When is rhode island independence day

In Rhode Island, the day marks a special anniversary, the day the then-colony was the first to declare independence from the British king in Rhode Island's Act of Renunciation was approved nearly unanimously, the New England Historical Society said , making the colony "the first independent sovereign state in the western world.

The original Act of Renunciation is part of the state's archives, currently closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic. Residents can currently see the document online. Of State Nellie Gorbea said she hoped to welcome the public into the new archives building on Broad Street in Providence soon, allowing residents access to the Act of Renunciation and other key documents in the state's history.

Two months after Rhode Island declared independence, the Declaration of Independence was signed, kicking off the fight for American independence. Throughout the war and the fight for independence, Rhode Island played a pivotal role. Led by John Brown and Abraham Whipple, the act of defiance and the aftermath fueled the revolutionary flames in the colonies, and became a defining moment of the state's history that is still celebrated at the annual Gaspee Days festival. Britain wanted that stopped.

Many Rhode Island merchants engaged in the triangle trade. They sold rum to Africa in exchange for slaves. Then they sold slaves to West Indian sugar plantations in exchange for molasses, an ingredient in rum.

Parliament passed the Sugar Act of , raising the tariff on molasses. John that year. Abraham Whipple and John Brown led the Sons of Liberty in attacking, looting, boarding and burning the vessel. A Royal Commission of Inquiry charged the men with treason, and the prospect of Americans going to England for trial sent an alarm through the colonies.

Ultimately the Commission dropped the matter. Two full months before the Continental Congress in Philadelphia declared independence from Great Britain, the General Assembly of Rhode Island passed and printed an act renouncing our allegiance to the King of England. G Broadsides No. The original manuscript of the act is held by the Rhode Island State Archives. View all posts by Editor Account. Your email address will not be published.

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