{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Story of Rhode Island","title":"BONUS: Why the Founding Fathers Feared Rhode Island","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":893,"description":"The Founding Fathers preached government by the people. Rhode Island practiced it. And it terrified them.In the 1780s, a period known as the Critical Period, James Madison and America's founders watched in horror as democratic ideals spread further than they ever intended. At the center of their fears was one radical little state: Rhode Island.By the time of the American Revolution, Rhode Island was the most democratic society on earth. Upwards of 75% of adult white males could vote — a higher rate of suffrage than anywhere else in the world. Every government official, from the governor to local town officers, was directly elected by the people. And when those people needed capital, their legislature printed money — a policy Madison called wicked, John Adams said would \"ruin us,\" and George Washington condemned outright.But here's what the founders missed. Rhode Island's so-called dangerous democracy actually worked. It paid off its entire Revolutionary War debt by 1789. It prevented the kind of debt-fueled uprisings that tore through other states. And its access to capital helped lay the foundation for one of the most industrialized economies in 19th century America.This is the story of why America's founders feared Rhode Island — and why history proved them wrong.To learn more about the history of Rhode Island visit www.storyofrhodeisland.com*For an ideal viewing experience, I recommend watching this episode on The Story of Rhode Island YouTube channel.","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/85DMYcV0zRiCwpJl-JPyKiVZSkGT7uyRB-jYkPMvGS4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hMmQx/YWQyODM4NTQxZGI1/MzZiNmEzOWRlYzJm/MjhmNC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}