New England – Rhode Island

Rhode Island, RI (Island of the Red Clover) is the smallest state in the United States. It includes the flat land around Narragansett Bay with several islands and the hills to the west.

Rhode Island has been settled by Roger Williams and other Massachusetts dissidents since the founding of Providence in 1636. The first British colony practiced the strict separation of church and state and, after the Charter of Religious Freedom of 1644, became a refuge for persecuted religious communities (Quakers, Baptists, Jews).

Lively maritime trade and smuggling, such as in the city of Newport, as well as democratic opposition spirit and chaotic monetary policy, characterized Rhode Island’s development during this period. Rhode Island was the last of the 13 founding states to join the Union on May 25, 1790.

Special sights in Rhode Island include Providence – Benefit Street, a historic mile with more than 200 historic houses, and the Museum of Rhode Island History. In addition, Brown University and the State House. Newport was the summer residence of the very richest Americans in the 19th century. In particular, the Vanderbilts’ The Breakers, Marble House and Rosecliff, all of which can be visited from the so-called Cliff Walk (a small coastal footpath).

Here you can marvel at the huge estates of the former money barons. Bowen’s Wharf, the historic market district, is also remarkable. Then there’s the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the Museum of Yachting. The Touro Synagogue is the oldest Jewish church in America.