Rhode Island History
l'uhhshcd bv Th,' Rho,k " land Hi- u-ncal Volume 43, N umber 4 November 1984 \<1<1<:t~· ' TO Benevolent " IH·"I. Provuh-ncc Rh"do; h!.ilntl 01'1Q(>. Jntl pnmcd bv .. gr..m trom rhc " IJle " r Rhode lela nd and l'w v,tI,'nn ' i'!J.n l.il llon" 1. 1""o;l'h l ;;H r.lh~·. C",,'rn"l. "U'Jn L Far mer s.,,·(lo;uq· "I " IJlo;
[~~U,-J OUJrlClI\' JI Providence Rhode Contents "l.ilnd Iebruarv. \ b v ,",UIo:o" l .Inti ""," o; mlx r .....·"'nd ~IJ"" fll"'IJl:" r'.I,d ..1 i'W\ ,tI"ncc Rhodo; I l.and Rhode Island : From Classical Democracy 'i.t:n R"lxn I ' Id ' ,'nn.. I'r, h/"," to British Province 119 Alden ,'I Andcrc on """l're'Il!.'n! \tr~ Ed...In G Ptschet \ 1<(" I'tnlJen! S YDNEY V . lAME S P.lrk Palme r, secrctatv ,'I Rachel Cunha u"nC",nr -evraarv Srcphen C WIIl' .Im.. If'" IIln Rhode Island Renegade: The Enigma Allxu C.UI"'ll u"I\/"nr treasurer of Joshua Tefft 1 ) 6 HLLU"',OIIHl .."'ltn C OLING , C A L L O \ \' A Y Ca rl Rlldcnh.lu,lth Svdncv \' I.lm,·, Anlum,'lt,' F 1),,'''' l1I n lo: Index 6 Rrchard K, <;h,,"'m .ln 14
PUlilit ,\110'" t 0," '-u1 III Ik ""elxn I l;"JJ"... ,k\', tll The Rhotlt: hJ.md Il I, mIH,,,1 \'''-I''!'' a"um,', n" ""-p,,n..rbahtv t" TIh,' "pm l"n.. " I contrrbuturc ' Y ' ~ h\ The Rhode " land tl l'l"rlcd! ,,,nd" I • ; r • .. - .. .. .. a • ...~ of ~ "' ft. \. I .... '. I· r I." .\t.a D. .h•• . <::;r. ,,;.,;' ,,0;;" ....-.lV . ,.. '.,~ / ,. .•. ,~ • Southern New England In the tate sevent eenth century. Derail from AMap of Ne w England, New Yorke, New lcrsev, Maryl and s, Virguua (r 690). Courtesy of fohn Carrer Brown lubrar...'. Rhode Island: From Classical Democracy to British Province Sydney v. James The colomaI governme nt in Rhode Island, as in mos t other English '11 lames I~.i mem ber or t he Department colonies 10 Non h Ameri ca, underwent several transformations, some 01 Hrseorv . Umvervuv ot Iowa An c;l.r!,,:r vemon oi rhl~ C~'''''W W ;l. ~ presented at the duplicated no where else. lt proceeded from a unique experiment to de N mt h Annu..1toru m on Rhode bb.n.! mocracy to a form of Bn ush provmce shared only with Connecticut. Hisrury, sp"nwleoJ by the Rhode- Island HI ~ run c ;l.1 Socrcev Th e first government set up to embrace more than one Rhode Island town was on Aqurdneck. and It emb raced only two. It was founded In 1639 and lasted m most respects only until 1643, alt hough It S iudicral fun cti ons connnued a couple of years longer. It proclaimed subordma tion to the English monarchy but never won a charter or any other Sign ''0 f RO ,"'1 C l A ...... I CAI. IHM O CRA CY TOIlIUT I'dII'ROV1!\' L f I Cla n-ncex HTl ~ham , ~,J bull'Rt·, of attcnnon irom otfkials at w hitehall. It kept revising its elf, often to Md, " , Ih,- Tuwn 01 PUTt- mouth Pro c o u r a /;; m ~ ~'ldl·nn· . 'yol l, I - ~. hc rcatr cr cued a-, improve ItS local backing. hut with dr... results. It faded away h uJv Ren n l f'orhmoUlh as ItS leaders lost ho pc tor Its cttccuvenc ss and as government slowly l Tho, '''0'0;1'' ,,' J.:m.'<: r.ao' "' .I~ a ca me into bemg under the cha rte r ot I fq~ tor a larger iu nsdrcnon. Th e pmJuu ul .1n<: ll'llI CI ."<"\X An_tnll" "av e Ii'll' st.mdard <: ~pt"l linn In ,I'll' 1',,1111<:., Aqu idneck com monwcahh. ephe meral though It was , needs ancnnon Dem ocracv ....1_ ~"" c rnmcnt bv the m.IO '-, becau ..e oi u s infl uence un what came nex t. Io>'hlk .I11" oU.1I:\' "" ;1 ' government bv the tt- ... and monarchv bv on... \1.111\' av m It was launched by WIlh am Coddmgton and those who SIded wit h am;u,nl Alhcn_ could be on more 11'1.10 .. him 111 the squabbles in early Portsmout h. WhIle Coddingto n and orh. d"llnd mmoruv mrhe adult male s ers we re planm ng Ne wport a.. a turure town, their opponents too k th,,'>C whu had Tl"tu, n! <: 1II~,' n , h l r I lohn RUt"dl R.1fI1.,u ,-J Rn'otJ, po wer III Port smouth. The Newpon pioneers. iom ed by a lew m end ... 01 the Cu/nm or Rh,,,!.' lsland and Pro at the ot he r end of th e 1..land, presently proclaimed themselves the vrdenc.. P/ mcnr of a more mo de rn ideal of de mocracy : widesprea d diffusion of Po The Landing of Roger williams. lineal righ ts. 16]6. Steel engraving b:"/ Either way, the decla ration was remarkable. Democracy had a had T. F. Happin (1884). Courtesy name III the early seventeenth century. At best it implied giving au of Rhode Island His torical thor ity to ordinary men when only the high born were fit 10 ru le. At Sec.cry Libra ry (RHi Xl 2 o~6 ). wor st It conjured up control hy the m uh. In any case it thum bed a nose at mo na rchy. Leaders of Massachuset ts, find ing that their resort to elected officials was being called democracy, took pains to interpre t the allegations away. Emmcru men argued that they had a " m ix! Ansrocra cie" because of the power of the magistra tes, or a theocracy because the officia ls were tho ught to he among God's elect an d, th uugh put in tu 1\, fohn Cotto n. "Cenam Proposals office by the votes of t he ordi nary freemen, derived their aurho n tv made by Lord Say, Lord Brooke. and other from Cod and ruled accord109 to divin e laws, not according to h um an r cr s " n ~ of quahrv, as cundnnms ollhen wil l." rcm ovmg to New -England , wnh the an swen, thereto,II and "Copv 01 a Lenel Wh y no t such sugar-coating in Portsmouth and Newport! This was from Mr. Corros ro Lcrd SAY and SU,L 111 not yet the str ictly sec ul ar govcmmeru of Rhode Isla nd. T he voters still {he Year r~l~ ," III Thom as Hurchmson. The Hrvuuv of tbe CO/O/ll· and f'wVlrl a in voked God in the equivalent to an oa th of office: Portsmout h, how of ....la " ,\llchu.\ etl.~ ·B"-v , cd. L. S Mavo, 1 ever, had trie d and give n LIp theocracy. T he firs t se ttlers ther e had tr ied vols .[Cam bridge, ."la s ~., ",nf,!, l, ~IO virtually eve ry conception ot governmental autho rity know n to th e hu .P7; Massa ch uset ts Hrstoncal SOCiety. Wimhrop Papers, ; vols. iBo~ton, man m ind-social contract, Eng lish law, Biblical law ; Hebra ic iud ges I Q29 - l9 .p l, IV, 111 2- , I\J. ,1\(-,- 11\7,4(',\1 . and elders ;IS well as English iusnccs of the peac e; au thority by status 47fl. 41\0 , 41\2. 9. Recs. of RJ, I, I r l and authority by election; even appeals for In ward di rer nun by God. In no ne h;HJ they found a sure fou ndat ion . Conceivably they were wil ling to try an ythin g. Yet su bsequent events showed th at a de d ica tion to classical democracy was far more tha n a n expedient or a passing whi m . A su bstannal number of men stayed wit h the ideal. All the same, their declaration was a trifle mi sleading. The Aquid neck state su rely di d give the free men a voice in all sorts of legislation and decisions on policy, hu t they used it to give effect to ele ments of English law, create magist rates along Englis h li nes, an d put a founda- 1 ' 22 FROM C L ASSIC AL IHM OC RA CY 10 B RI TI SH P RO VI N CE. non under popular military ohhganons on a pattern denved fro m ....-hat th e English syste m was intended to he. And at th e same ti me the sys tem made m an y concessmns to town auton omy. Mere co nse nt ot the voter s wo uld nut give st rength to the island guve mmcnt . It needed the force of English tradi ti on .1S though from abo ve and the ac quiescence of th e to wn s from belo w. And It needed cul l more that it did not get . Further, th e annual clecuons warrant aucnuon. They show the in fluence of Ma ssach usetts, not the English monarchy, where trom IUS n ces of the peace to the Houses of Parhamcm and the king hrmselt, men gained pow er by a vanctv of routes-c-apporrument. election, he redi ty-and held It for unpredic tab le lengths of time. Annual elections were common In loc al gove rnment In ItS mv nad forms as well as In charte red corporations of all kmds. lm rod ucnon of annual elections mto American colonial practice at the highest level s has been .n Su Henry Vane the Younger tnbuted to the trading company ... ponsorshrp. particularly of xtassachu ( 1612- 1662J. Courtesy of Rhode scns. where the companv'... central management converted u "elt into a Island Huscncol 500 1".\' Ubrarv terntonal gove rnment. Some Rhode 1... J.1OJ senler... ha d wa tched th rs (RH I .'( J .J089). process. They dechncd ttl follow the lead [0 a rep resentanvc 1c,C:IS lar ure. but they adopted Ihe ,\ tl...... achu ... ens 1111 1.' .. ot officials m Ih.p and made th e iudrcral "y ... tern copy the ,\ la.....achu-, ells model In broad 10 Ibu/ ,r 10 , 101'0111 - 11.( II ft'" i ' !. 'H , 11 ~ " 7 , Thl: .'I.IIC.l~· terms, T he most smkmg departure hom the older colonv's ways ca rne sen....! the ['<''''n w (;ho" , ,,, nl1lltl.l "ltker' 10 th e respect shown to rhe tow n.., ..uch as choosing a separate co lomaI In I t'4 1 (l b l .J 1.110 r z tlhurshnwed no ,'vldcncc ,,' h.l\"1nJ: ch..wn anv treasurer for each on e. T hu .. the Aqu idncck co m monweal th. called a Illn!,} 1.111" ,121 dem ocrac y under Charles I. wa.. JI..o an adapt anon ot English laws and 1\ 01",,10:. ' f:X lio.:" Rdu~,'c" and .1\1a.. I!.UJ:UCS ," nl'o -ll ~ Judicia l prac tices, a.. well ,IS rhe form .. of the sachusens Bay govern me nt . For all this abundance of mgr cdienrs. it lack ed strength. The found. ers could not restr ict political TIgh ts to the wealthy few; social t rnn qui liry could be had only at th e pncc of ad mnnng nearly halt of the men [0 th e vote. T he state had to ,l.; lve ItS town s mo re autonomy than it planned . They ignored ItS laws wh en rhev saw fit. It gave them equa l shares of its meager treasury rather than keep sole discretion Itself .' Perh aps the trouble lay in th e tick 01a rcprcse ntau ve svs rem. The as sembly of freemen was only th e com bmcd town me etings. The tow ns as suc h had no idenmv m It . They discover ed ways to assert them sel ves. The state never found a sausfactorv way to choose militi a officers except by lemna th e tram hands choose th eir o wn. " The as sem bly oi freemen held ItS last recorded meeting at wh ich much was don e in Sept ember 164 2. Thereafter the cxrsu ng office rs were con unucd in place rn 16..J land 1644, while th ey went on perform ing their iud icia l func tions ." The island cornmonweah h, even If it could hav e exerte d control over the to wns, sti ll would have been too weak to mamtam Independence again st th e designs of Massachusett s and Plymouth. Both those neigh bors wish ed to embrace Aqur dn eck In then runsdicuons but for the lime being failed to agree on whr ch should do it . Still, their po wer seemed irres isuble. Anne Hut ch inson, Iea nng th e worst, fled to New Neth erlan d." Governor wilharn Cod dington, without resign ing office ~R OM l-lASS IC A l nf.MOLRA CY T O RRIT I ~H I'R OV IN C l "3 or mtornnng his consn tucr us, began exploring the possibility of an al r ~ WlIllhmr l'urt"1~, IV, ~ 90 - liance with Massachusetts." So did others, but the neighboring colo 1\ Narbarucl Shunlcff and Davrd l'u blll'l , eds Records ot the Colonv of rues would conside r only Aquidneck's absorption into on e of th em ' New PII'm outh, 11 vols IRo\ w n. Th e Pu n tan colony's exte ns ion of runsdicnon over southern Pro I ~ " - I ~t>l J, IX, 1 \ , he reafter erred .l' Ren of SI'\" Pl _l'moulh_ vidence 10 Ifq2, follo wed by Its act ua l invasion of Warwick In Sep II' Hn..-ard .\ 1. Chapen. ed.. J)o..-u· tember H'q \, inspired some of th e New port men-not freemen -to m mrntarv Hl\lon· of Rhode tstana, J vole [Pr o vrde n ce, 19 16. 111 191, I. I t>4- 11'5 vue Provi dence into their uruo n. but they could offer little In tan gible I h c l c " t! ~' 1 cued ..s Chapm. ed. , [)o(; J~ benefit exce pt a rct ugc to th e Con oma ns . Th e Island sta te could HI,t I; O'Toole...Exile s. Refugees. an d sca rcely act. Some ul Its cmzens wanted nothing to do with th e War RI~e), ·' 145 -J47 . wick Gurto mans or then contest with Ma ssachusetts. Others saw hope 1"1' O'Toole. "Exiles. Rclullen ..n .... R"RUe~ '" ,1'1, '''7-pO, P)-F"; In en largement and welcomed th e English pat ent for a colony to be Chapen. cd . Doc_HN., I, 127-J,0. I ~ oole, ' · E x l l ~' ~. called Provi dence Planraucns. brou ght by Roger williams In I (q -l. , O'T Ret u !':t"t: ) , and R~~~, H-I -P!ol which meant unum with both Providen ce and w arwick as well as with I~ . HUl3.lIu R"I:~I) er 1\ /t'ld,J. 1 \ 0 1, 1 freemen rlu-n prnrru... cd " to th e ut mn..t .,1 [thcrr ] power III supor t 1.1 /I'I ~ll.lJM IlA~~I CAllJl ,'1(lLIl.AL· '· TO ~ll. lrl~ U 1'1l.0VINll 12 'i I'll' ten to th em selves .,. T he I'rovrdcnce Plan tauons govcmmenr mcd 14/1'J" "r I'"" nlencc XV r, Aqurdncck crate . Then it tri ed to placate them by granung charters 01 I" H" .... MJ:'-\ ChJ r ln, c·J barlv ~u. mcorpornnon to three These documents. nearlv rden ncal. supul.ncd ",d, " r Ih.. To" n ,,' \\ Attl1ck bv ,\ la \\ilch u\c l L'i 'iOUII:f\ 011 (he GOftOTJI'ih .n ,lihrlWOmel, 164~ From Scnbncrv Popu lar HI ~tm y of the United Slate.... (18')7 ). Ccnmcsvot Rhodc /.'iland Histoncul Society isbmrv (Rill Xi 49/61. ," FR OM C LA<;SICAL ll E MOCRA CY To HRITI~ " PROV INC E , ~ R,,~·~. 01 ,'Ii... \\, I'JrIlJOll/IJ. IX, 1 10 , and overawe the Narragansett Indi an s, This threat Inspired a search for '''' Th e Ir ,}J;m..,nt ~ li t mtormatron that Ill ,}\' heal ti n Ihl ~ p FRO .\1 ClA .... 1CAl DEMO CRA CY TO BR IT iS H I'ROvINCE '27 th reat from outside. Massachusetts' a....crtion of tun..drcrion over parts ot Providence and w arwick. fortuitously was revealed a.. hollow.,. Stili , the mainland towns appreciated the need for a firm unum wuh the IS land as the best hope lor satetv from the Unucd Co lonies. The main lande rs, but even more the Islanders, began to sec In their cha rte r th e prom ise of a substant ial terri tory IIltO which they m ight expand -and the promise would have to be made effective by upholdi ng rhe govern ment und er th e charte r. All, furthermore, received ;I new lesson in wha t then colony meant when Plymouth and Massach uset ts began prosecuting Bapti sts and Quakers. There cou ld be no delusion any longer that old Puntan crusti ness had ..onened. Reh,itIOUS liberty ..... oulJ be safe no where but under the Providence Plantatio ns tlag. In land lust and dedicanon to religious freedom the colony at last had both a rnou vauon tor collective action and a drsnncnve purpose to serve. As things turned OU t, nobody mtcrtered with soul hbenv, but the Providence Plantations government remained too feeble to control us territory. It could ncuher prevent outsiders from buy ing land In the Narragan sett cou ntry nor enforce its own law requiring its ciuaens to King Charles 11 (16 30- 1985), get It S approval 01their plans to purcha se." It bent 10 political pressure who granted a royal charter In deciding which of the purchases merited approval after the fact . It 10 the colo ny of Rhode Island was quite mcffecrual m efforts to bring orde r to the land ti tles already and Providence Plantations In gene rated by settlement of the origi nal to wns , whether through public 166 .J . Counesv of Rhude Island records or adrudicanon. Historical Societ y Library Besides, the restoration of the monarchy in England In 1660 gave the (RHi XJ ~4 58 ' . I'rovrdence Plantations government the embarrassme nt of relying on a charter from the erst while revolunonanes. The best remedy, a royal cha rte r, could also change the form of govern me nt . 4Q ROl(cr W llh~m 'i 10 lohn I:nJ OX" II. [X,<. I, 16 <; 1'>, loh n Ca rte r Bro....n LlhT.lr)'. Prove dcnce, Eurh' xc cs Of trovrd ence, XV, 71 , Providence Town Papers. ad Sc r. III V, 0 1101 , Brad tord f . Swan, Gr"gury [hx leT 01 Londun and NI'w Englund, 16/0-1700 iRnchc'ilel, NV, 1.,,4.,,1, Ill , The advi sers of Charles II in 1M 2 were willing to apply th e correc Rn):cr w ithams to Anhur Fenner, Feb 14. tive, with the result in th e royal charte r of the next year. That docu 11l}f.lS7, lohn Caner Brown Lib., ~fn . uf R.I., I. , 67-J611, ,"lIn-'Hn, 4 0~ -,J oll , ment changed the colony 's nam e to Rhode Islan d and Providence SO. W l l h ~ m G .\1cL)U~hhn . New En Plantation s, no doubt to th e pleasu re of the island people. It also dif g/und DI H~nr . 161 0 - t 8 jJ, 1 vuls IC~ m brrdge, .\b ~ ~, f<,l7l 1, I. 16 -11 ; Arthue l fered from the first charte r in at least five other ways. It specified a worrall, Qua/un In the Coloma / !,;'oah form of government, It stipula ted seve ral key features of th e relations tusI I H~nover . N H , l<,llla !, "'-18; Ren 01 of Rhode Island and its cinzcns to neighboring colonies. it laid down R.I., I. }74 -JIl0 SI sea 01 R.I, I. lV_, 40l-,J0,J. 411'1 . baSIC right s of the citizens, including freedom of religion specrficallv ,,1".419-4 W. 4 \ l -"M, 498. The I l' c u I J ~ and th e rights of Englishme n generally, It recognized th e advancing pre ot rhe colorual aovernment. 10 be ~U Il." , 1 ~ 1 1 1O revealthe externIn which 1\ rc em inence of Ne wport, and It ske tched or implied 3 place for th e colony sponded 10 the C l tl <: c n ~' rrunanvcs rather in th e English empire.'l For all th ese differences, th e new charter could th an enco urage the C H I~" n~ IU act flr,1 barely enlarge th e practi cal power of th e colonial government. Ami for and get OffiC I,11 app rovallurer p ./bid., 11 , ,, -11. many years the im perial connect ion remained a tic that did little more than let stubborn men appeal to th e throne when th e colonial gove rn ment refuse d to give th em what they want ed. Unfort unately, no surviv ing evidence reveals how the new cha rte r was planned, so there IS no telling who wan ted ....-hat and where compromises were struck. ,,' FR OM t: L A S ~ IC A L llEMO CKA CY T O HIUrl>;H !'HOVrNCE Thl' Rhude Isla nd charter called for a basic govcmrncmal structure, clearly derived from that of Massachusetts, to which the freemen might make add itions as they pleased within cer tain limits. The design prescribed a core 01 twel ve otficials with loosely defi ned capaciues-c the governor, deputy governor, and ten assistants-all elected at large each May by the ci tizens, By themsel ves, these officials had responsi bili ties to govern in many routine ways." They became known as the magistrates. In addition, the chart er called for deputies to be elected by th e treerncn in each town at least twice a year. T he deputies would iom the magistrates for the business of legislation and loosely designated othe r functions. In joint meetings these officials constituted the Gen eral Assembly." In their actions, any measure required a maioruy of the ma gistrat es to pass. The charter allowed the Ge neral Assembly to make laws but a lso 10 exercise adrninistrauvc powers explicitly and IU dic ial powers by Implicanon. It gave the assembly power ttl appoint other office rs-c-or create offices to he filled by elec tion hy th e free men - to create a iudiciarv, regulate elections, prescribe th e forms of local government, set town boundaries. and generally control relauons wi th the na tives. On a few subjects the charter's mcunmg was murky. One was the or ganiz ation of the General Assembly itself. The requirement of a 1.1\'OT Sir Edmund Andros (J «P -171 4). able maionty of the magisr rarcs for an y measure inspired thoughts ot a Go vernor of the Dominion of bicameral organization or other me ans 01 requiring a favorable mainrity New England. 16 8 6-J68y, of the deputies. The assembly soon argued over such possibrlitics and Coun esv o f Rhode island in 10 7 2 ruled that a maionty of the deputies must favor any weighty Historical Society Library measures or tax bill. " But the assembly kep t deciding against bi (RHI x3 4971 ). cameral organizruiun until 16 9 0 .'" The charter prescribed an apportion ment of deputies a mong the towns that gave Newport SIX , the other ". fl nd. , ll, 7, I I , I~ original to wns four apiece, and any new ones two each This formula ~ q Iblll. , II. q recognized the concentration of wcalrh and population on Aqutdneck. 'i'i Rhmk h JanJ Hrs toncnl <"PCll"ty '''' i, mu ~C rl r h, X, r ';0, Rl HI~I _ Soc., Ear!v though less than proportionally. Toget her the Island towns held at least R,'n ,II \\'''''\"1 ( 1; l.f ' r.; l>: f'<1rlrR,'('\ III two-thirds of the inhabita nt s. T hus the island voters, if they agreed on l'orll/ll'llIrh 127; Rhod e lslnnd Colonv Recor ds. l. part I , I 'J I. "loll,' A n:h lVCS, candid ates, could choose all the magistrates from among themselves. l'ruvulcncc [hcrcattcr ( [I<,J ..., Culonv To preve nt that, the assembly in I hfq. decided that five should be trom Rc cs.l; R"n "i RJ, II , '; 72 - .P l Newport . three from Providence, and two each from I'onsrnoutb and 1".I<"(',,,'H' lIl.II' \7 . ihut, II. 1\ Warw ick." Customarily the gove rnor was a Newport man. By this ar \ ~ ! f I/.tl M C LA ~ ~ J C A L IJ L ,\-t OC I/. A C Y TO B 1/.1 1'1/.0 V I Nt I r r vu 121.) 10 It. could he roused trouble Otficral co rresponde nce se ldom pa ...... cd 1>0.1«'('\ ", RI ll. \'i- 1 1 ", 1',1"lIJI between London and Newport . No irupenal officers were ... ranoned hy I'! /",.1 III. 1PIP (',l 1/'1.1. II , Iq_Iq ~"n- ~ .,m ; fLlr/1 Narraznnscn Bay. The connecuon to the parent country was manucst J(n' 11/ \\ 'un n l k. q ", only mtemuncnrlv m appeals h om the colonial courts to the crown "" J(.'<,\ ", R / II. rvn - on . 10 (',-10 7 , l~ \ -I~~ and In the appearance of royal commissions ior various pu rpose-v. The WarwukT.....vn Rccordv.H.." k A 2, H H, \"'.1>(', "'.,. joncma l cou ld 10 It... co lo ny respon ded to the... c -pccial agents 01royal power accordmg not bc tound In WarWICk To .... n Hall ,II mrervst ... .IS dc rcrmmcd hy 11:-. own pohucs rather than In .1 tormally 1,1..1 ....-arch. ''It" rmcrntrlm or r h"Ill"lJ' ,II RJ HI'" " 'lL 1 hc reattc r erred .. ~ Warw u k cunst-tcn t manner. The comnussron 01 1064 received a cordial wel Rn .. A -J com e .:1nJ xave order... on tht: whole quite z ranfving In the coloma! (', ~ RI Ill'" ",'<: ,\ l ,ln u ~~ rl r "" X h otncers. So thcv accepted Ih authority and os tenranou ... tv cornphcd h<, W.n ....u k R",,; ...~ 2. ,0-, 1 R"," mRl II ,p H ~ with movt 01 II ... command... , By contrast, they greeted the comrru ... "I> Rn' III R I II, l; ~ \i ' ,"0 RI ,\ l Jnu-"':rl r ' ~ sum ot I "''' ' wIth hovnhtv .:1nJ denials 01 11:' authority when II came a Ill .., .... J(; X I-J\ \\ar.... " k Rl'C" .~-l,"2 the toul 01 land mtcrcst ... adver... t' to the colon y' s. The ex ample... rmghr "'~ wa rw ick Rn' A-l ~'i be muluphcd. The pomt at hand, however. rs rhe persrsrencc unul rese ot a state 01 vutunl autonomy tor the colonial govemmcrn. On the whole, Rhode 1... land -uttcrcd trom lack 01 ...ohd connccnon... to whuehall and a firm and pcrvavrve sense ot loyalty trom It... own treemcn. A tcw m-tances will he enough. Rhode Island could not de pend on revenue bcvond II... eXCI"'l· on alcohol. T he tax on property wa ... re "' l... ted quue otten, hl'gmn1l11: III If>f>.,l . AI that li m e Warw ick rctu ...cd to pay II'> "hare 01 the levy to reimburse Dr- loh n Cla rke tor hi:" e x pence ... In procunnx tlu- new cha ncr lin the ground... thai he had been the agcnr 01 the l land and had -upponcd himself by preachm g. ..,0 he thus Je ... crvcd It- that he clai med. w arwi ck nex t atta ched a numbe r ot u-, o ther grievance... ((J It... oh... nnacv, r3 n~Jng h om II ~ de ... rre... tor ,I revrsron 01 the town boundary ttl JI ... ohrcccion ... to procedure ... bv the assembly.:' Some rnvn III Providence uuncd the opposmon to raxc ... , ((J Roger wilharns'... drs rnav.' warw ick re len ted att cr SI Xyears. when Ihe as... cmblv." Sonic men in l'rovrdcncc ioined the 0 r po ... ition 10 ta xes, til RO):l'r Williams 's dl... ma y." Warwick relented utter "IX yea r... , when the ,h ...crnblv took v I~ o r o u ... mea ... u rcs to res ist Con m-cncur'v claun ... strct chtru; a ll thc wa y to Narracnn ...ct t Bav." But the change W,I'" tlt-t·t Jll ~ ; Warw ick promptly r l' sl ~t eJ th t' ncxt tax o n the ground... that II wa ... for lltlIWC t·...... ;lT y t·xpt·ndi lurc... ."" Thl'1l the town It'vcrst·u n :..df a ~a lll, when II ... aw net'J lor the tax . Clt',lrly, no eu lun lal guvernllll·Jlt could co nduct hU... lIll·...... normally llndl'r such conditIOns. Tht' wholt- ... uhtCl.:t 01 the colom al hou nd'lfies-Ilorth and ea:..1 a:.. wdl a" wc·... t -Iurthl·f l llu~tra tes the ~t1 \"e rn ment 's weakne...... an ... lIlg from nt·ar .llltOnOIll\'. Wh,lIe \" l'r the charter m ight ... tl pulate or Imply anJ Rhodl· Island men, 01cour"t', lll.ldl' lmal: ma tl\·e u<;c of the Imphc l· tHm" -lhe nl;"lghhor lll~ l·olume... coulJ l,itnore thl' document and mter pret thl'1T own ~ rant~ til push thelT li mits m Slde what Rhod l" blanJ thought wa ... 11 ... own. 1':1,.·gotlatlons, threab, com pla in ts , and cefl·nw llIal as ... t'Tlwn:.. oj lun ...dlltlon remamt"d IIldfectual tIT mdecl"'I\'l' unlll thl" end tll the ... evl'ntct·nth Cl'nl u rv. Royal commiSSIOns had as little ca · paclly to ..,e ull· matters J ... the cOlllenJmg ).:(lvernment:.. T herl' wa ... no iraml'w or k III wh Ich to Ill.:lkt- a re ... olutlon permanent, not l'vt:n tn rel' and surdy nut good will. fROM CLASS ICAL OEMOCRACY TO IIRITISH PROVINCl Ml Hams r;l~IS . AI ... . R.l HISl Soc., Two other illustrations of the colonial govemmenr's weakness may R,I, Hrst Sue . Manuscripts, X, lIt.; Ecul l' Reo , of I'wl'IJf nee, II, 11-1\, Ill , ske tch the dimensions of the phenomenon, The town government 101 -IOfo,I "I,1 1t.,XV,117 - 1l!'I , of Providence broke into rival claimants to authontv. The two town 111 -11~ I.P - I ~ O ; Ren 0' RI, II, meetings sent two sets of deputies and appealed to the assembly 100- 104. 101' - l oY , 11'1 - 19 1 . R.I , HISI Soc . Co/h. X 11",011, ",1-"'1. S....an. Ore against each other. The assembly solemnly made rulings. as it had a xon' Dexrer, " 11 - 110. sure right [()do, but the town went on quarreling." The onset of war In t.1I Dou~l.;l$ Edwar d Leach , F/uu lock and Tomahawk S e"" Enxland In Kmx r6n between the wampanoag Indians and the colonies of Plymouth PhdJp's War (N ew York. 1",*,61, 40 -.H, 47, and Massachusetts left the Rhode Island government unable to act \4.t.1 - 6 \ ,10 1, 117 -144, 16t., vigorously, It straddled the fence between neutrality and aiding the 17 1- 111. pi". a ro -cara. RI HIM Soc. .\1;lnusc n pu. X I ~ 1 English neighbors. The officials exerted no control over their citizens' 10. PW\'IJl'n I;C (," Town rapc.-r~ . lSI SeT., I. participation in the conflict or the use of Aquidneck as .1 base for opera 10, Earlv Ren 01 Pmvuiencr, VIII , 114, 116, 117. tions against Mount Hope . They could not stop an mvasion of the Nar ragansett COUntry by a iomr army of the nerghbonng colorues-c-Rhodc Island even provided uanspon-c-agamst a largely neutral Indian popu lation With which Rhode Island had tried for very good reasons to reo main on amicable terms, When that campaign succeeded in dnving away many of these Indians and making enemies of most of the rest , Rhode Island could neither stop Connecticut forces (white or red ] from conducting purunve and plundenng expedmons west of Na rraganscn Bay nor take any senou.. action against Indian attackers on Providence and Warwick. The colomaI government could not even get warwick's compliance with us. measures to concert defense...... This picture of Impotence must be shaded, to be sure. Most of the examples adduced here were ones concerning the mainland. The colo nial government had its greatest effect on Aquidneck. where most of the white populat ion and wealth were , Besides, if towns often dis regarded the colony's statutes and rulings, cases can be found of the ir obeying Its laws and subnnmng to its cou rt. " And somehow on rhe heels of King Philip's Wilr the colony ma naged to playa ddt game of thwart ing one of rhe roya l commissions on the conflicting land claims Rhode island and Narragansett and to launch th e [Own of East Greenwich. Bay, showwfl, the t'ost Road. Still, the colonia l government hardly could he considered effective if Detail from a map New of its local gove rnmental un its and even individual citizens accepted or England m Cotton Alather, brushed aside its laws ,IS su ited to their wishes, rejected the authority Magnaha Christi Americana of ItS high COUrt when it ruled auamst them, regarded its boundaries as ( I 702). Courtesy of John Caner moveable to advance private land claims, and withheld taxes to influ Brown Library, ence basic policy. Of course. governments eX lSI to serve individual as well as collective interests of rhcrr CItlZI."OS, bu t the cit izens ordinarily ~ - -:C; . ,,,. T D .~ ('~~.__ must accept the govemrnem's decrstons as fina l. . ---=. The prospects of the colon ial government may have appeared on the ascendant after King Philip's War, bu t at last Enghsh policy bore down on Rhode Island, and with traumatrc effect . Under Charles II, the mono archy decided on a radical change in lis relations to the Amencan colo nies and began to implement It by estabhsbing a vast viceregal govern ment, called the Dormmon of New England. over the seaboard north of the Delaware River. Rhode Island for various reasons made no rests ranee to being mcluded. For t wu years It was a COUnty In the new runs diction, but the exercise of authontv never settled into a system. The confusion raised all manner of hopes and fears . fROM C L A None of rhe possibrh ues came to full effect before the Dorrumon dis 71. Reo 0/ RI, Ill. H70, 21b, 2 1'1. 2M" 267 -2t>~ ; g L H I ~t. SOC- .1\1,lnU mtegrared in 16HQ as a result of a little revolution in Its capital at sc nprs V, 2.... Proc eed mgs ot thc Gene ral Boston, which threw Rhode Island into something dose to anarchy, As<;cmbly, V, 2, , . SlAte Archives Th e last officers of th e charte r govern me nt tried to resume it but had 71 Nc.... Shoreham Town Book No. I. typescript I ll - I ll. RI _H' ~ I SOC- far less ability to rule than before." Nobody knew what England's 7l· Fur ex ample, Rhode Ialand HlsIOI response mi ght be to the revolution . The Rhode Island govern me nt 1l:~ 1 SOCII;'I\' ,' hsce!l,ln<:l>uS .'bnus(;rlpls. bn u ~ cn r lS . met fru strati on every where exce pt Ne wport. Jamestown, Westerly, 8 - 77 2; R I. Hlsi Soc. .... X. and Kingstown In effect withd rew for seve ral years. Block Island threat '"74 Reo 01 R /.111, 2,." 2" >; -2Q2 ened to do so unless Ne wport could send help against French pn va 7\ lbrd., Ill, 2... ' -2\1 ... . 'Ol -W'i. ll'; -Pb. HI-'ll, '''''-\77.1bO-l'''1, teers." Other Inr ms of resistance appeared in th e remarrung town !">. \41 -,4" Even In Newport a lew prominent me n sought a complete change m government Th e importance 01 the impe rial connec tion suddenly grew. Th ose m favor of repla cing th e charte r govern men t urelessly used what mllu ence th ey could m uster In the Imperial capital-m th e end un success fully, but tor lon g wit h tan tahc mg prospects of granficauon. ' The officials trying to restore th e charte r govern me nt also sent then ap peals to l ondon ." The responses were contradictory. On th e one hand, the crown gave co mm issions to governo rs of New York and Massachu sens tu co m ma nd the Rhode Island rrulma or som e part of It Ito serve the monarchs m th e mr cmanonal war touched off by th e GlOriOUS Rev oluti on rn England ! and to hear all complaints against th e charter re gime, quite likely to find grounds lor replacing It. -, On th e other hand, the crown accepted the colo ny's arguments that its charter never had been vacated by due process uf law and continued to give th e colonial government full control over ItS Internal affairs , Including command of the militia and exemption from royal review of us statures." The Rhode Island official s made the best of th ree of these responses. ones received in 1694 . These reaffirm ed the cha rte r but required the colony to provide a sm all quota of us mili tia to aid neighboring colo nics ." On the st rength of these documen ts, plus asso rted political ma neuvers to satisfy local int erest s, the cha rte r government came int o un dubitable life in May Itl96. All the tow ns sent de puties to the Ge neral Assembly that year and did so thereafter." At that May Assembly the members im ita ted the English Parliament by dividmg into two houses, letting the deputies prepare the tax bill, and giving them power to choose their own speaker and clerk ,'. If the journals 01 the lower house survived, they probably would show th e adopt ion of rules of procedure modeled on those of the House of Com mons. POSSibly th e shut to bicamcrahsrn was one of the pohnca l deals to pull the colony back together. In th e long run, however, th e change had greater ssgnificance as an early step in real igning Rhode Island mto a British province. IV Th e rest of the steps followed wubm fifteen years. Obviously th ey pre served the charter-a-and soon domg that became the first virtue m Rhode Island political morality, They also accompanied and facilita ted FROM C LASS IC AL DEM O CRA CY T O flR ITI ~H I'R O \"IN Cl ,I> 1t>" J. l \l 1-1<,l 4, l'J~- WO J. wide range of internal changes [hat benefited the colony, es pec ially 77 In,J , Ill. 1111 -\00. the commerce of Newport . After a few preliminancs under his prcdc 7~ _ tbsd., HI. 110 -1 1I . 7'1 Inld , III. 111 cessors, Covemor Sam uel Cranston presided ove r the ma in improve 11 0 tsnd, Ill, 11'l-lF me nts. Perhaps it is tai r to surmise that he knew what he was dOlllg. ~ I ' '',,1, 1II 11Il,\ J1 III C fd n~ton P.;lpo: r~ . Rl IIt ~ t Soc .; Cranston's immediate predec essors resisted Enghsh requirements as R..", Or RI , III, -'''1. ';09. D orothv S, often a-, not, Ieanng to surrender th e co lony 's autonomy, but aner T"wle cd, Rt>nJrJ, 01 rhl' \-'IU Ad m n anv copvmg th eir intransigence a few times he learned to bow to London Cnu rrof Rhndrhl.md P I" po, j W.;l , h m~ton. D ,C I'l l " ). l.l n , ~ \ -Iq . etten enough to safeguard loca l control over essentials. Covernor Wal te r Clarke, for insta nce, refused to take an oa th to uphold the English tr ade laws." Cranston took it . C larke refused ttl Install an adnu rulrv court judge comrrussioned by the English high court of adruuahv." Cranston, attcr several year s 01 mancuvcnng over the colony 's claim tu have full adm iralty runsdicnon wrthm u s bo rde rs and III some respect s bevond-c-culrmnaung m a sweeping assertion by rbc Ge ne ral A....ern bly-c-accepred the otricers cor nnussioned hy Enahsh authoruy and ad mi n istered the oath himself." The assembly raised no ohiccuon when Queen Anne vetoed a law crcuu ng a coloma! adnu rultv court. Unlike Connecucur, Rhode Island put up no avowed opposunm to th e Engh:-.h trade laws and the royally appointed customs officers, espec ial ly after a Ne ..... port man, Iahl ccl Brenton, got the collecto rsfup for New En gland." The colony, 10 response to all eaauons that It allowed pirat es to Ircquem ItS ha rbors, made a ..how of seve nty." Soon the colomaI officials we re scndiru; messages to impcnal officials with ..... urd -, like th ese : " we do hou ld ou rse lves las we al lwaycs have done ] account ab le to the Impcn all Crown of Englund for a ll our action... and proceedings.... The Cranston admuusrranon had to tace the t ..... o last IOqUlTIt'Sco n ducted by governors ut ,\ ta s:-. achusctts and round ways to cope with them, especially by manipulating the impenal co nnec non. Both men brought lo ng lis ts (If accusations ins pired by Rhod e Island men who fa vored abolition of the ch arte r. Tht'se cha rges ranged trom tr illL ng pouus on th e use of a shortened form of the colony's official name to tunda me ntal matters, such as mcompcrcncc 01 officials. hi;t... III th e COUrts, incomplete and in comprchcn stble and unpublished laws, and th e rn thcuon (II capual pum ... hment." The last wa.. based o n a smct reading of the charter and the theory, otten embraced III England, that corporate colonies were like English murucipalmes. The colonia l officials replied to spec ific accu sati on s as ht.: st they could but had to meet several. T he Cenera l Assemblv began to over haul the laws and hi red an agent in London to speak for it to the En ghsh commission 10 charge of pohcv o n co lomaI affairs, known as the Board of Trade:' The first agent wa s a lawvcr and a protege of th e do mi nant figure on the hoa rd and wa .. .rble to reduce most ot the cont roversy 10 legali sti c qui bbles. He successfully argued the main point: Rhodels land wa s no t to be equ ated to an English rnunici paluv." Between his skill an d a political change that sapped the hoard's zeal, th e anrag omsm between Whitehall and Newport subsided The Board of Trade settled down to sending quesnonnaires to Covcmor C rans to n. FROM CLA'i'i lCAL Il I:MOCRAC Y TO HR ITI~ 1l PROVINel ." By then Rhode Island had begu n co mpliance with the demands 01 K\ Fburnav c. Barrows. Trude and i rn. I'lt<" The RlIfl,h Cuv tomv ~"'~·ln' m Co. roya l officrais in other ways. In 16 99 the Imperial pos tmaster com /,mldl AmaKd. Itooo-I"'171IC;am bfld ,i.:e plamcd of lack of roads th roug h the co lony, so the Gene ral Assembly M;a", 111"71. ~ o,.p ~4 I<:.'n "11<:/, lII,\H~,n. enacted a. law enabling the town councils (0 appoint IUfH'S to lay OUI K, /t"d, Ill, '0il suitable highways." In a few yea rs the post road was pieced together. ~" / p l d ,lII , , Ii>-\KS, q , -qto , In Sarah Kemble Krughr's IOUm al. we ca n lead a n aveler's account ~1 Ip"I, IlI.\<,I7 WII_ ~ lto, ~l l " \ ~"-qll. ,'i\m-\"l n II 1704 ot m The road was unremarkable-even the absence of K ~ \h ~ ~ HI'! S oc.. Colis erh ~ I III hridge!> ..ccmed ordinary to her-but she found fault with the ( I!' ~<,II, I '" V 1 1~1l11, II' sccommodauons."" '; 11 R,,( "f R I. III. IS4- I.s, 110 ""H dh Kemble Kr ueht. The ItJllrn,,/ With greater effect III london, Governor C ranston undertook to 0' .\ I",I"m Kmgh t, cd G."" .l:e r ~Tk"l make hrs colony a wrlhng hacker of Queen Anne's War m 17 01. The W In,hlp I"'e'" Ymk 1<,1 \ , 1 ~ -l " <,II 1<:t'C< or RI 1lI.4 ' 0 , ,of>~,O"'1, assembly had a fort built at Newport that year and paid for a small gar \14 '1\,1\7 " S IV, I7 , nson." It soon planned a scout system for the mainland and a guard for 1I1./pld Ill. ~ 1I1, \of>. P", 'i1lO Block Island." C ranston and the assembly stopped resrsung the re 1I1/pid III. \17 'i 17, 'i/>to, IV \-to. "4 Ib,d. IV. W,10,11, 74 ~ \ ,1'I1 -'" qutrcrncnt to "em) a quota o j the militia to imperial forces and instead Q\-9".Il<,l- IOI. 10 \ . 10 7 enact ed rcgulanon-, on us service and sent an armed vessel to accom II' (b,d III, \<;4-11", ,N -I ' ~ \II"-IIl~, H I, ~ 7~ -~ 7 , pany the m en.': Then In the campaigns of 1709-1 71 I the colony sent lito IbId IV 101-lOS, \to"-l71, more men and a small tleet. tar beyond the Im peri al requisinon ..... 1"11-400, 4 0 , 4 1 1 - 4 l4, ,onu I'd...,m Furthermore. Rhodl" Island made possible rounne appeals trom Its <,17. ft>r.J Ill , \lS-,I<,l, IV, ~ - " 10 1\. "I, Kl. 1'1,-1'1". 11 4 104, 1 10 11 1,10 " hrgh court to the Ouccn-c-cr late r, King-e-m Counc il. Indeed, Rhode 1I", I\\ -I\" , 14 \ .I 'I- 1\ I,I H- \I" hland litigant ... became especially apt to ap peal. ReVISI o n (If the laws \Jmu.ll G reene Arn old , H"'"n til ,hi' \1<11" 01 Rhn.],· h/<1nd and 1'!!!I'ld"n<"e made proceedings III the colon y' s courts com prehensible m the un pc Pltln/,lIum,. 1 '·01,. lN e.... YOlk, nal capunl. IIl W- 1"" 0 1. II. 17 n. 211 - \0. 11O- J l ~ These steps rnuy he regarded as retreats from the virtual mdcpen t \1 l'i ll F, ,, J '<'l1e ~ 1>1 docunwnt-, ,mu cumrncnr , on The T'dwIUX,,1 clarms " T dence before I 1'1 !'II'> , hu t encouraged the profound cha nges th at brought I{ I HI'! "" oc , Colh X !1'1021, ..n PI' the colonial govcm m cnr rn a deg ree of co ntrol anticipat ed III lhe 10 1 1, ~'.I" to-I"7,\to'1-no, I" l l h<· bJ SI<,: rJcts on th e e n d "I t hc· c omrovc r-,v charter. It could en d most ot rhe long-standing co ntroversies ove r lan d liS Il"", 01 R t., Ill. .JIO-.tl' H2, and bound.mcs. It could p;ISS law s on town government with ho pe th .lI .t il - ~ q, \\ ~ , they wo uld he obeyed. While nn penal officials hectored Rhode b lan d, Governor Crunston cnrc red ncgon anons with Connec ucut [wh ich was under even severer pressure fro m london) to set tle the old con flic t over iun..du-non m rhc No rragnnsc u cou ntry. They rea ch ed an agreement in 170', each ... urrcndcnug part of what it clai me d." By ending their drs pure bot h colonic... could av oid exasperati ng imperial officials. Con necticut repudr.ucd the deal soon, hu t ha d to honor it afte r a ru hug hy the Kmg -m -Council in 17 1 0 ."" In the process, Rhode Island su brly scur iled the IltJ", "k clauns to the Narragansett land right s and solidified 1I 'i au rhomv there. Simuhancouslv, the colony 's po int of view on the con trovcrsies OVl'T land ncar Providence came to a combination III murnph and rumprunu ... e. Rhode Isla nd's agents in london managed to end the claim... to a huge Pawruxet generated by Wilham Harris; the assemblv managed 10 ';l'ule other drspurcs . vet the colony ha d to accept a provr sional compmrru -,c wuh ~1Js,;achusl· tts on the no rthern boundary ot Providence and pn..tponc acnon on t he eastern boundary until another rulmg bv the Pnvv Cou ncil gave Rhode Island the benefit 01 another cnm prruru,;c . Under cuvcr lit rmpcnal denlJ.nd" to h;lck thc royal W;iTS, Gun·mor Crol n ... tun hegan HI hnng thl· militia mto a descnhable sy'ill·m . Thl" '" F R OM CL A<;<; ' CAL DE MO CRA CY TO 8R IT ''iH PRO\'Ir..- Cl 119 ltnd IV, 11 11. 1 ,4 l~b . 17!i- 17"', General Assembly kept wavenng in the face 01 political demands. <;0 he 1 1t . \17-,79. Proc ee dmgv ot the Cene ral never lived tu sec a final and full implementation of the charter's provt A ~ .....rnblv. VIII. 111 - 1 1" ",u le Arch., Colonv g ecs . IV, 111 \ , l l'i -lIf>, sions giving the assembly authority to choose the officers." Yet he as 411 - ·P". 4 'H . V, q 17",. ,,.. -In. sumed the ti tle of colonel-as did h is successors, including those who 4 11 -41 \ . we re Q uakers -to signify crea tio n of a ce nt ra lized cha in 01command. 100 Barto ..... s. TraJt Rhode Island Renegade: The Enigma of Joshua Tefft Colin G. Calloway t.7~, In December I In the winter of King Philip's war, troops trom the .\ 1r Cdll"WJ", ;a n,un'.- or ...... ·~ t Yorkshm- , United Colorues of Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay. and Connec ticu t England , h.l' wmrcn d number oj aruclev on lndran hl,tnn.· He hvcv an d teaches In launched a campaign agamst th e powerful Narragansett Indians 0 1 Vel mum southern Rh ode Island . The acuon was Intended as a pre-ernpuvc I ,\\"sl vsumatcs 01 :-; alT d~ a n ~ 1I ' Ueni:th .II t be li me rJnRe bet ween 2,000 sm kc. to cnppf.. Narraaanscn power before the mbe tbrew In It'> JOI an d \.000 me n Thcv wo e J'C lh.l pS the Km~ Hravm~ with Phrbp. treeamg temperatures and deer snow dnns, mO'1 I"'....cri ul mbe In New England bUI th e' a rmv-c-undcr th e command of Governor Josiah Win... low 0 1 hold alreadv been reduced bv dl ~ " d '< oInd the dctecnon ul lrlhutd'" bands. which Plymouth-marched mto the heart of the enemy's territory. Six day .. Old" account t", the \' alUlLtln~ In e-,n before Ch ris tmas, the troops 3113Ckcd the mam Narraganscn \'lJlJ~C mares " I lhen numberc Sec Rh",k lvland HI' lul!ed] s.-1C 1"ty Cullu/Jon', III (lIq ,1 and burned It W the ground In what became known as rhe "Great h On the IrI bc's h!'t"", dnd cul tu re sec Swamp Fight." The campaign resulted In the dea ths of upw ard .. 01 a wrlham 5, Sim mo ns, " f'.; oI n J ~ oI n~ lI ," In thousand Indian !'> . hUIH proved to be a pyrrhic victory tor the colonrsrs Bruce G TIl AAl·r. ed.• Handbook: '"~ .':"rlh Am"'/<: , In 17<,I~, at the Banlc ot Fallen T un ably they incurred th e hatred and con te m pt 01then white count rym en, }'oun~ hers. a Can.u.Jlan named Charles occasionally they suffer ed a tate similar to Tefft 's,' Smith, who was an adopted chid a nllm~ the Shawnee and who tou ght wnh rhc In The mccnng oi Indian and wh ite cul tu res in North America pro dian" wa, shot through the knees. fell duced many " ma rginal" people wh o belonged to bot h societ ies and yet mtu the hand-, o j rhc Americans and W,I, quar tered ahvc. Sec. Eo , A, Crulk,hank, to neither. Frontiersmen and tur traders operating in th e wilderness ed., Til,' Correspondence ot LIt'u/. (;()\'er· often lived more like Indians than like white men, Whites who took nor tames Crave, ,SJIIKrll'.....Irh Allied Indian wives found themselves ostracized from "civilized" society, nOel/III.'nrS, 'I vols j'Toronto, 1'12,- 19111, lll, 1.'1 - 10· Their rnix ed -hlood children lived in a kind uf cult ural no -man's land or, ~ Everet t \I . Sroncqurcr, The ,\farglll A mnctccmb-centurv chromo!J1 }wxwph of Ki ng Philip (Mclacom), cbiet sochem of tbe Wat1lpanflllX tmiions. Gift of phIlip Simonds. Cpu Tle.'il,-' of Rhode Island Historical Society ls brorv (RH i XI 491 'iI . '40 THE ENICMA OF JOSIlUA TEFFT The attack on the Great Swam p fort. Engraving from lacon Abbott, History of Km~ Philip ( 1901 J. Ccurresy of Rhode Island Historical Socie t.~· Librarv (RHI x J .J92 1). 11- A tonher Bnet and True ,,,,'aUllflOn be a degenerate outcast, Attitudes against Tefft obviously hardened 01 the { "t'ar .\w 10. AIm ",! 10 ve il l~ Iilln, In lruhan aga inst the English : III the hfc an d death struggle that developed, lus Jlmy compelled I C~IJ"'nl IIJJcr~ and non-combatant status was a lu xu ry that the Ind ians could neither af while wml'i1lhIZC" I" bear illm ~ :I.";'lIn~1 Amcncan I rn"l' ~ ,n t ho: 1Ii1I1Je til Pallen ford nor tolerate . Once the attack started, however, Tefft would haw Trmbcr-, s'n' CTlllk, hank, ed. , Conrsoon needed little pro mpting: he could expect no mercy If captured by lus ilcnce ", Lll'lII (.(w..,nul tohn c;'<1vn .',mux', V, 110 -111 former countrymen and was fighn ng for his life as surely as it he had 11 l'uhhc Ill''' VI Lonn , II, J OI . 4 0 m . been a full-blood Narragansen wa mor." Tefft himself denied having Rt.,h:e. '"JJI.'I'1n Kim: I'hl/"", Wal, 17 \ ti~h t ing AmuJJ . " l u ~ h ,, :I. Tctrt. ,,\'un HIH ReI{ participated in the and mamramed that he was there under du 1II 11~ '4 1 I"" ress. Nevertheless, the weight 01 the evidence suggests that he es poused the arragan-ctr cause from th e sta rt and that he took a willm~ and active pa rt in the defense 01 rhc Indian village . According to a re port made by Indian spte.. sent (JUt by Massachusetts the followmg month, the Narragansens said that Tern " did them good scrvtce e, krld &. wounded ) or n English. III that fight ." Another account credits hun with keepmg up a steady ..trcarn ot gunfire dunng the engagement and holds him responsible lor wounding Ca pt. un Seeley nt the colonial army." Reahcmg that the battle wa.. los t, Tctf t and the surviving warrior s w ithdrew to fi ~ht another day The tate ot Terft '.. Indian wife IS un known . Some sIx ty wampanoaa, died m th e fighr and, if she was in the Narragansett stronghold at thlo ti me ot rhe anack. n IS possible that ..he was one 01 the vrcums. Ii "0, her death would have completed Tern's a lie nation lrom the people ot Iu s bmh. While renegades on sub..equcnt fronners we re trcqucndv denounced a-, surpassing the India ns m cruelty and ferocit y. So me may have drsplavcd a k md oi conversum ze al in fi ~hti n ~ axam..t their uwn kind. more often they were driven to an In tense ha tred ot the white race by the atrocmcs they saw perpe [fa ted aga inst their Indian friends and relauves. Tefft 's wife may have escaped the m assacre, but It would have been u nusual If Tettt had IHlI "t'onrait of I'lnlip." Engraving [rcnn S. G, Goodrich. Pict or ial Hist or y of America tt 8S 1) . Courtesy of Rhode lstand Historicat SOCIety Library (RHI XJ 491Y). THE ENI GMA O~ f O SH lJA TEf FT been revolted by the Puritan soldiers' butchery of the lndrans who had n , Morton, N ew fn~/ilnd\ M em rlFla/, granted refuge to the wampanoag women and children." ..14, 1- Norman Heard , Whae m ro Red,' A .\rudy 01 the Asvimilatwm {II Wh ite Per The most complete account of Tefft 's part in the hattie was given hy sons Catuuted hv Indlllfl\ [Metuch en. Tefft himself aft er his capture. This testimony otfer s a far more sympa N _f ., [~ 7 1 I , .. I , George E. Hyde . Ldeoi 1 ~ f,~I , th etic picture of th e ren egade than that left by his enemies, hut it can Gwrxe Bern (Norman , Okla. xvru. 11. Lm(;uln , ed. Na rranves vi rhl' In not be taken as an accurate record. A number of his state ment s appear dia n Wall, (,7. Roger Wilham, ro fohn to be untrue, and hi s capto rs certainly dismissed most of what he said Leverett. Ian . [.., 167\ /76 , Mass HI, t, SU(;., Cu/h , ..th SeT_, VI IIM"l, 107 - as a desperate attempt to save his own skin. Tefft was capture d near l ~ wrlhams to Ll'VCfCtI, Ian . q . Prov idence when Captain Fenner and a pany of fifteen or sixteen men [(,7 , / 71> . MJ;s. HIS!. Soc., Coil" ..rh SCI" enc ount ered a group of Indians stealing cattle. Among the group was VI IIllf,,1. loll - II I Tefft, dressed like an Indi an warrior. Th e renegade was wounded and seized before he had chance to discharge his musket , which was fully loaded. That night. Fenne r and other office rs interrogated th e prisoner, and Roger Williams of Providence was called upo n to take down a rec ord of Tefft 's examination and confession. Williams then sent a report to Governor John Levere tt a t Bost on " 10 present you wah an extract of the pith &. substance of all he an swered to us. " " Tefft said that he had been with the Narragansens about twenty seven days. He claimed he had been abducted irom his farm a mile and a half from Peu aq uamscut by a Narragansett raiding party who kill ed his cattle and th reatened him with death. His life was spared on condi tion that he become a slave of one of th e Narragansett sachems. The Narraganseus took him 10 their stronghold and put him to work, When the English attack came, Tefft "wayted on his master th e Sachi r n there" un til the Indian was wounded. Tefft denied that he himself bore arms in the fight. After the soldiers withdrew from the village, some Narruganseu s n.. turned to count their losses and salvage any food and supplies that had escaped the fire. He said they found ninety-seven dead and fonv-eighr wounded Ind ians, bes ides those who had been shot or burned to death in the wigwams, and half a dozen English bodies. The Indians were almost completely nut of powder at this point, w hich explained why they had allowed the enemy to march back 10 Wickford unmolested. This situation was no w changed. how eve r, for Mctaco m had sent word th at the French had promised to sup ply the Ind ians with all the am muniti on and powder they nee ded in th e wa r, and had sen t the first shipment (along wi th a brass gun and han d cleer for Me tacum hi mself, who was now at his headqua rte rs nea r Ouaboagj. Tefft reponed tha t the Narragansett sachems were in a swamp about ten miles no rthwest of Wickford. He said tha t on ly Cano nicus (called Pessacus by th e English) was in favor of peace; Cano ncher [als o kn own as Mianton om il an d the younger sach ems were resolv ed to continue the figh t . Indeed, Canonchet and the maj ori ty of th e Nar ruganscrts had al ready left for a ren dezvou s with Metacom . T hey began the evacuation on January II , leaving some 400 warriors behind to prot ect their rear, whi le ano ther small group was to drive off cattle." In add it ion, Tefft offered in formation t hat the Mohegan and Pequot wa rriors who marched wi th the colonial army as allies had pro ved false in the battle, par leying with th e Na rragansens at the beginning of the T HE ENIGMA O f IO') t1UA TE I'I'T "The Kinx I'll/lIp Wat -A Raid '~ ., on the Settlers." From Welcome . .. Arnold Greene. Providence Plantations for 1';0 Years (1886). Co urtesy 0; Rhode Island Hssuwicol SOCIety Ubrarv (RHi Xl 4 246J. " J, ttnd., lO ~ Th e Swamp FI.l:hllhu~ action and delibera tely shooting high during the fight." Moreover. he saw ,III rrumc n-vcrval ot roll-s ' Ih nl y· crghr ytar~ CJIIH; I rhr Narr;tl:ilnStllS had im plicated Nuugrct . sache m of the Eas te rn Nianncs. This tr ibe had been prl"l'm ;IS Jllll' ~ "t rhct'unra n army close cult ura l and po litical connccuons with the Narraganscns. but dl·~tl"Y l'J Ihal the J'l''lUUI ton on the ,"'l v' Ninigret cons istently worked to preserve his people's autonomy hy ~IlC Rrvrr In C " ll l1l'C IlC U!, and had dr~ plavcd;1 smul.u JI~IJ.'IC In their mvolvc keeping th em neutral In rhe war. Accord ing to Tefft however, Ni an tic mcnt 'it t: knnrnl: ~, {1lI',J>IOI/ 01 A malCd. warriors fuug ht against the Eng lish In the fort and Ni r ngrer sent ma ts H I - HI. and other provisio ns to help the Na rraganscns after the battle. Tefft 's infor mation conthcred with NinL~ re t 's professions of friendship tor the English and, not surpnsmg lv, it W.1S not dec ided that an army should be sent to Nimgrer's village " to sec If he be sueh a Inend as he pre tends." T he record s make no ment ion of torture being employed to extract thi-, informanon from Tettt and It was pOSSIbly not needed. Tefft was fully aware of wha t h rs fat e was likely to be, and his charges against the Pe qUOt, Mohegan, and Niunnc we re probably no more than a lasr-duch effort to curry favor with hrs captors by volunteering valuable informa tum. James Arnold. attcmprmg to set the record straight wnh regard to Tefft, apparently found the " betr ayal" 01 Nimgrer difficult to rusnty. Instead. he declared ' " It is a well -esrabhshcd lnstoncal tact that Ninecraft was a coward and a traitor. and that the lit tle tribe over which • THE lNIGMA Of IOSHUA TEFfT he was sachem was saved t hrough their cowardice and perfidy," which does no ehmg to exonerate Tefft and does little credit to Nimgrer's diplo matic efforts on beha lf of his people.M Tefft 's predicament was ho peless. Kr ng Philip's W;ll was the CIl!'o d iest Indian conflict in New England 's history and the colo nists we re on their knees by the winter of 167'i - 1"7". The colonial army wa!'o st ill smarung from the heavy casualties mcurred in the Grea t Swamp FI~t and the commanders we re In no mood to show mercy to a white rene gade caught running with the Indians. Withm four days of hIS capture, Tefft had been tried, sentenced to death, and executed, his head stuck The death o f King Philip d .'> upon a gatepmt In the o rne-honored me thod of proclaiming the fate unagmed by (1 nineteenth· that awaued all trait ors. Hubbard, 10 his history of the war, otfere d a century Ilrtg f. Engraving from fina l comme nt on th e unfortunate Tefft: "As to his Religion he was found as ignoran t as an Heathen, which no doubt caused th e fewer S. G. Goodrich. PIcto rial History I ~ 1). tears to he shed at his Fun eral. standers by bei ng un willing to lavrsh of America I 8 Courte sy of Rhode Island Historical SOCl cty pity upon lurn that had divest ed himself of Nature 1t ...elt. as well a ... Rc LIbrary ,\:I ~ 9' 15 } . hgron, In a umc when so much pity wa ... needed elsewhere, and norhmg IRHJ lett bcsrdes wberewuh to relieve the sufferers."" In the midst 01 a bloody and bru tal war. men had little time or IOdination to concern 11'0 Ma!>!>, HI!>t . S.K; Cull~. 4lh SeT VI themselves With one who had turned against his own people and for jl l'll'l\l, )11 ; PuMK Rt'C' uf Conn, II. 401 , Morton. N t·... England'< M em orll11, sakcn his God. It was left for later historians to speculate as to whe the r 4 '4 - 4 H ; Arnold, " r ,, ~ h uJ Tdlt:' fI.'I1/t HJ~t . Rel/" 1ll !1 1'I 1'I 41, 1"'1, O n NlntPl'["S Tefft wa s as black ;1 rogue as he was paint ed by contem poraries or COn~IJnt, and ulnrnatclv unsu~~c~'luJ. whether he was a victi m of ci rcu mstance." dlplumall( dimh lU preserve the autun Wounded and powerless 111 the hands of his forme r countrymen, vol omy nt the EaSlern Nr.mnc see Trmorhv I. Schr. "Nrmgrcr's TJ(t,cs 01 Accom unteenng mformauon in J. futile attempt to save his life, Tefft presents modanen c- Indran Dlpl <1molc\' In N...... · En , a wretched and tr agic H~UH· . He personifies the wider tr agedy 01 people Il:Lmd, 1"17- 167;;," R 1 HHfOf\-·. XXX VI (Il/77 l, J \ - ~ ,. and Glen n W Lal'anus lI: caught In a bnter racial wa r that allowed lor no neutrals. For "m ixed and Pau l R,Cam pbell. "Covenants "I blood s" and "lndramzed" w hire people. Indian society offered the only Crace, Covenan ts "I Wr,lIh Ntantrc possible refuge from the intolerance of th e ..... hire man 's world . Un for Pu rrt.m Relations In Nl·.... . Enaland.' 1'./ HI ~rm .v . XXXVII (11/71'1), 1\- 1 ,. tunately. th e advance ol whue "c ivrlizauon" across No rth Am erica en 17 . I\od!o:e , .\IlIJ ' t' TS Jll KInI\ Phl"r ',~ sured that there was no h iding place for th ese person s. Sooner or later Wllf, 17" Leach. Fl1I11/ock IInJ TO/1la hawk. q o, Arnold. " Io, hua Tcttt." Nan th ey ha d ttl take sides. Their dil emma was wh ether to figh t alongs ide Il l'! Reg. III (111 11 .$1. 17 }; Hubbard, the Indians who accepted th em but were doo med to defea t, or to side Present Sldfe of ....',·w En.(/l1nd. ,1/ wit h a victorious whue society that regarded them w irh susptcton and lit Fnl exarnple. Sarnca l G . Drake, cd Th.. H"ron' rh.. tndran K" n In ,...... loathing. For one reason or another. loshua Tefft found hi mself identi 0' f.nl(1 African Union Mc cung House, H, Baptists, religious liberty, 127 Bartl ett, fohn Russell, 39 Afro" -Am eri cans, The Afro· Yankee_~: Bates, Loui se Prosser, S6 Providen ce's Black Communitv in Batt ey, .1\1ajor, 109 the Antebellum Era, rev iew ed , Bavhes. Franci s, 111 7)-76 Benevolent Con greganonal Socie ty Albro, Lawren ce, 98 - 100, 101, 10') Providen ce, 40-4 1 Aldrich, Rev" 99 Bicknell, Th omas w., I'" Allen, Ab by, 42 Black history: See Atrn- A m cncan s All en , Ben jamin, xo, S9-90, 90 -<19. Block Island, tormannn oi culorual <0 , government, 13 1 Allen,Caleb, 10 0 - 10 1. 1 10 - 11 1 Bond , Emily, 20 All en , Cl ifford , 'i7, <;9 -60,62, (q Bond. Sam uel, 2 0 6<; , 67 Boston Neck, map, 1\.2 Allen ,Crawford. 42 - ,n, 46, 4S- 49; Bourne, Jared , 1 2 hri ck store. 11IUS., 4 3 Bowen , Obadiah,Sr., ',I, I I Allen, Eliza Harriet Arnold, 11 - 2 ] , Braddock , Edward, 1 10 2 ) , 2 7 , 30 , .12 Bradford, William, 3 Allen, Hannah, 10 :1 Branch , Sanford, .j.l1-49, <;9 - .... 1 Allen. Zachariah, 21, 24 -2<;. 42 Braudel, Fernand, q Anne, Queen of England, I 32- J } 3 Brenton, Ebenezer, 98 Anthony, Daniel, 4(, Brenton, lahlccl, 132 Anth/u es, magazine , 3<} Brenton, William , 1.2 Aquidneck and formanon oi colonial Brown, Ben jamin, 10 4 - 10 <; government, I 19 - f 3'i Brown, Daniel, 105 Archaeology," An other View of I'rovi Brown, Elisha, S 5, 102- 104 de uce: Archaeologr cal Invc snga Brown, James, 3, S, K, II - 12 tion of the Old Stone Square Sit e," Brown , lam es [C apraml, 10 '; 'i0 -68 Brown, Iere. 95 Arnold, Edward, 104 Brown , John. s- I I , 14 , <;1 ', 60 Arnold, Jam es N., 139- 140 , 14 4 Brown , Ioscph, .j.7 -4'l Arnold, Louisa, 33 Brown, Obadiah, H Arnold, Louisa Caroline [Gindratl. Brown, Ruben, \;I 7;1I0'i, I I, 20, 22 - 23, H; tllus .. 24 Brown, Sam , 'l'i Arnold, Mary Comella, H Brown, Thomas, 10.j. - IO " 101\ Arnold, Richard James," Nor th by Brow n, William L, 75 South: The Two Lives of Richard Brown & Sharpe Co " «c, 64 -6'1,73 , Jam es Arnold," IH-3 3; iltus., IH, iIlus., 6 3 2 3- 24, 29 Brown University, 1 \;1 Arnold, Samuel. 19- 20 , 211 Bullock, Sarah, 48 Arnold, Samuel G reen, 31 Butterworth, John , 10, 12 Arnold, Thomas Clay, 23, 3 2 -3 3 Arnold, Welcome, 19 Cahoon, Rev ., 101 Arnold, William Eliot , 32 Cahoon, William, I I Art , " A View of Provide nce : The Ex Calloway, Colin G., " Rhode Island pli ca ti on of a Landscape l'ainung," Renegade: The Enigma of loshua [rnnt, No , 2, 38 -49, l10 Tefft ," I 37-145 The Atlantic Fromier, l1 Canonchcr, 143 Canonicus. 1.j.3 Babcock, Hezukrah, 103 Carpenter, Daniel, 10 9 Babcock, William, ,>0 Carpenter, Solomon, 91 Baker, Edwin G ., {,{, Carpenter, Thomas, 108 IN[)~X ,"7 Carr, nev. 99,101,1°4 Davis, Peter, 107 Case, Immanuel, lao, III Dawley, Danlel,.'\l Case, John, 9!'l, 106 Dawley, Michal'!, 9'i Case, Jonathan, 108 Dawley, Sam, 91 Case, Sanford, 100 Dikse, John, 'i, 11 , 14 Champlin, Elizabeth, 99 Dimeo Ccnstrucnon Company, 'i'i Charnplin.Tettrv, 99, 100-107, II _~ Dominion of New Engl and, forma- Champlin, Rcv., 10<; tion of colontaluovernmcm, Champlin, Stephen. lr., 10/1 r to -c r t r , l) 'i Champlin, Stephen, [r., 10/1 Dorr, Thomas wilson, 21 Chandler, Alfred D., 71, 73 Douglass, 1\1r. [blacksrmr h], ilK -yo, Charles I, King of England, 12 0 , III 94 -Y7 Charles II, King of England, 3, 127, Downing, Anminenc F. , ' <,I n '10 Child, lerenuah, 9, I I Earle, Caleb, 41, 4"'-49, 'i9 -61, Clark, Simeon, 114 6.j.-h7 Clarke, loh n, 12/1, 119 East Greenwich. tormannn of colo- Clarke, Walter, III nialgnvernment. I W Clay, Thomas Savage, 1 '-24, P Easton, James, <,I.j. Chffonl, Beruarrun, family oi, W Eddy, Caleb, II Cohb, Cersom. 12 Eddy, Samuel, II - 11 Coblcich, lohn, 11 Eddy, Zechanah, II Coddington, William, 88, 91, 120, Edmund, Joseph , 100 111-11" 11/1 Eldredge, Thomas, 103, II, Coggeshall. Darnel, HI, .'\" 8" 11 7 Emlen, Rol-en P., 'i 'i i " A View of 88,90-91, 9j-97, 99-100,101, Providence: The Exrlication of a <07 Landscape Pamnng." Front. NO.2, Coggeshall. Mrs ., 99 '~-4Y, 60 Cole, Hugh, Sr., 14 English settlements, William Hub Cole, Hugh, Ir., 14 hard map of New England. front, Cole, James, 14 No, I Cole, John , 9, Congdon, lohn, 94 Fenner, Captain, 14' Congdon, William, 9', 104, 10!'l, 114 Ferguson, Charles F. , l(, -lX Congrcgauonalism. Plymouth Field, Charles, 47 Colony, , Fir... t Baptist Church, Swansea, Mass., Connecticut, formation of colonial ilJus., 2 government, (19 , 12Y- I ,0, I p First Cnn,l;regatinn,l[ Church, Pruvi- I H i Kmg Philip's war. IH dunce, W-40, 47 -48 Conk, Edward M., Ir., " Ieffry Watson's Fisher, Alvan, W, ,I -0, 'i9 Diary, IHO-1 7H4: Family, Com Pitchfohn, 4 ', 'iI, 'ij, \9 munny, Religion. and Politics in Fothergill, Samuel, l'I4, yS Colonial Rhode Island," 79 - 116 Franklin, Abel. lOS Cook, John, 87 -88 Fulle r Iron Works,"" Cooke, Benoni. 01 Courol. Robert L. The AflO- Yankees: Gardner, Benoni. 102 providence's Black Community in Gardner, Desire, 114 the Antebellum Era, reviewed, Ga rdner, Ephraim, 80, XX, tOj, 107 73 - 76 Gardner, Ezekiel. So, 87 -92, 94, Coughtrv, lay, hook reviewed by, 96 -<,i!'l, lOy 7'1-70 Gardner, G ideon, !'l4, 100 Cowell. Bcniarrnn. 47 Gardner, Hannah (Han nah Gardner Crabtree. lohn, 14 Watson), rOO -IOI, 111 Cl anston, Samuel, 1'2-lj4 Gardner, Hannah [d. WIlliam and Cranston [Scra nton), T homas, 87 -8.'\ Sarah), I I.j. Crawford, Gideon, 41 Gardner, Henry, KO, <.)1 , 97, 99, [07 , Crawford, loseph, 42, 4 <; , <;7, no, "'4, 110- 111 Gardner, lohn. H2 -M" .'\7, .'\9-')0, Cra"wford, Wilh am, Ill, ,p, 44 <.)1-96,99-100, lOS-lao Crawford, William (21, 42 Gardner, Nathan, 106 Curry, Leona rd, 7 ' Gardner, Nicholas, 94, II I, I 1(, [N D [X Gardner, Samuel. [01 Horton, LOIS E.. n Gardner, Thomas, 11 0 Hubhard . \ " 'IIlIJm, q I . q, . map ot Gardner. Wilham, " 0 , " l,I- '10 , 100, New Engla nd wuh dlspl'rsal II I En 1 0~ , 11 0 , Iq J,:llsh "l'nlements, trom, ;\10. I Ga rdner. \ \ 'IIIIJm, If" '1ol-'1\ Hurchmson, Anne, 111 Cam-on. Wilham Lloyd , 11 Cmdrar, LoUI~ Caroline, 10, 12 -11. Inlan tr y Hall. Providence , I""n . , ,; illus.; 1-1 photo, nn Girty, Simon, I '/'I Ingraham . lanett, 9, 1-1 -1 , GladdmRs, Km~sley C. oll In g ra h a m , Wil h am. lol Coodacre. Wilh am , oll Cunomans. 111. lIn lack . slave . 9 1 Government, furmanon ot col oni al lames, Svdncv V" " Rhode leland government. I 19 - I ,\ From Clavvical Democracy to Bnr Great AwakenlnR, "-I rvh I'rnvmce," Il l,I-I ', " G reat September Ga le ot 1 " 1 'i. ,y lamrvmwn, tormanon ot coloma! Great S.....amp FIKht. lo-hua Tern. I;:ll\·ernment, 1 ' 1 Rhode bland ren egad e. I p- 1-1'i lem:k cs, Edwin T .rz Green, David. <)7, II I knkms,lnnJ -17 Green, Pati en ce, [00 lord.m Wmthrop,7, Green, Rev.. tOI Greene, lohn Holden, \',I- olO Kellner. G eo r ~e H. and J. Sranlev Greene, William, ,,,,_ M\ 10 1 Lernonv Rhode t-land The tnac peruient Sune, rel'l ewt:d . q- H Hall , Bcnom. '11, 9 ol. 10 1 Kelscv.Charles n.; Hall, Edw ard B.. 11 Kidder, laml'!>, N. '9-nO Hall. EII ... ha. II , KmR Phlilp\ War, r ,0; ' .....hun Tern Hall. lohn RaymonJ, "T he Three Rhude Island renegade, I P I.; ~ Rank System til Land Dlsltlhutlon KmJ{. T ho mas BUller, lol m Colomal Swansea, .\ 1.1~""H:hu · Kmg~tuw n . tormauon of colonial verts." 1 - 17 ; 111us" 1, 'i, il , 10 - II gove rnment. 1'1 Krught. Sarah Kemble, I" Ha"rnhn . I. &. H., -II Knowlcv, Robert. 100, 10 7 Hams, Ned, 7 1-7 ' Ha ms. Toier atlOn,-I7 Lar kin, «lave, 1-1 Harris Willi am, I" Lea ch, Dougla... L , I W Has sard , Carder, 1[ 0 Leary, Thomas E., hook reviewed hv, Hassard. Enoc h, 1 [ 0 n'l - 7' Hassar d, Godircy, tox Lemons, I, St.mlev: Set' Kellner, Ha <,sar d, [uhn , [Of>, 10" Ccorgc I I. Hassurd , Rohcrt, IOn, 11 0 Lever et t, lohn. 1-\3 Hasvard, Stephen. 1Of> Levin , Lmda Lo u-rid ge, "Partners in Hassar d, T hom as . 10, I'fIIgre~s , " m Rhode Is/and. The Ha zard fam ily. "n Indt'flt'lldt,nt :irate, reviewed Hazard. Georg... , 97, 101 lol -H Hazard, [ererruah 10' Lrlhbndge. 11I hn , -"0 , 11.7- <) 0 , <)'i, roc Haza rd, Richard, 10 , Luther, Hczck inh. 'I Hazard, Rohert , 9 7 . 10 , Luther, Samu el. 'I, I.; Hazard, Samuel. " 'I Hazard, Stephen. 'In McA llrMer , lo ...cph. n Hel m e family. "f> .\ 1dllugh lrn, william. l ' Hel m e. lames. "n, '1.1. 'In. 'I". 10" .\ 1acSpatr cn, lames, ~ I , vo. 10 1 Helme, Rouse, 9'-l,In. '1", 100 Ma nulacrurmg, r,mk('(' Entorpn -e Hil l, Rev.. 110 - 111 The R I~e 01 the A men can -,infem Hodges. A. D .,oll of , \ fa nlJfacfU re~, reviewed "'1_ 7' Hoffm an n. Charles and Tl'S" Hurt ,\1arch.int, Hcnrv, 11 0 mann, "North bv South The Two :-'1Jrllll, lohn. II ; hom... 01 , illu-: II Lives 01 Richard lames Arnold ." Mas....chuscus Bav Colony: torma- lil-n ; I/JU S.• I". H-l-1. 1'1 non oi colonial government. 111 Hopkins, Stephen, il , - ;'In. 101 11 '. 117 -ll~ . 1'10 -1'1 ,; Kmg Horton, lames Obver. 7' Phllip\ War. I n rx u s x .\1Jyr, Otto and Robert C. Post (('..h .!, Peckham, Bemamm. lr., <,I " Yankee Entenmse The RHe 0/ the Peckham. Edw ani l ;; I -;; 2 , W AmellcIJn Svstem or .\ f IND EX QUit, John, 90 Colonial Rhode Island." 79- 116, 17)8 electron ballot. tllus., 90; Rammelkamp, Juhan. 7} South Perrv and NArragansett vil Rea, Wilham. .u - .o lage, lnhcgraph. from , No. ] Rem ington , Benedi ct. 89 Sprague, David . 84. 108 " A Represc ntanon of the Great Storm Sprague , Solomon. 84. 94. 99 -10 1. in Prov idence, Septem ber 2]. 181s.' 106-107, 109 -1 10 illus. , 60 Stachi w, Myron 0., " Ano ther Vicw of Reynolds. Co lonel, 98, 102- 103 Prov idence: Archaeologica l lnves Rhode Island charter of 1663 and the tiganon of the O ld Sto ne Squ are for mat ion of colonial gove rnment, Site ," 'io -('8 119, 117- 130 Sn les, Ezra, 83 -84 Rhode Island An n -Slavery Society, 21 Stuyvesant , Peter, 6 Rhode Island Hist orical Society, ] 4 Sumne r, T M ., SI, )3 , 57 Richardson, Thomas. 98 S.....anses. M.ass., "T he Three Rank Richmond, Stephen. 107, III System of Land Dismbuncn In Co Robinson,Caroline E., 86 lonial Swansea , Massachusetts." Rodgers, James. 84 2 -17 ; I/JUS., 2. S. 8. 10 -11, l 'i Roge rs, gev.. 99 -100 Swa nston. J.. H , 19 Rogers, Sam uel . 10 3 Sweet, John. 80-81, 8], 87. 89-92 Rollins, E. H., 'i8 Rose. lchn, I II Talbot, Mar y Co rne lia Arnold. 19n, Rose, Sam ue l, 103 33 Rumford C hemical Works, 65 Talbot. w ilham, }3 Tanner. lchn. 1,8 Salisbury, William, 14 - 15 Tanner, Nic holas , 14 Sande rson, Ed ward E, ]9n Taylo r. Mr., 100 Scranton (C ransto n I, T homas, 87-88 Tefft, loshua, " Rh ode Island Rene Scriven. James. 99 -100 gade : The Enigma of Joshua Tettt," Sharp, Richard. 14 q7-14S Shaw and Earle oil factory. 61, 64 Thurber. John , Ir., 15 Shearman, Abl.11, 97, 108 Thurston, Gardner. 84, 98 -102 Shearman, lames, 104 Tingley Stearn Marble Wor ks, 61-6], Shearman, Sam uel, 102 Sheldon, Isaac, 97 Ti"sdale, lames, 11 Simon, slave, 1] To lman , wtlham, 2] Slavery, " North by Sout h : The T.....o Torrey, Doctor, 99 - 100 Live s of Richard James Arn old ," Torrey, Rcv., 109 18- n J illus., 18, 23- 24, 19 Tripp, Job, 91 Sm ith, Abigail, 97 Tyler. Arney. 41i Sm ith, Ebenezer, 80, 81-83, 87-88, Tyler, An ne, 4'i 90 -94.96-97 Tyler, Ebenezer, 44 - 46, 48 -49. 'i6 Smit h, Ebenezer, lr., 87 -89, 9 5 51, )9-60. 61, 64, 66-67; house Smith, Eph raim, 80, 81 -8}, 87 of, iltus, 44 -.H 91. 9 'i Tyler. Hannah, H , 47,59 Smith, Eph raim. lr., 93 Smith, Jeremiah. 80, 83. 87-88, 96, "Umrarian Church at Providen ce.' 98 -10 1, 106 49; engraving, 41 Sm ith , Joh n (Prudence Island!, 80 U.5_Customs Hou se. Providence, Sm ith, Margaret , 84, 97, 10 1 4 5- 46, 49. 56 - 59, 61, 64 - 67; Sm ith, Susa nna h, 96 dlus. , 46 Sm ith, Waite, 47, 49 Updike. Da rnel , l'Il-8], 88 -l'I9 . tOI Smith, William, 80, 93. 96 Smith's G arrison (Wic kford), 137 Vane, Henr y, 116 Son nen blic k, C harlot te, J9n " View of President Street," 39 Sou th Kmgst o..... n: births, rna rnages " A Vie ..... of Providence," pain nng, and deaths in diary of Jeffry Wat front, NO.1. 38-49,60 so n, 10 }-106; " Jeffry w atson's Diary, 1740 -1784: Family. Com wau. Doctor, 109 munity, Rehgron. and Politics In Walt, RC'v., 110 -111 , I N O f. X I II wampanoag Indians, losh ua Tefft , Wat son , John 121, 79 -80, 118 -91, 94 , Rhode Island re nega de , I H- 14~ 96 , 102, 104. 107, II \ Ward , G ov . Samuel, H~-8 6, 91-92; Watson , lohn !\ I,11 2- 11\ portrait, 83 wa tson, Iohn . Ir., 80, Ill . 88, 92 , 98 Ward, Thomas, R2, R9 Watson , Marcy, 100 warwick and formati on oj colonial Wat son , William , l OS, II I - 111 government, 12\ , 12t.-1 \0 Weeden, Wi lli am B., It. Washington, George. 110 Wells, lames, 104, 108 watson. Ablpil Eld redge, 11\ Wert en bakel, Thomas Jefferson , 16 watson. Dcrcas Ir], 80, 102,1 12 Westerly, formanon of coloma l gov- Watson, Do rca s 121, 112 ernment, I}I watson. Dorcas Ill, I I} Whitman , Rev., 106 - 107, 10\,l Watson, Dorcas 141, I I \ Wick ford (Sm ith's Garnsonl, I H Watson. Do rcas Gardner, SO Willett, Franc» . 81 - lll , 8R, 90, 94, Watson. Ehsha, 96, 99, 102 , 112 '"7 w atson , Freelove (" filly"!, 80, H\}, 9~, Willett, Thomas, 3-6.8-9,11- 11, ,S 14 -1~ ; "T hom as Willett vt emo warson. G i deon,Il~-Hh rial. ill us., 8 war son , Hannah III. 79. 112 \\'liham s, Robert, 12(, Watson, Hannah 121. 112 william s. Roger. \ . 34. 14\, torma w arson, Hannah 131. 100 - IO} non of colonial government, 11 \. Warson, Hannah 141, tI \ 126, 129 Watson, Hannah I~ 1, II \ Wilson , Ieremra h. 11 7 Watson , Hannah Champlin. 11\ w mslow.Josiab. 1\7, 141 w arson . Jeffry: Iarrulv memorandum, Wood . Thomas. 11 111 -116;" Jeffry wa rson's D iary, wcrrell . lohn, \9 1740 - 1784 ' Family, Community, wnghr, LOUI S B., 6 Religion , and Politics In Colon ial Rhode bland," 79 - I I t. Yale College, 8} Watson , leffry 121. 10\, I I t Young. Am m i Burnham, t.l warson. Jeffry (3), 112 Youn g, Archibald, 47 , 49, 'i7; house Watson, le£try (41. II 2 of, illus. 47 Watson , leffry, lr.. 80, 11\ , 9R, 100 , 112 Wat son , lob, 109 Za nruen. Nina, Iv n watson , lchn [Il, II , This Publication is available in Microform. Lnivcrsity i\Iicmfil illS International I." --,;===;;;;- _ ' ,ml!,: -,.- .... _ I n ' [ l l uh t >n~ _ Succt, _ Cll~ ------ SIJ.I~ Zlp _ .l {lU :""nh Ze eb RI'aJ Ik'pl I'R Ann Arbor , \11 -lXltlO AGift for the Future The Board of Trustees of the Rh ode Island Histun cal Society would like you to consider nu ki ng the Society a beneficiary when you arc preparing your will. SUCh;1 bequest wo uld help insure the Society 's connnuing efforts to collect. pre serve, and interpret Rhode Island's rich heritage. A bequest to the Society is truly a gift to future generations of Rhode Islanders so that they may share in the Soc iety's servi ces and programs. Should you desi re to include the Socrct y as a beneficiary of an unrestricted bequest when preparmg your will, th e following wording is suggested: J give and bequeath to T he Rhode Island Historical Society in Prov idence III the State of Rhode Island and Prov idence Plantations dollars IS J for it s general uses and purposes . 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