Aquidneck Island
Encyclopedia
Aquidneck Island, located in the state
of Rhode Island
, is the largest island
in Narragansett Bay
. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km² (37.8 sq mi). The 2000 United States Census reported its population as 60,870.
Aquidneck Island is home to three townships, from North to South geographically; Portsmouth, Middletown and Newport.
colonists
first settled on present-day Aquidneck Island in 1638 in the region called by the Natives “Pocasset” (meaning “where the stream widens”), the northern part of Portsmouth
. At one time, Aquidneck Island was controlled by the Wampanoag, whose leader was the Sachem
Massasoit
. Traditionally, Massasoit greeted the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. Aquidneck Island was used primarily as a hunting territory although it was probably a summer residence as well.
As many as nine in ten of the Wampanoags were killed by the epidemics brought to North America by the Europeans in 1617–1619. The Narragansett
s, who were unaffected by the diseases, fought for and obtained control of Aquidneck Island and other places. The Wampanoags regained control over their territories.
A group of European settlers engaged Roger Williams
in 1638 to negotiate the terms of their purchase of the island from a sachem
named Miantonomi. These settlers included William Coddington
, Anne and William Hutchinson
, William Dyer
, John Coggeshall
, Nicholas Easton
, William Brenton
, John Clarke
, and Richard Maxson (Maggsen). Aquidneck Island, at the time, was the royal seat of Miantonomi. The terms of the sale were a swap: the settlers could have the island in exchange for forty fathom
s of white peage
, twenty hoes
, ten coats for the resident Natives and five more fathom
s of wampum
for the local sachem
. It is recorded that the Narragansett Sachems, Canonicus
and his nephew, Miantonomi, who were in control of the island at the time, signed a “deed
” for Aquidneck Island. These first settlers founded Pocasset, but the following spring, in 1639, William Coddington
chose Newport
, with its excellent harbor, for a new settlement, and some of the settlers followed him there.
A careful reading of the Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
, in New England
(Vol. I, 1636–1663) will show a letter written by Roger Williams later in his life in which he attributes the kindness and generosity of the Wampanoag Massasoit years before for the gifts of Providence, all of Aquidneck Island, and Wappewassick (Prudence Island
). Massasoit gifted Roger Williams with Aquidneck Island, Providence and Prudence Island for his friendship and love of Natives. Massasoit received no payment for these lands, and did not want any. Roger Williams said he was indebted
to the Wampanoag Sachem until the day he died. Thus, Aquidneck Island may be one of the few places in the United States
that is truly in keeping with Native traditions.
During the American Revolution Aquidneck Island was occupied by the British from 1776 to 1779. The Battle of Rhode Island
on August 29th, 1778 was an unsuccessful attempt by the Continental Army under command of Major General John Sullivan
to drive out the British and retake the strategic port city of Newport.
, the Naval War College
, the Newport campus of the Community College of Rhode Island
, and International Yacht Restoration School
.
It is also home to several private boarding schools, including St. George's School
and Portsmouth Abbey
. The island also contains numerous public and private primary and secondary schools as a part of the school systems of Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth.
(1969) connects Aquidneck Island to Jamestown
on nearby Conanicut Island
in Narragansett Bay
, and subsequently to the mainland on the western side of the bay.
The Mount Hope Bridge
(1929), adjacent to Bristol Ferry and Common Fence Point, connects the northern side of Aquidneck Island in Portsmouth to the mainland at Bristol
. The Sakonnet River Bridge
(1956) in Portsmouth, adjacent to Common Fence Point, connects the northeastern side of the island to the mainland at Tiverton over the Sakonnet River
, a narrow saltwater strait. South of the Sakonnet River Bridge, in the area known as The Hummocks and Island Park, is the site of the Stone Bridge
, built in 1907 on the site of an earlier wooden bridge and destroyed by Hurricane Carol
in 1954. The bridges replaced long-running ferries to the mainland and other Narragansett Bay islands.
name for the island, aquidnet. The word literally means “floating-mass-at” or simply “at the island”. Other sources claim Aquidneck is a Native word meaning "Isle of Peace."
It is unclear how Aquidneck Island came to be known as Rhode Island. In 1524, the explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano noted the presence of an island near the mouth of Narragansett Bay, which he likened to the Greek island of Rhodes
. Although it is unclear to which island Verrazzano was referring, the pilgrims who later colonized the area decided to apply the moniker "Rhode Island" to Aquidneck Island. The earliest known use of the name "Rode Island" was in 1637 by Roger Williams
. The name was officially applied to the island in 1644 with these words: "Aquethneck shall be henceforth called the Ile of Rods or Rhod-Island." The name "Isle of Rodes" is found used in a legal document as late as 1646.
Another popular origin theory is based on the fact that Adriaen Block
, during his 1614 expedition, passed by Aquidneck Island, described in a 1625 account of his travels as "an island of reddish appearance" (in 17th century Dutch, "een rodlich Eylande"). Dutch maps from as early as 1659 call the island "Roode Eylant", or Red Island. Historians have theorized that the island was named by the Dutch (possibly by Adriaen Block himself) for either the red autumn foliage or red clay on portions of the shore.
In 1644, the colonies of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations combined to form the colony, and eventually the State, of "Rhode Island and Providence Plantations". The entire State is now commonly referred to as "Rhode Island", and the term "Aquidneck Island" is used commonly to refer to the island, even though the official name of Aquidneck is still "Rhode Island". The U.S. Board on Geographic Names addressed the issue in 1930 by using both names of the island on its maps. By 1964, the board decided that having two names was confusing, and "Rhode Island", the official name of the island, was used exclusively. Attempts to change the official name to "Aquidneck Island" have been made as recently as 2004, but all of these attempts have failed.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, is the largest island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km² (37.8 sq mi). The 2000 United States Census reported its population as 60,870.
Aquidneck Island is home to three townships, from North to South geographically; Portsmouth, Middletown and Newport.
History
EnglishKingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
colonists
English colonial empire
The English colonial empire consisted of a variety of overseas territories colonized, conquered, or otherwise acquired by the former Kingdom of England between the late 16th and early 18th centuries....
first settled on present-day Aquidneck Island in 1638 in the region called by the Natives “Pocasset” (meaning “where the stream widens”), the northern part of Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
. At one time, Aquidneck Island was controlled by the Wampanoag, whose leader was the Sachem
Sachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...
Massasoit
Massasoit
Massasoit Sachem or Ousamequin ,was the sachem, or leader, of the Pokanoket, and "Massasoit" of the Wampanoag Confederacy. The term Massasoit means Great Sachem.-Early years:...
. Traditionally, Massasoit greeted the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. Aquidneck Island was used primarily as a hunting territory although it was probably a summer residence as well.
As many as nine in ten of the Wampanoags were killed by the epidemics brought to North America by the Europeans in 1617–1619. The Narragansett
Narragansett
Narragansett may refer to:*Narragansett , a Pennsylvania Railroad train*Narragansett , an Amtrak train*Narragansett **Narragansett land claim*Narragansett, Rhode Island, a town*Narragansett Bay*Narragansett...
s, who were unaffected by the diseases, fought for and obtained control of Aquidneck Island and other places. The Wampanoags regained control over their territories.
A group of European settlers engaged Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
in 1638 to negotiate the terms of their purchase of the island from a sachem
Sachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...
named Miantonomi. These settlers included William Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
, Anne and William Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
, William Dyer
William Dyer
William Dyer may refer to:* William Dyer , American actor* William Dyer , husband of Mary Dyer* William G. Dyer , American educator* Willie Dyer , Scottish footballer...
, John Coggeshall
John Coggeshall
John Coggeshall was one of the founders of Rhode Island and the first President of all four towns in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Coming from Essex, England as a successful merchant in the silk trade, Coggeshall arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1632 and quickly...
, Nicholas Easton
Nicholas Easton
Nicholas Easton was an early colonial President and Governor of Rhode Island. Born in Hampshire, England, he lived in the towns of Lymington and Romsey before immigrating to New England with his two sons in 1634. Once in the New World, he lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony towns of Ipswich,...
, William Brenton
William Brenton
William Brenton was a colonial President, Deputy Governor, and Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and an early settler of Portsmouth and Newport in the Rhode Island colony...
, John Clarke
John Clarke
-Canada:* John Clarke , Canadian political activist and founder of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty* John Clarke C.M., Canadian mountaineer, explorer and wilderness educator* John Clarke -Canada:* John Clarke (activist), Canadian political activist and founder of the Ontario Coalition...
, and Richard Maxson (Maggsen). Aquidneck Island, at the time, was the royal seat of Miantonomi. The terms of the sale were a swap: the settlers could have the island in exchange for forty fathom
Fathom
A fathom is a unit of length in the imperial and the U.S. customary systems, used especially for measuring the depth of water.There are 2 yards in an imperial or U.S. fathom...
s of white peage
Wampum
Wampum are traditional, sacred shell beads of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of the indigenous people of North America. Wampum include the white shell beads fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell; and the white and purple beads made from the quahog, or Western North Atlantic...
, twenty hoes
Hoe (tool)
A hoe is an ancient and versatile agricultural tool used to move small amounts of soil. Common goals include weed control by agitating the surface of the soil around plants, piling soil around the base of plants , creating narrow furrows and shallow trenches for planting seeds and bulbs, to chop...
, ten coats for the resident Natives and five more fathom
Fathom
A fathom is a unit of length in the imperial and the U.S. customary systems, used especially for measuring the depth of water.There are 2 yards in an imperial or U.S. fathom...
s of wampum
Wampum
Wampum are traditional, sacred shell beads of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of the indigenous people of North America. Wampum include the white shell beads fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell; and the white and purple beads made from the quahog, or Western North Atlantic...
for the local sachem
Sachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...
. It is recorded that the Narragansett Sachems, Canonicus
Canonicus
Canonicus was a Native American chief of the Narragansett. He was a firm friend of English settlers.-Biography:...
and his nephew, Miantonomi, who were in control of the island at the time, signed a “deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
” for Aquidneck Island. These first settlers founded Pocasset, but the following spring, in 1639, William Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
chose Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, with its excellent harbor, for a new settlement, and some of the settlers followed him there.
A careful reading of the Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original English Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of North America that, after the American Revolution, became the modern U.S...
, in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
(Vol. I, 1636–1663) will show a letter written by Roger Williams later in his life in which he attributes the kindness and generosity of the Wampanoag Massasoit years before for the gifts of Providence, all of Aquidneck Island, and Wappewassick (Prudence Island
Prudence Island
Prudence Island is the third largest island in Narragansett Bay in the U.S. state of Rhode Island and part of the town of Portsmouth. It is located near the geographical center of the bay. It is defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 3, Census Tract 401.03 of Newport County,...
). Massasoit gifted Roger Williams with Aquidneck Island, Providence and Prudence Island for his friendship and love of Natives. Massasoit received no payment for these lands, and did not want any. Roger Williams said he was indebted
Debt
A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a...
to the Wampanoag Sachem until the day he died. Thus, Aquidneck Island may be one of the few places in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that is truly in keeping with Native traditions.
During the American Revolution Aquidneck Island was occupied by the British from 1776 to 1779. The Battle of Rhode Island
Battle of Rhode Island
The Battle of Rhode Island, also known as the Battle of Quaker Hill and the Siege of Newport, took place on August 29, 1778. Continental Army and militia forces under the command of General John Sullivan were withdrawing to the northern part of Aquidneck Island after abandoning their siege of...
on August 29th, 1778 was an unsuccessful attempt by the Continental Army under command of Major General John Sullivan
John Sullivan
John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....
to drive out the British and retake the strategic port city of Newport.
Schools
The island is home to Salve Regina UniversitySalve Regina University
Salve Regina University is a university in Newport, Rhode Island. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy, the university is a Catholic, co-educational, private, non-profit institution chartered by the State of Rhode Island in 1934. In 1947 the university acquired Ochre Court and welcomed its first class...
, the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
, the Newport campus of the Community College of Rhode Island
Community College of Rhode Island
The Community College of Rhode Island, commonly abbreviated as "CCRI", is the only community college in Rhode Island. It was founded as Rhode Island Junior College, "RIJC", in 1964 with 325 students studying on the former Knight Estate. Today CCRI consists of six campuses and enrolls over 16,000...
, and International Yacht Restoration School
International Yacht Restoration School
The International Yacht Restoration School is a private school on Thames Street in Newport, Rhode Island, that teaches boat and yacht restoration. The school also has a campus in Bristol, Rhode Island, that offers marine technology courses...
.
It is also home to several private boarding schools, including St. George's School
St. George's School, Newport
St. George's School is a private, Episcopal, coeducational boarding school in Middletown, Rhode Island, USA, just east of the city of Newport. The school was founded in 1896 by the Rev. John Byron Diman, a member of a prominent Rhode Island family. It sits on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean...
and Portsmouth Abbey
Portsmouth Abbey
Portsmouth Abbey is a monastery of the Roman Catholic English Benedictine Congregation in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. The Abbey was founded on 18th October, 1918 by the Bostonian, Dom Leonard Sargent, as a priory of Downside Abbey. Its monks run the Portsmouth Abbey School....
. The island also contains numerous public and private primary and secondary schools as a part of the school systems of Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth.
Bridges
The Claiborne Pell Newport BridgeClaiborne Pell Newport Bridge
The Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, is a suspension bridge operated by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority that spans the East Passage of the Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island , connecting the City of Newport on Aquidneck Island and the Town of Jamestown on...
(1969) connects Aquidneck Island to Jamestown
Jamestown, Rhode Island
Jamestown is a town located in Newport County, Rhode Island, in the United States. The population was 5,405 at the 2010 census. Jamestown is situated almost entirely on Conanicut Island, the second largest island in Narragansett Bay.-History:...
on nearby Conanicut Island
Conanicut Island
Conanicut Island is the second largest island in Narragansett Bay, in the state of Rhode Island. It is connected on the east to Newport, Rhode Island, on Aquidneck Island by the Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, and on the west to North Kingstown, Rhode Island, on the...
in Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
, and subsequently to the mainland on the western side of the bay.
The Mount Hope Bridge
Mount Hope Bridge
The Mount Hope Bridge is a two-lane suspension bridge spanning the Mount Hope Bay in eastern Rhode Island, at one of the narrowest gaps in Narragansett Bay. The bridge connects the Rhode Island towns of Portsmouth and Bristol, and is part of Route 114...
(1929), adjacent to Bristol Ferry and Common Fence Point, connects the northern side of Aquidneck Island in Portsmouth to the mainland at Bristol
Bristol, Rhode Island
Bristol is a town in and the historic county seat of Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,954 at the 2010 census. Bristol, a deepwater seaport, is named after Bristol, England....
. The Sakonnet River Bridge
Sakonnet River Bridge
The Sakonnet River Bridge is a four-lane truss bridge spanning the Sakonnet River in eastern Rhode Island. The bridge carries RI 24 and RI 138 between the communities of Portsmouth and Tiverton, Rhode Island...
(1956) in Portsmouth, adjacent to Common Fence Point, connects the northeastern side of the island to the mainland at Tiverton over the Sakonnet River
Sakonnet River
The Sakonnet River is a tidal strait, in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 23 km between Mount Hope Bay and Rhode Island Sound...
, a narrow saltwater strait. South of the Sakonnet River Bridge, in the area known as The Hummocks and Island Park, is the site of the Stone Bridge
Stone Bridge (Rhode Island)
The Stone Bridge was a bridge built in 1907 in Rhode Island that carried RI 138 over the Sakonnet River between Portsmouth and Tiverton. It was destroyed by Hurricane Carol in 1954, and replaced in 1956 by the Sakonnet River Bridge, located 0.8 mi to the north.-History:According to the...
, built in 1907 on the site of an earlier wooden bridge and destroyed by Hurricane Carol
Hurricane Carol
Hurricane Carol was among the worst tropical cyclones to affect the New England region of the United States. It developed from a tropical wave near the Bahamas on August 25, 1954, and gradually strengthened as it moved northwestward. On August 27, Carol intensified to reach winds of , but weakened...
in 1954. The bridges replaced long-running ferries to the mainland and other Narragansett Bay islands.
Origins of the names "Aquidneck" and "Rhode Island"
"Aquidneck" is derived from the NarragansettNarragansett (tribe)
The Narragansett tribe are an Algonquian Native American tribe from Rhode Island. In 1983 they regained federal recognition as the Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island. In 2009, the United States Supreme Court ruled against their request that the Department of Interior take land into trust...
name for the island, aquidnet. The word literally means “floating-mass-at” or simply “at the island”. Other sources claim Aquidneck is a Native word meaning "Isle of Peace."
It is unclear how Aquidneck Island came to be known as Rhode Island. In 1524, the explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano noted the presence of an island near the mouth of Narragansett Bay, which he likened to the Greek island of Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
. Although it is unclear to which island Verrazzano was referring, the pilgrims who later colonized the area decided to apply the moniker "Rhode Island" to Aquidneck Island. The earliest known use of the name "Rode Island" was in 1637 by Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
. The name was officially applied to the island in 1644 with these words: "Aquethneck shall be henceforth called the Ile of Rods or Rhod-Island." The name "Isle of Rodes" is found used in a legal document as late as 1646.
Another popular origin theory is based on the fact that Adriaen Block
Adriaen Block
Adriaen Block was a Dutch private trader and navigator who is best known for exploring the coastal and river valley areas between present-day New Jersey and Massachusetts during four voyages from 1611 to 1614, following the 1609 expedition by Henry Hudson...
, during his 1614 expedition, passed by Aquidneck Island, described in a 1625 account of his travels as "an island of reddish appearance" (in 17th century Dutch, "een rodlich Eylande"). Dutch maps from as early as 1659 call the island "Roode Eylant", or Red Island. Historians have theorized that the island was named by the Dutch (possibly by Adriaen Block himself) for either the red autumn foliage or red clay on portions of the shore.
In 1644, the colonies of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations combined to form the colony, and eventually the State, of "Rhode Island and Providence Plantations". The entire State is now commonly referred to as "Rhode Island", and the term "Aquidneck Island" is used commonly to refer to the island, even though the official name of Aquidneck is still "Rhode Island". The U.S. Board on Geographic Names addressed the issue in 1930 by using both names of the island on its maps. By 1964, the board decided that having two names was confusing, and "Rhode Island", the official name of the island, was used exclusively. Attempts to change the official name to "Aquidneck Island" have been made as recently as 2004, but all of these attempts have failed.
Further reading
- Aquidneck Indian Council, "A Brief History of Aquidneck Island" http://www.docstoc.com/docs/4645531/Brief-History-of-Aquidneck-Island