Part one Rhode Island Constitutional Development, 1636– 2006, The History and Development of the Rhode Island Constitution

If we disregard the tribal organizations of Narragansetts, Wampanoags, Niantics, Nipmucks, and Pequots (as most American historians do, to their discredit), government in Rhode Island began when religious exile Roger Williams and about a dozen disciples founded Providence in the spring of 1636. During the town’s early months, a fortnightly meeting of “masters of families,” or “householders,” conducted civic affairs considering matters relating to the “common peace, watch, and planting.” As the number of settlers increased, a formal government became necessary, so...