"Hope"
Rhode Island
The United States of America
Providence
James F. Kaserman
Sarah J. Kaserman
I Save A Tree
Electronic Books
C 2003 I Save A Tree Inc.
ISBN# 0-9714299-1-X
Table of Contents
Location
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5
State bird
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25
History before statehood
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7
State tree
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27
History since statehood
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9
State flower
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29
State government
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11
Famous people from Rhode Island
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31
State flag
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13
Things to do in Rhode Island
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33
Current facts
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15
Popular sports in Rhode Island
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35
Industry today
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17
Fast facts
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37
State landmarks
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19
Glossary
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39
Weather and land
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21
Web sites / books for information
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41
Animals in Rhode Island
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23
Index
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43
Credits
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45
Location
The state of Rhode Island is not
really an island, but it has an island
named Rhode Island that is part of
it.. Rhode Island is a New England
state. To the north, Massachusetts
forms the north and eastern border.
The Atlantic Ocean is to the south
and forms the southern border.
Connecticut is to the west.. Rhode
Island is the smallest state in the
United States.
Providence is the capital city.. It is
located in the northeast corner of
the state.
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Providence
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6
History
Before Statehood
Roger Williams founded Providence,
the first permanent white settlement,
in 1636.. He was banished by the
Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans
because he wanted
more religious and
political freedom.
Settlers farmed
the fertile farmland
and raised cattle,
horses and sheep.
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Colonial schooner
Seamen profited
from importing
slaves until Rhode
Island banned
slavery.
The colony
protested British rule by burning two
of its ships.. In May 1776, Rhode Island
was the first colony to declare its
independence.
Roger Williams
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8
History
_______________________
Tidal surf
Since Statehood
Rhode Island became the 13th state
on May 29, 1790. Industry grew after
the Revolutionary War. The first
hand-operated cotton-spinning
machine was built
by Samuel Slater in
Providence in 1790.
Weaving, jewelrymaking, fishing and
boat-building
became important
industries.
During World
War I, factories
made war materials
and built ships.
In 1938, a powerful
hurricane caused great damage. A
hurricane barrier now protects
Providence.
Samuel Slater
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10
Government
_______________________
State capitol building
The state government of Rhode
Island is divided into three branches.
Governor Don Carcieri is head of
the executive branch. This branch is
in charge of carrying
out the laws. The
legislature is called
the General
Assembly. It has two
parts, the Senate
and House of Representatives. The
third branch is
the judicial
branch. This
branch interprets the laws.
Rhode Island's five counties have
no county government. Instead, its
towns provide local government the
way townships in other states do.
Governor Don Carcieri
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12
State Flag
_______________________
The state flag
of Rhode Island
was adopted in
1897.. It has a
white background with 13 stars in a
circle to stand for the 13 colonies.
Inside the circle is a ship's anchor, a
_______________________
symbol of hope, with the word
"Hope" on a ribbon underneath.. The
Rhode Island
state seal has
a similar
design.
14
Current Facts
_______________________
Coastline
Providence
Over 1,048,319
people live in
Rhode Island.. The
state is ranked the
43rd largest state for the number of
people living in it.. Rhode Island covers
1,045 square miles.. It ranks the smallest
state in total
area in the
United States.
From north to south, Rhode Island
is 48 miles long.. From east to west, it
is 37 miles wide.
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16
Industry
_______________________
Today
Rhode Island is known for
producing fashion jewelry.. Shipbuilding
is an important industry.. Factories
manufacture metal
products, electric
equipment and
machinery.
Jewelry maker
Tourism has become an important
industry. The farms produce vegetables, eggs and dairy products. Greenhouses produce
large quantities
of nursery stock,
much of it sold
in other states.
Greenhouse
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18
Landmarks
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Historic lighthouse
Slater Mill
Historic Site has
one of the oldest
textiles mills in
North America.
The Southeast Lighthouse lies on
Mohegan Bluffs, which rise about 200
feet above the ocean.. Both are located
on Block Island.
The General Nathanael Greene Homestead is a historical site from the
Revolutionary War.. Greene was second
in command to
George Washington.
Cogswell Tower
is the site of an
Indian observation
point used during
King Phillip's War
in 1676.
Cogswell Tower
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20
Weather & Land
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Rhode Island surf
The weather in
Rhode Island is
mild because of
wind off the
Narragansett Bay.
The temperature
averages a low of 29° to a high of 71°
Fahrenheit. The average yearly
precipitation is 44 inches, with about
three-fourths of it being snow.
Hurricanes with heavy rains and huge
waves, sometimes damage the
coastline. The land in the east
coastal lowlands with sandy
beaches, salt ponds
and low, round
slopes with few
trees. To the west
are the hills of the
Eastern New
England Upland.
Harbor along the coast
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22
Animals
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Spotted owl
In Rhode Island
Rhode Island's wild animals include
deer, foxes, minks, muskrats, otters,
raccoons and
squirrels. A number
of different
birds, include
robins, bluejays,
owls and other
birds that live in
the woodlands.
Both saltwater and freshwater fish
are found in the waters in and
around Rhode Island.
Otter
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24
State Bird
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Red hen
The Rhode
Island red hen was
named the state
bird in1954. The hen
is a breed of chicken
developed in 1854 that has made
Rhode Island a national leader in
poultry-raising. Red hens are famous
for their egg-laying.. One hen can
produce 200 to
300 eggs in a
12-month period.
Red hen
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26
State Tree
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Red maple branch
Red maple
The red maple
(Acer rubrum) was
named the state
tree in 1964.. Maple
trees grow in the
northern regions of the world. The
leaves grow opposite each other in
pairs. The fruit is called keys.
Red maples are a
valuable lumber
tree.. Some maples
make a sap that can be tapped for
syrup in the spring. The leaves turn
a bright, scarlet red in the fall.
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28
State Flower
_______________________
Violet blossom
The violet
(Viola sororia)
was named the
state flower in
1968. Violets grow
throughout much of the world and
may be white, yellow, blue or purple.
This particular violet has a white
flower with heavy purple veins. The
small plant can
be recognized
by its heartshaped leaves.
It prefers shady,
wooded areas.
Violet blossom
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30
Famous People
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Anthony Quinn
Ida Lewis was a world famous
lighthouse keeper.. Famous naval
officers Oliver
Hazard Perry and
Matthew Perry
came from Rhode
Island.
Actors Anthony
Quinn, Van
Johnson, George
Cohan, Eddie
Dowling and Ruth Hussey lived in
Rhode Island.. Singer Nelson Eddy
and trumpet-player Bobby Hackett
also came from the Ocean State.
Hazard Perry
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32
Things to Do
_______________________
In Rhode Island
Hiking
Many visitors
go to Rhode Island
to enjoy boating,
fishing and other
water sports along
the coastal areas.
Rhode Island has
many resort areas, historical buildings,
mansions, churches and museums to
see.. Hiking along Cliff Walk in Newport
to see the beautiful homes and man-
sions is popular.. It is a national
recreation trail.
Bowen's Wharf,, in Newport, dates
back to the
1700s.. Newport
also hosts an
annual jazz
festival, which
is world famous.
Jazz musician
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34
Sports
_______________________
Tennis
In Rhode Island
Many sports take advantage of
the coastline.. Boating, fishing, boat
races and fishing contests are favorite
pastimes in the
little state. Rhode
Island has many
places to bike and
hike as well.
Tennis
tournaments are
popular.. Rhode
Island has sports teams at both the
high-school and the college level.
Sailing
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36
Coastline
Fast Facts
Governor: Don Carcieri
Capital: Providence
Size: 1,045 square miles, 50th in the U.S.
Population: 1,048,319 people, 43rd in
the U.S.
Major cities: Providence, Pawtucket,
Warwick, Cranston, Coventry, Cumberland, Woonsocket
Nickname: "Ocean State"
State animal: none
State bird: Rhode Island red hen
State flower: violet
State tree: red maple
State song: "Rhode Island, It's for Me"
State motto: "Hope"
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Mink
38
Glossary
banished, condemned to exile,
expelled from or relegated to a country
or place by authoritative decree.
jazz, music that originated in New
Orleans around 1900 and developed
through increasingly complex styles.
lighthouse, a tower or other structure
displaying a light or lights for the
guidance of mariners.
mansion, a large, stately home or house.
opposite, different, facing the other
way, across.
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poultry, domestic fowl, like chicken,
turkeys, ducks or geese.
spinning machine, a machine with
many spindles used to make yarn
or thread.
township, a subdivision of a county
often containing 36 square miles.
underneath, beneath or under
something, on the underside.
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40
Links & Books
For more information
____
Link1
____
Link2
____
Link3
Title: The World Book Encyclopedia
Publisher: World Book, Inc.
Copyright: 2002
Title: The Kid's World Almanac of the United
States
Author: Dr.Thomas G. Aylesworth
Publisher: World Almanac
Copyright: 1990
Title: Exploring the 50 States
Author: Marcie Anderson
Publisher: Willowisp Press, Inc.
Copyright: 1983
Visit our website @ www.isaveatree.com
42
Index
Carcieri, Don, 11
hurricane, 10, 22
lighthouse, 19, 31
maple, red, 27, 28
Providence, 5, 7, 9, 10
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Rhode Island red hen, 25
Slater, Samuel, 9, 19
violet, 29, 30
Williams, Roger, 7
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44
Credits
Written by
James F. Kaserman
Sarah J. Kaserman
Edited by
Linda Coyner
Produced by
Robert Rance
Technologies
Doug Meyers
Design
Dan Mader
Photo credits
Rhode Island Department of Natural
Resources
www.arttoday.com
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I Save A Tree Inc. reserves the right to remove or exchange any
photo/illustration at any time without notice.
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