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PROVIDENCE

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Originally appearing in Volume V22, Page 513 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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PROVIDENCE  , the second largest See also:

city of New See also: England, See also: capital of Rhode See also: Island, U.S.A., the See also: county-seat of Providence county, and a See also: port of entry, situated at the See also: head of Providence See also: river (the N. See also: arm of See also: Narragansett See also: Bay) and at the influx of the Seekonk (or See also: Blackstone), Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket See also: rivers, about 35 M. from the See also: Atlantic ocean, 45 M. by See also: rail S.S.W. of See also: Boston, and 188 m . E.N.E. of New See also: York . Pop . (189o), 132,146; (19o0), 175,597; (19o5, See also: state See also: census), 198,635, of whom 65,746 were See also: foreign-See also: born, including 17,155 Irish, 12,114 Italians, 9795 See also: English, 4221 English Canadians, 4005 See also: French Canadians, 3685 Russians, 3347 Swedes, 2211 Germans, 2173 Portuguese (including some Bravas from the Cape Verde Islands), and 1930 Scotsmen . The figure for 1910 was 224,326 . Providence is served by the New York, New Haven & See also: Hartford railway and by See also: steam-See also: boat lines to See also: Newport, New York, See also: Philadelphia, See also: Baltimore and See also: Norfolk . It extends over an See also: area of more than 18 sq. m., and is irregularly laid out . The Seekonk and Providence rivers See also: mark the eastern boundary, the Providence and Moshassuck rivers See also: divide the See also: middle and See also: northern portion of the city into the See also: east and See also: west sides, and the Woonasquatucket river divides the west• See also: side into the northern and See also: southern parts . The west side is a level or gently See also: rolling See also: plain only a few feet above the See also: sea, but on the eastern side are a See also: plateau and hills rising to a maxi-mum height of about 200 ft . The larger and newer portion of the business See also: district is along the western See also: bank of the Providence, and some of the best business houses are on made See also: land . The See also: part of the city which has most historic See also: interest is on the east side, where are the most attractive residences . Most of the manufactories are along the See also: banks of the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck .

The names of streets—See also:

Pound, See also: Sovereign, See also: Shilling, See also: Dollar, Doubloon, Benevolent, Benefit, See also: Hope, Friend-See also: ship, See also: Peace, &c., reflect the See also: early commercial importance of the city and its strong Quaker See also: element . The See also: principal See also: building is the large State See also: House, completed in 1902, of See also: Georgia See also: marble and See also: white See also: granite, surmounted by a central See also: dome of marble, 235 ft. high, and See also: standing on a rise of ground (Capitol See also: Hill) about z m. See also: north by west of the steamboat landing at the head of Providence river; in the state chamber is a full length portrait of See also: George See also: Washington by See also: Gilbert See also: Stuart . The old State House on Benefit See also: Street, on the east side, is now used as the 6th district (Providence and North Providence) See also: court-house . Near the centre of the city (in See also: Exchange See also: Place) is the city-See also: hall (1878), a handsome structure of granite; on its See also: facade is a medallion of See also: Roger See also: Williams . Across Exchange Place from the city-hall is the Federal Building (1908), which houses the See also: post-See also: office, See also: custom-house, U.S. courts, &c . The county court-house (1877) is the only other prominent See also: government building . The See also: Arcade (1828), 225 ft. See also: long, with six massive Ionic columns at each entrance, the See also: Butler Exchange, and a few other See also: fine buildings fronting on See also: Westminster Street are among the more prominent business buildings . In See also: Cranston Street, between See also: Waterloo and See also: Dexter, is an Armory, with the largest hall in New England . A handsome public library building, opened in 1900, lying between See also: Fountain, See also: Greene and Washington Streets, houses a See also: good collection of 140,000 vols . (in 1909); other See also: libraries are the State Library (30,000 volumes), the State See also: Law Library (50,000 volumes) in the Providence county court-house, the Providence See also: Athenaeum (the Providence Library, established in 1753, See also: united in 1836 with the Providence Athenaeum, established in 1831; in 1909 it had 73,000 volumes), the library of the Rhode Island See also: Historical Society (established 1822; with 30,000 volumes and 5o,000 See also: pamphlets in 1909), and the libraries of See also: Brown University . The See also: meeting-house of the First Baptist See also: Church, founded by Roger Williams, the See also: oldest organization of this See also: sect in the United States, was built in 1775 and was designed to resemble St See also: Martin's-in-the-See also: Fields, See also: London . Its See also: bell still rings the See also: curfew at nine o'See also: clock every evening; and the commencements of Brown University are held here .

The See also:

Friends' meeting-house, another interesting old building, was erected in 1759 . The Beneficent Church (Congregational, 18o9–181o) is in the Colonial See also: style, with a rounded dome . The Church of the Blessed See also: Sacrament (See also: Roman See also: Catholic), in See also: Academy Street, was designed by See also: John La Farge . The Roman Catholic See also: Cathedral of SS . See also: Peter and See also: Paul (1878) is of brown See also: stone and has excellent interior decorations . Providence is the see of a See also: Protestant Episcopal See also: bishop . In Cathedral Square is a statue (1889) by See also: Henry See also: Hudson Kitson of See also: Thomas A . See also: Doyle, See also: mayor of the city (1864–1869, 1870-1881, and from 1884 until his See also: death in 1886) . There is an equestrian statue (1887) by Launt See also: Thompson of See also: General A . E . See also: Burnside in City Hall See also: Park . In front of the post-office are two allegorical See also: groups (" Providence " and " the United States ") by J .

See also:

Massey Rhind . In See also: Columbus Park is a replica of Bartholdi's " Columbus," which was See also: cast in See also: silver by Providence See also: metal workers for the Columbian Exposition in See also: Chicago . Other statues are Hippolyte See also: Hubert's Ebenezer See also: Knight Dexter (erected 1894), George Thomas See also: Brewster's See also: bronze " See also: Genius of Religious See also: Liberty " on the dome of the State House, See also: Franklin See also: Simmons's Roger Williams (1877) in Roger Williams Park, a Hellenic bronze "Pancratiast" (1900, presented to the city by Paul Bajnotti of See also: Turin) also in Roger Williams Park, and a Hellenistic statue of See also: Augustus on the campus of Brown University . Two fountains also are See also: worth mention: the Bajnotti Memorial Fountain in City Hall Park, a memorial to the wife of Paul Bajnotti, representing " The Struggle of See also: Life " and designed by Enid Yandell; and the See also: Elisha See also: Dyer Memorial Fountain, a bronze See also: athlete, by H . H . Kitson . There are See also: art collections in Brown University and in the Annmary Brown Memorial (given to the city as a memorial to his wife, a daughter of See also: Nicholas Brown, by See also: Rush C . See also: Hawkins, b . 1831) . Among interesting old houses of the 18th See also: century are the See also: Admiral See also: Hopkins House, in Hopkins Park, the See also: Stephen Hopkins House (1742; 9 Hopkins St.), the John See also: Carter Brown House (1791; 357 Benefit St.), and the John Brown House (1786; 52 See also: Power St.) . There are many colonial houses, red See also: brick with marble trimmings, set well back from the street, with an occasional walled See also: garden . There are many musical See also: societies in Providence, including the See also: Chopin See also: Club (1879), the See also: Arion Club (188o), the Einklang Singing Society (189o; See also: German), the Verdandi See also: Swedish Singing Society (1894), and the Providence Musical Association (1904) .

Other clubs are the Brown See also:

Union, University Club, a See also: cricket and a See also: polo club, See also: golf clubs, yacht clubs and See also: canoe clubs, the Handicraft Club, the Providence Art Club, the Hope Club and the Deutsche Gesellschaft . Under the municipal park commissioners there are 33 public parks with a See also: total area of 644'38 acres, and the city supports' summer playgrounds; the state See also: board of See also: metropolitan park commissioners controls a large park See also: system in the metropolitan park district, and a system of boulevards, connecting the several parks and other public reservations; there are nine metropolitan reservations, containing 677 acres, the largest being See also: Lincoln See also: Woods, of 46o acres, 4 M. north of the State House . Other metropolitan reservations are: Woonasquatucket See also: Reservation (53 acres; 21 M. west of the State House); Edgewood See also: Beach (21 M. See also: south of the State House) ; and the Ten Mile River Reservation (See also: loo acres; 44 M. north-east of the State House) on both sides of Ten Mile River . The finest municipal reservation is Roger Williams Park (432 acres, of which 140 are See also: water), with g M. of the best collections in the See also: world of material on early See also: American See also: history (especially of books printed before 1800), which, with an endowment of $500,000, was presented to the university in 1901 in accordance with the will of John Nicholas Brown, the son of John Carter Brown (1797–1874) a prominent Providence See also: merchant, who began the collection . In 1909 the university had an endowment fund of $3,416,744, 90 instructors and 993 students, of whom 88 were graduates; of the undergraduates 179 were enrolled in the See also: Women's See also: College . The See also: charter of the institution requires that it shall be governed by a board of See also: thirty-six trustees, of whom twenty-two shall be See also: Baptists, five Friends, four Congregationalists, and five Episcopalians, and by twelve See also: fellows (including the See also: president) of whom eight (including the president) shall be Baptists, " and the See also: rest indifferently of any or all denominations." At the See also: time it was framed the charter was considered extraordinarily liberal . Only two See also: pro-visions are included regarding the See also: character of instruction to be offered: first that " the public teaching shall in general respect the sciences," and second, that " into this liberal and catholic institution shall never be admitted any religious tests, but on the contrary all the members hereof shall forever enjoy full, See also: free, See also: absolute and uninterrupted liberty of See also: conscience." The government has always been largely non-sectarian in spirit, and a See also: movement was on See also: foot in 1910 to abolish the denominational requirements for trustees and fellows . drives and boulevards, in the southern part of the city, 21 M. from the State House . It was a part of the See also: original See also: tract ceded to Roger Williams by See also: Miantonomo; 107 acres were a See also: farm which Betsy Williams (d . 1871), a lineal descendant of Roger Williams, See also: left to the city by will . In the park are a See also: chain of lakes with a See also: shore front of 71 m., a boat-house, a See also: casino, a speedway and athletic grounds, a municipal natural history museum, and the Betsy Williams Cottage (1775) . Other municipal parks are: Neutaconkanut (401 acres; 21M. west of the State House) on high land commanding a view to the east and south; See also: Davis Park (38; acres) with amusement grounds; Blackstone Park (43 acres, 11 m. east of the State House) along the Seekonk river; Hopkins Park (4 m. north of the State House), comprising the See also: estate of Esek Hopkins (1718–1802), See also: commander of the American See also: Navy in the See also: War of See also: Independence, with a historical museum in the Admiral Hopkins House; and City Hall Park .

Blackstone See also:

Boulevard is I4 m. long; and Pleasant Valley Parkway is 11 m. long . Enclosed by a railing near the eastern end of Power Street, on the bank of the Seekonk, is What Cheer See also: Slate' See also: Rock, according to tradition the first landing place of Roger Williams . In the North See also: Burial Ground are the remains of Stephen Hopkins (1707-1785), a See also: citizen of Providence, a delegate to the See also: Albany See also: convention of 1754, a colonial See also: governor of Rhode Island (1755–1757, 1758-1762, 1763–1765, and 1767–1768), a member of the See also: Continental See also: Congress in 1774–1780 and a signer of the See also: Declaration of Independence; of See also: William See also: Barton (1748–1831), who in the War of Independence captured General See also: Richard See also: Prescott near Newport on the loth of See also: July 1777; of See also: Francis See also: Wayland; and of Nicholas Brown, who was a See also: patron of Brown University and one of the founders of the Providence Athenaeum and of the Butler See also: Hospital for the Insane . On the steep slope of College Hill (or Prospect Hill) in the east side near the business district, is Brown University (1764)—one of the eight colleges in the United States founded before 1776—closely connected with the history of Providence, Rhode Island, and the Baptist Church in See also: America . It has an undergraduate See also: department for men, with courses, largely elective, leading to the degrees of A.B. and Ph.B., and courses, almost wholly pre-scribed, in See also: civil, See also: mechanical and See also: electrical See also: engineering . It includes, besides " The Women's College in Brown University," a See also: separate college for women, and a See also: graduate department open to both men and women . The campus is shaded by some fine old elms and is surrounded by an See also: iron fence with beautiful memorial See also: gates . In 1910 there were twenty-two buildings, including the following: University Hall (erected in 1770 and used during the War of Independence as See also: barracks and hospital by American and French soldiers); Sayles Memorial Hall (,88,), containing the See also: chapel, lecture halls and See also: seminary rooms; three library buildings, the John See also: Hay Library (which occupies the site of the old President's House), the old University Library (1878) and the John Carter Brown Library (1904); the See also: Ladd Astronomical See also: Observatory, with a 12-in. See also: equatorial and much other valuable equipment; Rhode Island Hall (184o), containing a biological laboratory and a natural history museum; See also: Manning Hall (1834), containing an art museum; See also: Wilson Hall (1891), containing a See also: physical and a psychological laboratory; See also: Rogers Hall (1862), a chemical laboratory; an engineering building (1903); the Lyman gymnasium (1891) and Colgate Hoyt See also: swimming See also: pool (1904); an See also: administration building (1902); the Sayles gymnasium (1906) for women; See also: Rockefeller Hall (1903), occupied by the Brown Union, a students' organization and the See also: Young Men's See also: Christian Association; the See also: residence halls: University Hall (1770, remodelled 1883), Hope College (1822 and 1891), See also: Slater Hall (1879), Maxcy Hall (1895), and Caswell Hall (19o3); and the Carrie (clock) See also: Tower, erected in 1904 by Paul Bajnotti, of Turin, See also: Italy. as a memorial to his wife, Carrie Mathilde Brown, of Providence . Besides the general library, containing (1909) about 164,000 volumes, the university owns the separately housed John Carter Brown Library of 20,000 volumes, one of ' So called because Roger Williams was greeted here by See also: Indians, who said ",What cheer, Netop ?" (" Netop " meaning friend) . Brown University, the first institution for higher See also: education established by American Baptists, was incorporated in 1764, and although still under its original charter was known for the first See also: forty years as Rhode Island College . The Latin or preparatory school was opened at See also: Warren in 1764 and the college was started there in 1766, but in 1770 the institution was removed to Provi, dente . Although its See also: work was interrupted by the War of Inde. pendence, the institution was reopened in 1782 and ten years later it began to receive aid from Nicholas Brown (1769-1841), a wealthy merchant who graduated from the Rhode Island College in 1786; it was named in his See also: honour in 1804, and up to the time of his death his gifts amounted to about $160,000 .

Dr Francis Wayland, the most eminent of its presidents, began his administration in 1827 and in twenty-eight years of service as its head he established the elective system and greatly raised the See also:

standard of scholarship . Brown actually became a university under Elisha See also: Benjamin See also: Andrews, who was president in 1889-1898, who See also: developed the graduate school and undergraduate instruction in history and social and See also: political See also: science, and who was succeeded in 1899 by William See also: Herbert See also: Perry Faunce (b . 1839), who graduated at Brown in 1880 . In 1900 and 1901 more than $2,000,000 was added to the endowment of the university . The Women's College was founded in 1891, and in 1897 it was accepted by the See also: corporation as a department of the university . Among distinguished alumni of Brown are Henry See also: Wheaton (1785–1848), John Hay, Richard See also: Olney, See also: James Burrill See also: Angell (b . 1829) Adoniram See also: Judson, William Learned See also: Marcy, Wilbur See also: Fisk, See also: Horace See also: Mann, See also: Samuel Gridley See also: Howe, Barnas Sears, See also: Edwards Amasa Park, Samuel See also: Sullivan See also: Cox, George Park See also: Fisher, George See also: Dana See also: Boardman, See also: Alexander Lyman Holley, and See also: Albert See also: Harkness . In Providence are the Rhode Island Normal School (in the north part of the city, in Gaspee St.; established in 1854; discom tinned in 1857; re-established in 1871), which has a fine building (1898), the Rhode Island See also: Institute for the See also: Deaf (1876), and the Rhode Island School of See also: Design (1877; partially supported by the state, since 1882, and by the city), affiliated with Brown University . The following secondary See also: schools are in the city: four high schools, one of which is technical, La Salle Academy (1871; Roman Catholic, under the See also: Brothers of the Christian Schools), See also: Saint See also: Xavier's Academy (Roman Catholic), the Academy of the Sacred See also: Heart (Roman Catholic), See also: Moses Brown School (Friends; at See also: Portsmouth in 1784–1788; re-established in Providence in 1814), the Brown school for boys (non-sectarian), Fielden-Chace school for girls (non-sectarian), and the Lincoln School (non-sectarian) . The public school system has benefited by the presence of Brown University, whose See also: faculty has been largely represented on the school See also: committee; by an agreement with the university its See also: professor of the theory and practice of education is director of the training department in the high schools, and there are other schemes of co-operation . Transition classes between the See also: kindergarten and See also: primary were long See also: peculiar to the Providence public schools . In 1908 a " See also: Sunshine School " was established, with See also: sun and fresh-See also: air treatment for invalid pupils .

The Providence See also:

Journal (See also: Independent, daily, 1829), the most important newspaper published in the state, and the Evening Bulletin (Independent, 1863) are controlled by the same See also: company . The charitable institutions include the Rhode Island Hospital (1863, private), the Prisoners' Aid Association (1872), the Providence See also: Rescue See also: Home and See also: Mission (1896), the See also: Bethany Home of Rhode Island (1892), a temporary home for women; the House of the Good Shepherd (1904), the Lying-In Hospital (1884), Saint See also: Joseph's Hospital (1892; Sisters of St Francis), two dispensaries, a City Hospital for the Treatment of Contagious Diseases (19o9) on Capitol Hill; the Butler Hospital for the Insane, which is one of the oldest institutions of its See also: kind in the See also: country, was established by a be-quest of $30,000 left in 1841 by Nicholas' Brown,' and has about 12o acres of beautiful grounds on the western bank of the Seekonk; the Dexter See also: Asylum for the Poor (endowed with the Dexter Fund and limited to those who have a legal See also: settlement in Providence, i.e. have paid taxes on $200 worth of See also: property for five years; and hence a charity of little See also: practical use) ; a home for aged men (1875), a home for aged women (1856), St See also: Elizabeth's Home (1882, Protestant Episcopal) for incurable and convalescent women; a home for aged coloured women (189o), five temporary homes, the Rhode Island Catholic See also: Orphan Asylum (1851, Sisters of See also: Mercy), St See also: Vincent de Paul's See also: Infant Asylum (1892, Sisters of Divine Providence), St See also: Mary's Orphanage (1873, Protestant Episcopal), the State Home and School (1885) for indigent and neglected See also: children, Providence Children's Friend Society (1835), other homes for children, See also: day nurseries, and the Providence Society for organizing charity (1892) . Jewish charities are prominent . The St Vincent de Paul Society is the organized charity of the Roman Catholic churches . The See also: harbour of Providence and its approaches have been much improved since the middle of the 19th century by the Federal and state governments . Between 1853 and 1873 the See also: low-water See also: depth of the channel was increased from 44 ft. to 12 ft., at a cost of $59,000; from '878 to 1895 the depth of the channel was further increased to 25 ft., and anchorage basins were created with a minimum depth of 20 ft. for a width of 600 ft., with a minimum depth of 18 ft. for a width of 725 ft., with a minimum depth of 12 ft. for a width of 940 ft., and with a minimum depth of 6 ft. for a width of 1o6o ft . Between 1896 and 1906 the channel from Sassafras Point to the ocean was widened to 400 ft. and by 1909 the anchorage area, having a depth of 25 ft., was further increased to about 288 acres . Between 1867 and 1909 the channel of the Seekonk river was dredged to a depth of 16 ft. as far as See also: Pawtucket at the head of See also: navigation . In 1908 the See also: commerce, largely coastwise, of Providence Harbor, amounted to 3,379,594 tons, chiefly See also: coal, general merchandise and See also: fish, valued at $93,309,495 . In 1909 the value of the foreign imports, chiefly See also: salt from See also: Turks Island and See also: lumber from Nova See also: Scotia, amounted to $1,893,551, and the value of the exports to $12,517 . Of greater importance to Providence than its commerce are its manufactures, the value of which in 1905 was $91,980,963, or 16.9% more than in 1900 . Its factory products were valued at 45.5% of the state's total; its wage earners were 4o•9% of the state's total; and nearly one-See also: half of the worsted goods and more than one-See also: fourth of all the textiles made in the state were manufactured here, as were four-fifths of the See also: rubber and elastic goods, nine-tenths of the foundry and See also: machine-See also: shop products, and all the See also: gold and silver refined, not from the ore .

The Gorham Company engage here in the manufacture of gold, silver and bronze See also:

works of art; the American See also: Screw Company, the Brown & See also: Sharpe Manufacturing Company, and the See also: Nicholson See also: File Company have factories here; and here the famous Corliss engines were first made about 1847 . In 1905 Rhode Island ranked first among the states and Territories of the Union in the value of See also: jewelry manufactured and more than 99%' of this was made in Providence, which produced 26'9% (by value) of all the jewelry made in the United States . The value of the jewelry made in Providence in 1905 was $14,317,050, being 15.6% of the value of the city's entire factory product . Closely allied with this manufacture were the reducing and re-fining of gold and silver sweepings, &c . (none from ore), with a product value in 1905 of $4,260,698, and silversmithing and the manufacture of silver-See also: ware with products in 1905 valued at 1$5,323,264 . Actually the largest See also: industry in 1905 was the manufacture of worsted goods, valued at $21,020,892 . Other important manufactures are foundry and machine-shop products (1905, $9,358,687), woollen goods ($2,080,658), See also: cotton goods ($1,025,264) and cotton small wares ($1,967,298), See also: dyeing and See also: finishing textiles ($2,254,074), rubber and elastic goods ($2,167,983), and See also: malt liquors ($1,427,246) . Providence is governed under a city charter of 1832, subsequently amended . A See also: town meeting is still held annually for the administration of the fund (referred to above) called the Dexter donation . Under the city charter only citizens who pay a tax on $134 worth of real property or $200 worth of See also: personal property may See also: vote for members of the city See also: council . Until 1842 there was the further requirements that every voter should be the eldest son of a freeholder . The city council is composed of: a board of aldermen, one from each of the ten wards, which may redistrict the city every five years, and until 1895 acted as a returning board, and which is presided over by the mayor; and a See also: common council of four members from each See also: ward, elected in open ward-meeting by the qualified freeholders of the ward .

Elections are See also:

annual . The aldermen and common council meet together to organize and to elect municipal See also: officers, not other-See also: wise provided for . The greater See also: size of the common council gives it the power in See also: joint sessions; and although the vote of the city for mayor is normally Democratic, the vote of the qualified freeholders (which is only about 40% of the total vote) for common-councilmen and aldermen is always Republican . The two houses acted before 1895 as a board of See also: registration; the council now chooses a board of three members with a See also: term of three years . The city council and a school committee of 33 members (3 ex officio; 30 elected by wards, one each See also: year from each ward for a three-year term) See also: control the public schools . The mayor has had the See also: veto power only since 1854; and until 1866 his veto could be overridden by a See also: majority vote; a three-fifths vote of each chamber is now necessary . The mayor was at the head of the See also: police department until 1901, when a See also: commission of three was created; until 1906 these police commissioners were appointed by the governor of the state, but they are now chosen by the mayor with the approval of the board of See also: alder-men . In the same way the mayor appoints a See also: commissioner of public works for a term of three years . The three commissioners of the See also: fire department and the three members of the board for the See also: assessment of taxes are chosen by the city council . The city treasurer (since 1858) and the overseer of the poor and the harbour-See also: master (since 1866) are elected by popular vote . The See also: municipality owns and operates the waterworks and there are municipal See also: bath-houses . Providence was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, an See also: exile from See also: Massachusetts, and its early history is closely See also: bound up with the early history of Rhode Island, it being one of the four towns out of which this See also: commonwealth was formed .

Having agreed with Canonicus and Miantonomo, the Narraganset sachems, for the See also:

purchase of a considerable tract of land, Williams built his house about 50 ft. east of what is now North See also: Main Street and nearly opposite the confluence of the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket rivers, and he named the place Providence in recognition of his divine guidance hither . He and a few companions who had accompanied him into exile immediately established a town government with monthly town meetings, and in the next year, 1637, after the arrival of a few more settlers, a See also: plantation See also: covenant was adopted which laid the basis of the future commonwealth on a new principle—the See also: complete separation of religious and civil affairs . In 1644 Williams secured a charter uniting Providence, Aquidneck (Portsmouth), and New-port, as " The See also: Incorporation of Providence Plantations in the Narraganset Bay in New England "; these three towns (and See also: Warwick) organized in Providence in May 1647 under this government . The charter of the 24th of See also: November 1663, to the Governor and Company of the English See also: Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, perpetuated the name Providence Plantations, which still remains a part of the legal See also: title of the state . Providence was incorporated as a town by the Colonial See also: Assembly in 1649; in 1730-1731, when the area of Providence was 370 sq. m., Scituate (including See also: Foster), Glocester (including Burrillville), and Smithfield (including North See also: Smith-See also: field and Lincoln) were set off; in the next thirty years the area of the township was reduced to 5a sq. m. by the separation of Cranston, See also: Johnston and North Providence, parts of which have been re-annexed since 186o . Providence was chartered as a city in 1832 . During See also: King See also: Philip's War, in 1676, the town was attacked by Indians and the northern half was burned . In See also: June 1772, a See also: British See also: schooner, the " Gaspee," while See also: chasing a Providence packet boat ran aground at what has since become known as Gaspee Point, whereupon its See also: capture was planned by John Brown (1736-1828), a Providence merchant, and the See also: plan—including the burning of the See also: vessel—was carried out under the command of See also: Abraham Whipple (1733-1819) . During the war much privateering was carried on from Providence . The British occupation of Newport during the War of Independence caused the See also: transfer of the important foreign commerce of that city to Providence, but as a consequence of their See also: superior railway facilities most of this went to New York and Boston before the middle of the 19th century . In See also: September 1815 Providence was visited by a See also: gale which did about $1,000,000 damage to its See also: shipping and other property . In 1830 Providence had ceased to be a See also: great port and had begun to be a textile manufacturing place .

Until 1900 Providence was one of the two capitals of the state, Newport being the other; since 1900 it has been the See also:

sole capital . See H . C . See also: Don-, " The Planting and Growth of Providence," in the Rhode Island Historical Tracts (Providence, 1882) ; W . A . Greene and others, The Providence Plantations for Two See also: Hundred and Fifty Years (Providence, 1886) ; W . R . Staples, See also: Annals of the Town of Providence (Providence, 1843) ; W . B . Weeden, " Providence, the Colony of Hope," in L . P . See also: Powell's Historic Towns of New England (New York, 1898) ; H .

K . See also:

Stokes, " Finances and Administration of Providence " (Baltimore, 1903) in Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science; and William See also: Kirk and others, A See also: Modern City: Providence, Rhode Island, and Its Activities (Chicago, 1909) .

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