The Rhode Island Colony

Children's Literature

In 1636, the Puritan minister Roger Williams fled to the land ofm the Narragansetts. Williams had been banished by the intolerant leaders of the Massachusetts Colony for his religious and social stances. In the world of the Narragansetts, Williams was greeted as a welcome visitor and allowed him to live with them through the winter, then granted him a small landholding so that he could start a settlement. That settlement, named Providence, was to become the core of Rhode Island and was founded upon principles of toleration. In this volume of the "Our Thirteen Colonies" series, the story of Rhode Island's Native populations, its evolution as a Royal Colony, the role Rhode Islanders played in the American Revolution, and the march toward statehood all are outlined by author Barbara A. Somerville. The concise text is augmented throughout the book by colorful illustrations and clear maps. Somerville also does a nice job with sidebar essays about key topics at the conclusion of each chapter. Additional resources are included at the end of the book for readers who wish to delve more deeply into Rhode Island's history. Somerville has provided readers with a workable jumping-off point for the study of Rhode Island's colonial history and its early residents. 2004, The Child's World, Ages 8 to 10.
— Greg M. Romaneck