Rhode Island
Located in the Northeastern United States, Rhode Island is the smallest U.S. state, covering only 1,545 square miles (4,001 km²). Its population is about 1.1 million. Although almost entirely on the mainland, the state is named after the eponymous island in Narragansett Bay. Due to its long coastline, many bays and cultural and economic ties to the sea, Rhode Island has been nicknamed "The Ocean State."
Native Americans who inhabited the area before the colonial era included the Wampanoag, Narragansett and Niantic tribes. After the English Puritan Roger Williams fled the Massachusetts Bay Colony due to religious persecution, he was granted land by the Narragansetts and founded the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in 1636. A haven for political and religious refugees, it became the first of the Thirteen Colonies to declare independence from British rule on 4th May 1776. During the Revolutionary War, several decisive battles took place in Rhode Island. In 1790, Rhode Island finally joined the Union as the 13th state. Although the second part of the state's name "and Providence Plantations" had been dropped for convenience since the early days of the state, it was not officially removed until 2020. The state's motto, "Hope", was probably taken from the biblical phrase: "Hope we have as an anchor for the soul" (Heb. 6:18-19).
Rhode Island is home to a large number of historic buildings. The First Baptist Church of Providence, founded in 1638 by Roger Williams, is the oldest Baptist church in the Americas. Its current building was completed in 1775. A famous landmark of Rhode Island is "The Towers" in the resort town of Narragansett. It is the only surviving structure from the Narragansett Pier Casino, which burned down in 1900. Pomham Rocks Light was built in 1871 and is the northernmost lighthouse on Narragansett Bay. It was decommissioned in 1974 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Facts
- Capital and largest city: Providence
- Area: 1,545 square miles (4,001 km²)
- Population: 1.1 million
- Date of statehood: 29th May 1790
- Rank of the admission: 13th
Rhode Island Folding Card
At just 12 years old, Ida Lewis came to the aid of capsized sailors for the first time. When her father fell ill, she and her mother took over his duties in 1854 and in 1879 Ida became the official lighthouse keeper at Lime Rock in Newport Harbor, known today as Ida Lewis Rock Light. She saved the lives of at least 18 people and was nicknamed the "Bravest Woman in America." This note from the 50 U.S. States Program features a portrait of Lewis, a depiction of her lighting the lamp, the Pomham Rocks Light in East Providence, the World War I Memorial in West Warwick, the state motto "Hope," and the year of admission to the Union.
100 Souvenir Dollars
Obverse: Ida Lewis (1842–1911), lighthouse keeper at Lime Rock Lighthouse in Newport Harbor from 1879 until her death, Lewis lighting the lamp, Pomham Rocks Light, historic lighthouse in the Providence River in East Providence on Narragansett Bay, World War I memorial in West Warwick
Reverse: United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., seals of the commemorative series
| Dimensions: 7.07 x 3.00 inches (179.50 x 76.20 mm) Material: Paper |
