History of Providence

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Providence, harbor view, 1858
Providence, harbor view, 1858

The city of Providence, Rhode Island has a long (by North American standards) and nationally significant history, including the first bloodshed of the American Revolution, economic shifts from trading to manufacturing, the decline of which contemporaneous to the Great Depression devastated the city, and eventual economic recovery through investment of public funds.

Contents

[edit] Founding

The orginal 1636 deed to Providence, signed by Chief Canonicus
The orginal 1636 deed to Providence, signed by Chief Canonicus

The area which is now Providence was first settled in June 1636 by Roger Williams, and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies of the United States.[1] Williams had been exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his outspoken beliefs concerning distinction of state government and religion:

“ All civil states, with their officers of justice, in their respective constitutions and administrations, are proved essentially civil, and therefore not judges, governors, or defenders of the spiritual, or Christian, state and worship ”
— Roger Williams[2]

Williams secured a title from the Narragansett natives around this time and gave the city its present name. Williams also cultivated Providence as a refuge for persecuted religious dissenters, as he himself had been exiled from Massachusetts.[3] Providence's growth would be slow during the next quarter-century — the subsuming of its territory into surrounding towns, difficulty of farming the land, and differing of local traditions and land conflicts all slowed development.[3] During King Philip's War between the Wampanoag leader Metacomet (King Philip) and the English Colonists, the town of Providence was destroyed by a Native American coalition on March 29, 1676.[4]

[edit] Revolutionary Times to Manufacturing

Providence in the mid-20th century
Providence in the mid-20th century

In the mid-1770s, the British government levied taxes that impeded Providence's maritime, fishing and agricultural industries, the mainstay of the city's economy. One example was the Sugar Act, which impacted Providence's distilleries and its trade in rum and slaves. These taxes caused Providence to join the other colonies in renouncing allegiance to the British Crown.In response to enforcement of unpopular trade laws, Providence residents spilled the first blood of the American Revolution in the notorious Gaspée Affair of 1772.[3]

Though during the Revolutionary War the city escaped enemy occupation, the capture of nearby Newport disrupted industry and kept the population on alert. Troops were quartered for various campaigns and Brown University's University Hall was used as a barracks and military hospital.[3]

A historic mill on the Woonasquatucket River
A historic mill on the Woonasquatucket River

Following the war, the economy shifted from maritime endeavors to manufacturing, particularly machinery, tools, silverware, jewelry and textiles. At one time, Providence boasted some of the largest manufacturing plants in the country, including Brown & Sharpe, Nicholson File, and Gorham Silverware.[3] The city's industries attracted many immigrants from Ireland, Germany, Sweden, England, Italy, Portugal, Cape Verde, and French Canada. Economic and demographic shifts caused social strife, notably with a series of race riots between whites and blacks during the 1820s. In response to these troubles and the economic growth, Providence residents ratified a city charter in 1831.[3]

During the Civil War, local politics split over slavery as many had ties to Southern cotton. Despite ambivalence concerning the war, the number of military volunteers routinely exceeded quota, and the city's manufacturing proved invaluable to the Union.[3]

Providence thrived postwar, waves of immigrants and land annexations brought the population from 54,595 in 1865 to 175,597 by 1900.[3]

[edit] Decline

The city began to see a decline by the mid-1920s as industries, notably textiles, shut down. The Great Depression hit the city hard, and Providence's downtown was flooded by the New England Hurricane of 1938 soon after. The city saw further decline as a result of the nation-wide trends, with the construction of highways and increased suburbanization.[3] From the 1950s to the 1980s, Providence was a notorious bastion of organized crime.[5] The legendary mafia boss Raymond Patriarca ruled a vast criminal enterprise from the city for over three decades, during which murders and kidnapings would become commonplace.[5]

[edit] "Renaissance"

New construction in Providence (August 2006): cranes seen for Waterplace Condominium towers, Westin addition, and the GTECH headquarters prior to completion
New construction in Providence (August 2006): cranes seen for Waterplace Condominium towers, Westin addition, and the GTECH headquarters prior to completion

The city's eponymous "Renaissance" began in the 1970s. From 1975 until 1982, $606 million of local and national Community Development funds from were invested throughout the city, and the hitherto falling population began to stabilize. In the 1990s, Mayor Vincent Cianci, Jr showcased the city's strength in arts and pushed for further revitalization, ultimately resulting in the opening up of the city's natural rivers (which had been paved over), relocation of a large section of railroad underground, creation of Waterplace Park and river walks along the river's banks, and construction of the Fleet Skating Rink (now the Bank of America Skating Rink) in downtown and the 1.4 million ft2 Providence Place Mall.[3]

New investment triggered within the city, with new construction including numerous condo projects, hotels, and a new office highrise all filling in the freed space.[6][7] Despite new investment, poverty remains an entrenched problem as it does in most post-industrial New England cities. Nearly 30 percent of the city population lives below the poverty line.[8] Recent increases in real estate values further exacerbate problems for those at marginal income levels, as Providence had the highest rise in median housing price of any city in the United States from 2004 to 2005.[9]


Due to the recent inundation of proposals in Providence, the city has begun a planning process to decide how to holistically incorporate all projects in a way that preserves the fabric of the city, promotes future development, and capitalizes on the historic nature of the city and waterfront land[10] Emphasis has been stressed on the following:

Despite new investment, poverty remains an entrenched problem as it does in most New England post-industrial cities, with nearly 30 percent of its population living below the poverty line. Recent increases in real estate values further exacerbate problems for those at marginal income levels[11].

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ nndb.com Roger Williams. Soylent Communications. Retrieved on 2007-06-09.
  2. ^ Roger Williams quotes. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Three and One-Half Centuries at a Glance. City of Providence, Rhode Island (May 2002). Retrieved on 2006-01-17.
  4. ^ Lepore, xxvii.
  5. ^ a b May, Allan (2007). All About the Providence Mob. Court TV Crime Library. Retrieved on 2007-01-24.
  6. ^ Lynn Arditi. projo.com Condo supplies risings as prices drop. Providence Journal. Retrieved on 2007-06-09.
  7. ^ Daniel Barbarisi. projo.com Hunger for Hotels. Providence Journal. Retrieved on 2007-06-09.
  8. ^ census.gov Providence City, Rhode Island. US Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2007-06-09.
  9. ^ cnnmoney.com Money Magazine: Best Places to Live: Home Appreciation. Cable News Network LP, LLLP.
  10. ^ http://www.providenceconnects.org/matriarch/documents/Providence2020_lowres.pdf Providence 2020.
  11. ^ cnnmoney.com Money Magazine: Best Places to Live: Home Appreciation.
4. Three and One-Half Centuries at a Glance ProvidenceRI.com - History and Fact.

[edit] References

  • Lepore, Jill. (1998). The Name of War: King Philip's War and the Origins of American Identity. New York: Vintage Books. ISBN 0-375-70262-8.