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The history of Rhode Island is truly remarkable. The Story of Rhode Island is my humble attempt to tell you some of the stories about the people, places, and events that have made Rhode Island the state it is today.
To learn more about the show visit the Story of Rhode Island Podcast website at https://www.storyofrhodeisland.com/
Hello and welcome to the Story of Rhode Island. The podcast that tells you the story of Rhode Island’s fascinating history. In last week’s episode we watched the British monarchy revoke Rhode Island’s charter, remove its status as its own colony, and make it a mere province in the Dominion of New England. Luckily for the colonists living around Narragansett Bay, the Dominion eventually collapsed and their radical little colony managed to survive. But as we jump into episode 2 we revisit the city of Newport on a September day in 1699 and see that Rhode Island still has some hurdles to overcome. Sitting within Newport is a small wooden courthouse. Inside of that courthouse is Rhode Island’s Governor, Samuel Cranston. And lodged deep in the interior of his mind is a thought that’s been plaguing him for months; “Is there any way out of this mess or will this be the final straw for our colony”? Although Rhode Island has managed to put itself back together after the Dominion of New England came to an end, it’s still by no means your ideal colony. Running the towns is a highly disorganized and completely ineffective government, land disputes prevent its highly fertile interior lands from being developed, and its coastal towns are known to be far too welcoming to pirates, the final point being something we’ll cover later on via a bonus episode. These issues have not only hindered Rhode Island’s growth and tainted the colony’s reputation but now might lead to their charter being revoked. And the man who hopes to make this happen is sitting directly across from Governor Cranston. His name is Richard Coote, the 1st Earl of Bellamont or as he’s more commonly known Lord Bellamont. Lord Bellamont is an Irish nobleman whose recently been appointed to be the royal Governor of New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. After receiving numerous complaints about Rhode Island’s dysfunctional ways from the Board of Trade, Lord Bellomont has decided that it’s time to crack down on the radical little colony around Narragansett Bay. Governor Cranston knows that his colony is in an extremely difficult position but thankfully, Cranston is an exceptionally driven individual. He not only plans on overcoming the current issue with Lord Bellamont but fully intends to completely transform their colony. And Governor Cranstol will do just that. By the end of his multi decade long reign, Rhode Island will not only be given the foundation to survive but enable it to become a key centers of trade in the international market economy. The story of Governor Samuel Cranstom once again defending Rhode Island’s charter and enabling it to come of age is what we’ll cover in this week's episode of the Story of Rhode Island Podcast.
Intro Music
Samuel Cranston is not a man unfamiliar with difficult situations. While only in his mid twenties, Cranston’s ship was attacked by pirates while sailing along the coast of Key West, Florida. Although most people would’ve immediately surrendered, Cranston and his crew chose to defend their ship. By the time the battle was over, Cranston was the only man left standing and eventually taken into captivity by the pirates. Several years later, Cranston managed to escape and make his way back to Rhode Island where he eventually began his career in politics in 1696. After such a horrific event, Cranston never believed anything would ever scare him again but that’s proven to be untrue. He’s quickly finding out just how much pressure comes with being responsible for protecting the rights and liberties that are so cherished by the Rhode Islanders. Great men like Roger Williams and John Clarke made enormous sacrifices to ensure the people living around Narragansett Bay had a charter that protected their radical liberties like complete religious freedom and a democratic form of government. And now, the very document that safeguards those rights is about to be revoked. As Samuel Cranston sits in the Newport courthouse September day of 1699, he finds himself thinking of these great men. He wonders what they would say to him if he failed to protect Rhode Island’s charter. But those thoughts are immediately erased from his mind when he hears Lord Bellomont address him with a raised voice, “Governor Cranston, how do you respond to these charges?”. As the Governor redirects his train of thought back towards Bellomont he thinks about the charges that have just been laid out against Rhode Island. They range from having a highly disorganized government that has encouraged illegal traffic and trade in their colony, acting as a safe haven to pirates, and a host of other charges that paint Rhode Island as a disloyal colony. Due to the long list of charges, Cranston knows that it’d be fair for him to ask where to start but decides that it wouldn’t do much to help his case. So instead, he humbly admits that he agrees changes need to be made and promises that their government will begin making improvements immediately. “In fact” states Cranston “we are already working on putting together a complete list of our colony’s laws and policies and should have these sent to you by the end of the year”. For the next few hours, Cranston and Bellomont go back and forth but eventually it becomes clear that they’ve accomplished all they can for the day so the meeting comes to an end. Lord Bellomont goes back to the home he is temporarily taking up residence at, has a nice dinner, and then gets a long night's rest. However, the same cannot be said for Governor Cranston. Like all great individuals who choose to bear the burden that most anxiously avoid, Cranston does not have the luxury of rest. Instead, he must work. He must find a way to prevent Rhode Island’s charter from being revoked so that he can transform it into the Colony he knows it can be. And that’s exactly what Cranston does, he works, and he doesn’t stop working for the next 28 years. It starts when he finds out that Lord Bellomont’s told the monarchy that Rhode Island is the most poorly run colony he’s ever seen. As promised, Cranston works with his administration to put together a more complete set of laws and policies and has them sent over to Bellomont. When Bellomont responds by noting the deficiencies in the list of laws, he reacts by making an even more complete list. Eventually, Cranston realizes that he must have a more immediate line of communication with the monarchy, and begins writing directly to the King, imploring him that they are making the necessary changes to keep their charter. He helps to improve the colony’s image by abolishing their self created admiralty court that’s allowed pirates to bring illegal plunder into their colony. Then, in 1701, Cranston catches the biggest break of his career when Lord Bellomont unexpectedly dies from a severe case of Gout, completely eliminating the man who posed such a threat to Rhode Island’s sacred charter. However, instead of taking a minute to enjoy this sense of security, he continues pushing forward, ensuring everything is done to help Rhode Island reach its true potential. Over the next couple of decades, he shifts his focus towards resolving issues that have plagued the colony since its founding. He starts by improving the effectiveness of their government and finally giving it the ability to collect taxes. Then, he decides it’s time to turn Rhode Island into one of the largest trade hubs in the New World. He starts by setting up a paper money system that gives their Colony that’s constantly low on hard money a continuous medium of exchange. Shortly after that he enables their colony to finally begin cultivating goods in Narragansett Country, an area that makes up all of present day Washington County and the southern half of Kent County. He does so by resolving a series of land disputes that have prevented people from moving into the region for decades while also pushing the Narragansett people deeper into the edges of present day Charlestown, demonstrating yet another unfortunate event inflicted on a group of people who inhabited the region long before us. As each year passes, more and more people move to Narragansett Country and a thriving economy is developed. For a while, it seems as though nothing can stop Cranstol but then in 1727, his reign as Governor comes to an end when he becomes ill and passes away. By the time he dies he’s not only served 29 consecutive terms as Governor but has enabled Rhode Island to reach its true potential. Their radical little society now has a properly functioning government, a thriving agricultural economy in present day South County, and coastal towns fueled by seaborne trade. As the mid 18th century approaches, Rhode Island, like the other 12 colonies throughout North America, finds itself in the middle of an economic and population boon. The joint population of the 13 colonies jumps from just over 250 thousand at the start of the century to over 1.5 million by 1760. Rhode Island incorporates new towns like Smithfield, West Greenwich, Middletown and many more into their colony while also expanding its borders by annexing Little Compton, Tiverton, Warren, and Bristol from Massachusetts. Leading their prosperous little colony and acting as one of the most influential trade hubs in the international economy is the city of Newport, a dream that the city’s founder, William Coddington, hoped for when he settled the town over a century earlier. Unfortunately, these achievements have not benefited everyone. In fact, its come at a severe cost to many. As we visit Newport a couple of decades after Cranston’s death we see that the colony’s most prosperous city is also heavily invested in the most horrific form of trade the world has ever seen.
It’s a warm summer day in 1758 and throughout Newport Harbor can be heard the various types of conversations that come with a bustling economy. Customers barter for better prices with the city’s various vendors while merchants shout out orders to their crew. Amidst this commotion, a large ship known as the Sh. Othello makes its way into the harbor. While smoothly navigating the busy marina, the ship’s captain, Francis M-al-bone, pulls the ship up against a wharf that was built by John Bannister back in 1742, giving it the name we still know it by today. When the ship finally finds a place to dock, large amounts of sugar and molasses are carried onto the wharf. Captain Malbone, tired from his long journey at sea, tells his men to hurry up as they unload what seems to be an endless array of barrels. A quick recap of the Captain's voyage helps one to understand why he is so anxious to get home. It started almost a year ago when Malbone departed from Bannister’s wharf with hundreds of wooden casks filled with Rhode Island’s famous rum. After traveling southeast across the Atlantic for a few thousand miles, he arrived at the Gold Coast in West Africa where the rum was then traded for African captives. Then, the ship embarked on the most dangerous part of its journey when it headed west across the Atlantic Ocean via a route known as the Middle Passage. It took the ship 8 weeks to make it to the Caribbean and by the time it did, numerous enslaved people and crew members died from the lack of fresh water and ventilation. While in the Caribbean, the enslaved people were sold off to the plantations where sugar and molasses was then purchased. Finally, the ship completed the last leg of its journey by making its way back North to Newport. And now, the sugar and molasses that is being carried off of the ship will be used by Rhode Island’s 33 distilleries to produce the rum that will once again be exchanged for human lives in West Africa. The triangular route taken by Captain Malbone has aptly become known as The Triangle Trade and it has helped to make Rhode Island extremely wealthy. Since 1730, Rhode Island has led the American colonies in the trading of slaves and Newport is widely known as the most prominent slave trading port in North America. Malbone himself has profited significantly from this venture and in a couple of years he will build a beautiful house on Thames street that still stands there today. As barrel after barrel of molasses is carried off of the ship Malbone takes a moment to admire the fortune they are bound to bring him. But when he hears the loud voice of one of the men who financed the journey and the city's most prolific slave trader call out to him, the Captain finds himself flustered. “How many men did we lose at sea this time?” asks a man by the name of William Vernon. Malbone, taking a moment to gather himself, turns to Vernon and replies “not too many sir. A few died along the way but the strongest have survived”. When the last barrel is finally placed on the ground, the men Malbone and Vernon are referring to are seen walking off of the ship. The clanks of their metal chains can be heard slamming against each other as they make their way onto the Wharf. While most of the men from West Africa were sold to the plantations in the caribbean a handful have been brought back to Rhode Island. As we follow one of these men while he makes his way onto the wharf, we see the hollow eyes that come with being forcibly removed from one's home and thrust into a world that now sees him as a commodity. In just a few hours, this man will be auctioned off to another member of his society who will prosper greatly from his labor. As he makes his way towards the auction he lifts up his tired heads and observes the city he’s been brought to. In the distance he sees a tall white church sitting on the top of a hill. Its large wooden steeple, bult back in 1726, towers over the houses below it. The building is known as the Trinity Church and the Anglican community that worships there is filled with some of the wealthiest families in Rhode Island. Even the famous philosopher, George Berkely, used to be a member of the church’s clergy. If this man in chains were to be freed from his bondage and allowed to walk the streets of Newport, he’d see the other buildings that have been built from the wealth generated by the triangle trade. He’d see numerous wharfs that give the merchants a place to load and unload their ships, the new Colony house that was completed back in 1741, and America’s first purpose built library named after the man who financed its building, Abraham Redwood. All of these buildings still stand today and allow us to truly picture what life looked like in Newport during the mid 1700s. Unfortunately, this man would also probably end up coming across other enslaved men and women as well. By having such direct access to the triangle trade, it has enabled a third of the families in Newport to own an enslaved person of their own, making them a normal part of the city’s day to day activities. As we once again follow the enslaved man into Newport, we see him enter the house where he will be auctioned off at. Shortly after arriving, he is examined by the slave owners who consider purchasing him on this fateful day. One of these individuals is a man by the name of Rowland Robinson, owner of one of the largest plantations in Narragansett country, an area we know today as South County. As Robinson eyes the men of color standing in front of him, he searches for the one he believes to be the strongest. Working on his plantation is back breaking labor and only the ablest bodies will be able to stand the long hours of work. After making his way down the line, he eventually approaches the enslaved man we followed off of the ship. Robinson studies the man’s posture and is quite impressed by his large chest and sturdy shoulders. After eyeing him up and down, Robinson knows he’s found the man he’s looking for and quickly outbids the other wealthy slave owners around him. And so now this man, who a little less than a year earlier was taken from his home in West Africa, will spend the rest of his life helping Robinson grow his family's vast fortune. As we follow Robinson and the man he just purchased into Narragansett Country, we jump forward a couple of years and see how the land that was once home to the Narragansett people has since been turned into a thriving plantation economy.
Scattered throughout present day South county are a group of wealthy plantation owners known as the Narragansett Planters. There’s the Smith family in Wickford, the Hazards and Robinsons in South Kingstown, the Potters and Gardners in Kingston, and a flurry of other families who cultivate a range of goods and livestock that are shipped out of Rhode Island. These families and their agricultural success are the embodiment of why Governor Cranston worked so hard to resolve the numerous land disputes that plagued the Narragansett Country. And there’s no doubt that the endless number of hours he invested in that endeavor has paid off as these prosperous planters have built a new world in Narragansett Country. As we reconnect with Rowland Robinson, one of the wealthiest of the Narragansett planters, we see him riding his horse across his plantation that spans over a thousand acres. Rowland can help but admire his horse's ability to smoothly maneuver around the various bumps and ditches he encounters. Its easy gait and highly durable body have made this breed one of the most desired horses in the American colonies. It’s known as the Narragansett Pacer, and the Robinson family claims to have been the ones who originally created this breed of horses many years ago. Eventually, Robinson sees the enslaved man he purchased in Newport working hard in the field. It’s been 2 years since Robinson purchased the man and he’s proven to be a magnificent investment. Everyday, he works tirelessly to help produce a range of resources that will be shipped out of Newport and sold off in the triangle trade. Over just the past couple of years he’s enabled Robinson to export over 6,000 pounds of cheese, about one hundred sheep, 72 bundles of hay, and numerous Narragansett Pacers that will be used in the plantations throughout the Caribbean. Unfortunately, the work to create all of these goods is extremely labor intensive so Robinson, like most of the other planters of South County, have become highly reliant on the labor of enslaved men and women. Rowland Robinson himself owns over 20 slaves and 17% of the entire South County population is now made up of enslaved people. But to Robinson, the decision to invest in this type of inhumane labor is nothing more than a smart business decision and one that he hopes will keep his family wealthy for generations to come. After spending some time overseeing his plantation, Robinson can tell that everything is under control so he decides to head into town and can grab a drink at one of the local taverns. While in the village that lies about 5 west of Robinson’s plantation, we’ll not only learn a little bit more about life in Narragansett country but about an idea that will help convince the colonies to ignite a revolution.
It was back in 1675 when a group of English soldiers trekked deep into Narragansett Territory and launched a deadly attack on a Narragansett fort. Today, that violent raid is known as the Great Swamp Massacre. Legend states that while making their way to the battle, the soldiers stopped and had a “little rest” on a hill a few miles outside the Narragansett’s fort. Therefore, when a village eventually emerged on that hill they decided to call it Little Rest, a name that has since changed to Kingston. Like so many legends throughout history, that story is probably a mix of fact and folklore but either way the name certainly caught on. And it’s in the town of Little Rest that Rowland Robinson finds himself on a Tuesday afternoon in 1760. More specifically, he’s making his way west down Main Street or what we know as Kingstown Road today. While making his way down the street he passes the Old North Road to his right and then the South Road to his left, two roads that are rumored to have once been trails used by the Narragansett people. Surrounding him are numerous people from Narragansett Country leisurely enjoying this fine afternoon. One of the people in the crowd is Samuel Casey, a man from little rest whose widely known as one of the finest silversmiths in all the colonies. Robinson nods his cap as Casey and then takes a moment to appreciate just how busy the village of Little Rest has become. It was only a few decades ago when Little Rest was overshadowed by the village of Tower Hill about 3 1/2 miles to the east. But that all changed when the people of South County voted to move the county courthouse and jail out of Tower Hill and into Little Rest. While this has allowed the once quaint village to turn into one of the major hubs of Narragansett Country it will lead to the demise of Tower Hill. As decades pass, more and more people will continue to move out of Tower Hill and now any remnants of the town have disappeared completely. Eventually, Rowland Robinson makes it to his destination, John Potter III’s Tavern, a building that is known today as the Kingston Inn. When Robinson opens the tavern doors he hears men discussing the most recent political battle between Samuel Ward and Stephen Hopkins. The political feud between Ward and Hopkins has been going on for the past few years and will continue lighting a fire in Rhode Island democratic institutions for several years to come. But as Robinson makes his way through the tavern it’s not the fiery political conversation he’s drawn to. Instead, he finds himself intrigued by a man sitting quietly at a table all by himself. And while the man hasn’t made a sound, the intensity at which he reads the book in his hands makes him stand out amongst the crowd. Robinson considers walking over to talk to the man but decides to grab a drink with the men discussing the Ward-Hopkins controversy instead. Robinson is greeted warmly by the men and begins sharing his thoughts on the matter. But throughout the entire conversation Robinson is repeatedly drawn back to the stranger in the corner of the Tavern. The man hasn’t even touched his drink. He’s far too enthralled in what he’s reading to put the book down for even a second. That’s because the book in his hands is a powerful collection of 138 essays known as “Cato’s Letters”, written by John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon. The authors of these letters are part of a group of Englishmen known as Commonwealth men. These English radicals are devoted advocates to the belief that Englishmen have the right to be represented in government, an idea that emerged in England during the Glorious revolution but has existed in the New England colonies since they were founded over a century earlier. However, Trenchard and Gordon have also been telling the people that unless this inalienable right is protected then it will eventually be destroyed by those in power. While this extreme cry for caution have fallen on deaf ears within the British government, the liberty loving American colonists find it tremendously captivating. And in just a few years, when the British empire begins enforcing a set of taxes into the colonists that violate their right of political representation, the ideas shared in Cato’s Letters will begin to look like a premonition coming true. With their profits under attack, the Rhode Island colonists will launch a series of protests illustrating to their mother country that they are no longer just a defenseless little colony that will lay back and let their rights be trampled on. Riots will break out in Newport that hang tax collectors in effigy, citizens will attack and burn British patrol ships in Narragansett Bay, and before long it will look as though the colonists are heading towards a full blown rebellion. But that’s a story for next time, on next week's episode of the Story of Rhode Island Podcast.