RHODE
20
RHODE
mathematics. After his ordination at Rome by-
Cardinal BeUarniine, he sailed in 1617 for the Far
Eaiit with forty-four eoniixinions. After a brief
stay at Goa he proceeded to Mae;io where, during the
siege of that city by the Dutch, lie taught the in-
habitants the use of artillery antl thus brought about
its deliverance. This service opened China to him.
He rapidly acquired the knowledge of the native
language and was summoned in 1031 by the emperor
to Peking for the reform of the Chinese calendar.
With Father Schall he worked to the end of his life
at this difficult ttijsk. When he died, amidst cir-
cumstances exceptionally favourable to the Catholic
mission, numerous Chinese officials attended his
funeral. He left works relative to the correction of
the Chinese calendar, to astronomical and theological
questions.
De B^cker-Sommebvogel, Biblioth. de la Comp. de Jesus, VI (9 vols., Brussels and Paris. 1890-1900), 1709-11; Hue, Chris- iinnitu in China, Tarlary and Thibet, II (tr. New York, 1884),
N. A. Weber.
Rhode Island.— The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, one of the thirteen original colonics, is in extent of territory (land area, 10.54 square miles'), the smallest state in the American union. It includes the Island of Rhode Island, Block Island, and the lands adjacent to Narragansett Bay, bounded on the north and east by Massachu- setts, on the south bj^ the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by Connec- ticut. The popu- xtion, according to the United States Census of 1910, numbers 542,674. Provi-
„ ^ dence, the capi-
Seal of Rhode Isl.nd ^^j^ ^-^^^^^^ ^^
the head of Narragansett Bay, and having a population of 224, .326, is the industrial centre of an extremely woidthy andden.sely populateddistrict. Rhode Island has long since ranked as chiefly a manufacturing state, although the agricultural interests in certain sections are still considerable. That agriculture in Rhode Island has not kept pace with manufactures is illus- trated by instances of rural population. Two country t<jwn8 have fewer inhabitants than in 1748; two others, but a few more than at that date; one town, h!KH than in 1782; two, less than in 1790, and another, le«H than in 18.'i0. Coal exists and has been mined, but it in of graphitic nature, (iranite of high grade ifl extf^riBively quarried. The value of stone quarried in 1902 was $734,62."}; the value of all other minerals profluced, $.39,998. The power supplied by the rivers gave early impetus to manufacturing. Rhode Island- ers were the first in this country to apply the factory gystem to cotton manufacturing. At present the prrxJucts of manufar-turing are general, including cot- ton, woolfn, and rubb(;r goods, jewelry, silverware, ma<'hinery and tools. In 190.5 there were 1617 manu- facturing frstablishrnentH with a total capitalization of $21.5,901, .37.5; employing 97,.'il8 workers with a pay- roll of .?4.3, 112,637, and an output of the value of t202,HX<,.583. The total -jmivXh of banks and trust comnanies in June, HK)9, were $2.52,612,122. The bond(5fi State debt, 1 Jan., 1910, w:ih $4,8fK),fKKJwith a sinking fund of $f)54,999. TIk; flirc;f;t foreign com- merce is small, imports in 1908 being $1,499,116 and expfjrts $21,281. The i>opulation of Rhode Islanrl in 1708 was 7181. In 1774 it ha<i increawed to .59,707,
subsequently decreasing until in 1782 it was 52,391.
Thereafter until 1S40 the average annual increase was
973; and from 1S40 to 1S60, 3289. During the latter
period and for several 3'ears afterward came a heavy
immigration from Ireland, followed by a large influx
from Canada. For the last twenty-five years, the
increase from European countries, especially Italy,
has been great. According to the State census of
1905, the number of foreign-born in Rhode Island is
as follows: born in Canada, 38,,500; in Ireland, 32,-
629; In England, 24,431; In Italy, 18,014; In
Sweden, 7201; In Scotland, .5649; in Portugal, 5293;
In Russia, 4505; in Germany, 4463; in Poland, 4104.
This classification does not distinguish the Jews, who
are rapidly increasing, and who in 1905 numbered
14,570.
History. — A. Political. — It is probable that Verra- zano, sailing under the French flag, visited Rhode Island waters in 1.524. A Dutch navigator, Adrian Block, in 1614 explored Narragansett Bay and gave to Block Island the name it bears. The sentence of banishment of Roger Williams from Plymouth Colony was passed in 1635, and in the following year he settled on the site of Providence, acquiring land by purchase from the Indians. One cause of Williams's banishment was his protest against the interference of civil authorities in religious matters. In Novem- ber, 1637, William Coddington was notified to leave Massachusetts. With the help of Williams, he settled on the site of Portsmouth, in the northerly part of the island of Rhode Island, which was then called Aquid- neck. Disagreements arising at Portsmouth, Cod- dington, with a minority of his townsmen, in 1639 moved southward on the island and began the settle- ment of Newport. Samuel Gorton, another refugee from Massachusetts, in 1638 came first to Portsmouth, and later to Providence, creating discord at both places by denying all power in the magistrates. Gorton finally, in 1643, purchased from the Indiana a tract of land in what is now the town of Warwick, and settled there. The four towns. Providence, War- wick, Portsmouth, and Newport, lying in a broken line about thirty miles in length, for many years con- stituted the municipal divisions of the colony. In 1644 Roger Williams secured from the English Parlia- ment the first charter, which was accepted by an assembly of delegates from the four towns; and a bill of rights, and a brief code of laws, declaring the government to be "held by the common consent of all the free inhabitants", were enacted thereunder. In 1663 was granted the charter of Charles II, the most liberal of all the colonial charters. It ordained that no person should be in any way molested on account of religion; and created the General Assem- bly, with power to enact all laws necessary for the government of the colony, such laws being not re- pugnant to but agreeabh; as near as might be to the laws of England, "considering the nature and con- stitution of the place and people there".
The separate existence; of the little colony was long precarious. Coddington in 1651 secured for him- .self a commission as gov(!morof the islands of Rhode Island and Conanicut, but his authority was vigor- ously a.ssailed, and his commission finally revoked. The Puritans in Massachu.setts were no friends of the people of Rhod(! Island, and ])ortions of the meagre t(;rritory wcn^ claimed by Massachusc^tts and Con- necticut. Rhode Island, like llu- otluir colonies was threatened both in England and in America by those who favoured direct control by the; English Govern- mcmt. Und(!r the regime of Andros, Colonial Gov- ernor at Boston, the charter government was sus- pended for two years; and had the recommendations of the English commissioner. Lord Bellemont, been adopt(;d, th(! (ihartcsr government would have; been abolished. In 1710 the colony first issued "bills of credit", pajier mon(!y, which continued increasing
