Places of interest

The main part of historic Providence is concentrated around Kennedy Plaza and Benefit Street's “Mile of History.” Roger Williams Park has a museum and a zoo. The First Baptist Church, built in 1775, is the oldest Baptist church in the United States. The First Unitarian Church contains the largest bell cast by Paul Revere. The Rhode Island Historical Society maintains a museum featuring 18th-century artifacts in the John Brown House, an elegant Georgian-style mansion. Providence also has many famous colleges, including Brown University, Providence College, Rhode Island College, and the Rhode Island School of Design.

Economy

Providence is one of New England's important industrial cities. It is among the region's leaders in the production of machinery, jewelry, plastics, electronic equipment, and rubber goods. It is also a busy distribution point for oil, natural gas, lumber, steel, and chemicals.

History

The English colonist and religious leader Roger Williams founded Providence in 1636, after he was cast out of Massachusetts for his religious views. He purchased the land from the Narraganset Indians and named it for “God's merciful providence.” The settlement grew in the 1680s when it became an important stop in the trade in molasses, rum, and slaves.

Providence was an important city during the American Revolution. It even had its own “tea party” (similar to the better-known Boston Tea Party), where citizens burned tea to protest its taxation. Providence also had many forts where American troops lived.

In 1900 Providence became the sole state capital of Rhode Island. Before then, it shared the role of state capital with other cities, including Newport. A hurricane in 1938 caused severe damage to much of Providence. To protect the city from further hurricane damage, workers constructed the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier. It was completed in 1966. Population (2000 census), 173,168.