Today in History
What went down and why you should care.
may 04 Learn More Rhode Island Declares Independence from Britain
On this day in 1776, Rhode Island became the first state to declare its independence from Britain. Fourteen years later, it was the last state to ratify the Constitution. What's with Rhode Island playing the long game? Slaves and molasses, that's what. Rhode Island was at the center of the transatlantic slave trade, and business was booming. Gross? Definitely. But it made Rhode Island independently wealthy, and Rhode Island wanted to keep Britain and the other states out of its affluent affairs for as long as possible.
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