence's development as they prospered in foreign trade and fostered the textile and other industries.

In 1842, Thomas W. Dorr led a rebellion, but it collapsed after an abortive assault on the armory there. Providence, together with Newport, had been the joint capital of Rhode Island until 1900. In that year it was decided that Providence became the state's sole capital. The following year, the state legislature began to meet in the impressive marble-domed capitol, which was designed by McKim, Mead and White.

Nowadays, Providence is the largest city in the state and one of the three largest in New England. It is a port of entry to the United States and a major trading center. Providence sits at the head of Providence Bay. The bay receives the Seekonk and other rivers and opens into Narragansett Bay. The city has an excellent natural harbor from which oil and coal are shipped. The city is also widely known as a silverware- and jewelry-manufacturing center. Other products that are produced in Providence include textiles, machinery, metal products, electronic equipment, rubber goods and machine tools. There are numerous printing and publishing enterprises in town.

Providence is the seat of the noted Rhode Island School of Design, some of whose work is related to the city's famous silverware and jewelry industry. Brown University, Johnson and Wales College, Providence College, Rhode Island College and the New England Institute of Technology are also there. The city has several noted libraries, including the John Carter Brown Library of Brown University and the Atheneum, which dates from 1753, making it one of the oldest libraries in the United States.

There are many historic structures in the city. The old statehouse, where the general assembly met 1762 from until 1900 is now a courthouse. The old market building was built in 1773 and Stephen Hopkins House dates from around 1755. Other interesting sights are John Brown House, from 1786 and the First Baptist Meetinghouse, which dates from 1775. The congregation was already organized in 1638.

In 1928, a monument to American naval officer Oliver Hazard Perry was erected. A monument for American Revolutionary general Nathanael Greene dates from 1931. On Prospect Terrace is Leo Friedlander's heroic statue of Roger Williams. That statue was made in 1939. Another memorial to the founder can be found in Roger Williams Park, where a museum of natural history and a natural amphitheater are also located. Providence suffered severely in hurricanes in 1938 and 1954. In 1966, a hurricane barrier was completed.

There are many hotels and restaurants in town. Providence is a port city in the northeast of Rhode Island, 560 km northeast from Washington D.C.