The Beauty of Rhode Island, the Ocean State, by Jéanpaul Ferro

The Beauty of Rhode Island, the Ocean State, by Jéanpaul Ferro

In spring 1636, having been banished from Salem, Massachusetts for questioning Puritan belief, Roger Williams traveled south until he came upon a braid of Seekonk River. After crossing the mighty headwaters he was met by a native party of Narragansett people who lived and hunted around the gorgeous bay named after them. They greeted the vanquished Pilgrim with the words "What cheer, Netop." Hello, friend!

Finding the area beautiful, Roger Williams asked if he could purchase a tract of land from chief sachems Canonicus and Miantonomi who heartily obliged. Here, Williams and his small band of followers established a new, permanent settlement, convinced that divine providence had brought them there. The new settlement was going to establish a haven for separation of church and state, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. Roger Williams named this beautiful paradise, where the rivers came together and emptied into a luxuriant blue bay: Providence Plantations.

Please enjoy this pictorial video of the great state of Rhode Island. Home of the Newport Folk Festival, where Bob Dylan played electric for the first time. The best Italian food this side of Italy. Also home of the America' Cup Sailing Race, the Tennis Hall of Fame, some of the best preserved colonial architecture in America in Newport and Providence, 22 islands, 400 miles of coastline, the former jewelry capital of the world, Gorham Silver, the 1928 NFL League Champion Providence Steam Rollers; the 1884 Major League Baseball World Champion Providence Grays, Waterfire, and some of the most beautiful estuaries, salt ponds, and unspoiled beaches in the world. Jéanpaul Ferro

Produced by Jéanpaul Ferro
Waterfire photograph courtesy of Jeremy Fulton:
CC2.0 used with attribution: https: www.flickr.com photos elcamino73 8995077403
CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED license: https: creativecommons.org licenses by-nc-nd 2.0
Block Island aerial photograph courtesy of Timothy J. Quill - Timothy J. Quill, CC BY-SA 4.0, https: commons.wikimedia.org w index.php?curid=41890252
Roger Williams Statue photograph courtesy of Polylerus, CC BY 3.0 https: creativecommons.org licenses by 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons