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Capital: Providence

State Nickname: Little Rhody

State Bird: Rhode Island Red

State Flower: Violet

Admitted to the Union: May 29, 1790

Governors

May 5, 1790 to October 15, 1805:

Arthur Fenner*

* Died in office

October 15, 1805 to May 7, 1806:

Henry Smith

May 7, 1806 to May 6, 1807:

Isaac Wilbur

May 6, 1807 to May 1, 1911:

James Fenner

May 1, 1811 to May 7, 1817:

William Jones

May 7, 1817 to January 9, 1821:

Nehemiah R. Knight*

* Resigned from office

January 9, 1821 to May 2, 1821:

Edward Cox

May 2, 1821 to May 5, 1824:

William C. Gibbs

May 5, 1824 to May 4, 1831:

James Fenner

May 4, 1831 to May 1, 1833:

Lemuel H. Arnold

May 1, 1833 to May 2, 1838:

John Brown Francis

May 2, 1838 to May 1, 1839:

William Sprague

May 2, 1839 to May 2, 1843:

Samuel Ward King

May 2, 1843 to May 6, 1845:

James Fenner

May 6, 1845 to May 6, 1846:

Charles Jackson

May 6, 1846 to May 4, 1847:

Byron Diman

May 4, 1847 to May 1, 1849:

Elisha Harris

May 1, 1849 to May 6, 1851:

Henry B. Anthony

May 6, 1851 to July 20, 1853:

Philip Allen*

* Resigned from office

July 20, 1853 to May 2, 1854:

Francis M. Dimond

May 2, 1854 to May 26, 1857:

William W. Hoppin

Nay 26, 1857 to May 31, 1859:

Elisha Dyer

May 31, 1859 to May 29, 1860:

Thomas G. Turner

May 20, 1860 to March 3, 1863:

William Sprague*

* Resigned from office

March 3, 1863 to May 26, 1863:

William C. Cozzens

May 26, 1863 to May 29, 1866:

James Y. Smith

May 29, 1866 to May 25, 1869:

Ambrose E. Burnside

May 25, 1869 to May 27, 1873:

Seth Padeford

May 27, 1873 to May 25, 1875:

Henry Howard

May 25, 1875 to May 29, 1877:

Henry Lippitt

May 29, 1877 to May 25, 1880:

Charles Van Zandt

May 25, 1880 to May 29, 1883:

Alfred H. Littlefield

May 29, 1883 to May 26, 1885:

Agustus O. Bourn

May 26, 1885 to May 31, 1887:

George P. Wetmore

May 31, 1887 to May 29, 1888:

John W. Davis

May 29, 1888 to May 28, 1889:

Royal C. Taft

May 28, 1889 to May 27, 1890:

Herbert W. Ladd

May 27, 1890 to May 26, 1891:

John W. Davis

May 26, 1891 to May 31, 1892:

Herbert W. Ladd

May 31, 1892 to May 29, 1895:

D. Russell Brown

May 29, 1895 to May 25, 1897:

Charles W. Lippitt

May 24, 1897 to May 29, 1900:

Elisha Dyer

May 29, 1900 to December 16, 1901:

William Gregory

* Died in office

December 16, 1901 to January 3, 1903:

Charles D. Kimball

January 3, 1903 to January 3, 1905:

Lucius F. C. Garvin

January 3, 1905 to January 1, 1907:

George H. Utter

January 1, 1907 to January 5, 1909:

James H. Higgins

January 5, 1909 to January 5, 1915:

Aram J. Pothier

January 5, 1915 to January 4, 1921:

R. Livingston Beeckman

January 4, 1921 to January 2, 1923:

Emery J. San Souci

January 2, 1923 to January 6, 1925:

William S. Flynn

January 6, 1925 to February 4, 1928:

Aram J. Pothier

* Died in office

February 4, 1928 to January 3, 1933:

Norman S. Case

January 3, 1933 to January 5, 1937:

Theodore H. Green

January 5, 1937 to January 3, 1939:

Robert E. Quinn

January 3, 1939 to January 7, 1941:

William H. Vanderbilt

January 7, 1941 to October 6, 1945:

J. Howard McGrath

* Resigned from office

October 6, 1945 to December 19, 1950:

John O. Pastore*

* Resigned from office

December 19, 1950 to January 2, 1951:

John S. McKiernan

January 2, 1951 to to January 6, 1959:

Dennis J. Roberts

January 6, 1959 to January 3, 1961:

Christopher Del Sesto

January 3, 1961 to January 1, 1963:

John A. Notte, Jr.

January 1, 1963 to January 7, 1969:

John H. Chafee

January 7, 1969 to January 2, 1973:

Frank Licht

January 2, 1973 to January 4, 1977:

Philip W. Noel

January 4, 1977 to January 1, 1985:

J. Joseph Garrahy

January 1, 1985 to January 1, 1991:

Edward D. DiPrete

January 1, 1991 to January 3, 1995:

Bruce Sundlun

January 3, 1995 to January 7, 2003:

Lincoln C. Almond

January 7, 2003 –

Donald Carcieri

 
Senators - Class I

June 7, 1790 – March 4, 1803

Theodore Foster

March 4, 1803 – October 14, 1804

Samuel John Potter * Died in office

October 29, 1804 – March 4, 1809

Benjamin Howland

March 4, 1809 – June 4, 1809

Francis Malbone * Died in office

June 26, 1809 – October 12, 1811

Christopher Grant Champlin * Resigned office

October 28, 1811 – March 4, 1821

William Hunter

March 4, 1821 – October 31, 1825

James De Wolf * Resigned office

October 31, 1825 – March 4, 1839

Asher Robbins

March 4, 1839 – January 29, 1842

Nathan Fellows Dixon * Died in office

February 18, 1842 – January 17, 1844

William Sprague * Resigned office

January 25, 1844 – March 4, 1845

John Brown Francis

March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1851

Albert Collins Greene

March 4, 1851 – March 4, 1857

Charles Tillinghast James

March 4, 1857 – August 15, 1862

James Fowler Simmons * Resigned office

December 1, 1862 – March 4, 1863

Samuel Greene Arnold, Jr.

March 4, 1863 – March 4, 1875

William Sprague IV

March 4, 1875 – September 13, 1881

Ambrose Burnside

October 5, 1881 – March 4, 1911

Nelson Wilmarth Aldrich

March 4, 1911 – March 4, 1917

Henry Frederick Lippitt

March 4, 1917 – March 4, 1929

Peter Goelet Gerry

January 3, 1929 – January 3, 1935

Felix Hebert

January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1947

Peter Goelet Gerry

January 3, 1947 – August 23, 1949

James Howard McGrath

August 24, 1949 – December 10, 1950

Edward Laurence Leahy

December 19, 1950 – December 28, 1977

John Orlando Pastore

December 29, 1977 – October 24, 1999

John Chafee * Died in office

November 2, 1999 – January 3, 2007

Lincoln Chafee –

January 3, 2007 –

Sheldon Whitehouse

 
Senators - Class II

June 7, 1790 – March 4, 1793

Joseph Stanton, Jr.

March 4, 1793 – October 1797

William Bradford * Resigned office

November 13, 1797 – March 5, 1801

Ray Greene

May 6, 1801 – March 4, 1805

Christopher Ellery

March 4, 1805 – September 1807

James Fenner * Resigned office

October 26, 1807 – March 4, 1811

Elisha Mathewson

March 4, 1811 – March 4, 1817

Jeremiah Brown Howell

March 4, 1817 – December 25, 1820

James Burrill, Jr. * Died in office

January 9, 1821 – March 4, 1841

Nehemiah Rice Knight

March 4, 1841 – March 4, 1847

James Fowler Simmons

March 4, 1847 – March 4, 1853

John Hopkins Clarke

July 20, 1853 – March 4, 1859

Philip Allen

March 4, 1859 – September 2, 1884

Henry Bowen Anthony * Died in office

November 19, 1884 – January 20, 1885

William Paine Sheffield, Sr.

January 20, 1885 – April 9, 1889

Jonathan Chace * Resigned office

April 10, 1889 – March 4, 1895

Nathan Fellows Dixon, III

March 4, 1895 – March 4, 1907

George Peabody Wetmore

March 5, 1907 – January 21, 1913

Vacant - Election contested

January 22, 1908 – March 4, 1913

George Peabody Wetmore

March 4, 1913 – August 18, 1924

LeBaron Bradford Colt * Died in office

November 5, 1924 – January 3, 1937

Jesse Houghton Metcalf

January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1961

Theodore Francis Green

January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1997

Claiborne Pell

January 3, 1997 –

Jack Reed

 
 
State Song
Rhode Island's It for Me

Lyrics by Charlie Hall
Music by Maria Day

Chorus

I've been to every state we have,
and I think I'm inclined to say
that Rhody stole my heart:
You can keep the forty-nine.

Herring gulls that dot the sky,
blue waves that paint the rocks,
water rich with Neptune's life,
the boats that line the docks.
I see the lighthouse flickering
to help the sailors see.
There's a place for everyone:
Rhode Island's It for Me.

Rhode Island, oh Rhode Island
surrounded by the sea.
Some people roam the earth for home;
Rhode Island's It for Me.

I love the fresh October days,
the buzz on College Hill,
art that moves an eye to tear,
a jewelers special skill.
Icicles refract the sun,
snow falling gracefully.
Some search for a place that's warm:
Rhode Island's It for Me!

Rhode Island, oh Rhode Island
surrounded by the sea.
Some people roam the earth for home;
Rhode Island's It for Me.

The skyline piercing Providence,
the State House dome so rare.
residents who speak their minds;
no longer unaware!
Roger Williams would be proud to see his colony,
so don't sell short this precious port:
Rhode Island's It for Me!

Rhode Island, oh Rhode Island
surrounded by the sea.
Some people roam the earth for home;
Rhode Island's It for Me.

Rhode Island, oh Rhode Island
surrounded by the sea.
Some people roam the earth for home;


Click Left Triangle to Play Melody
State Population

1790: 69,112

1800: 69,122

1810: 76,931

1820: 83,059

1830: 97,199

1840: 108,830

1850: 147,545

1860: 174,611

1870: 217,353

1880: 276,531

1890: 345,506

1900: 428,556

1910: 542,610

1920: 604,397

1930: 687,497

1940: 713,346

1950: 791,896

1960: 859,488

1970: 949,723

1980: 947,154

1990: 1,003,464

2000: 1,048,319


State Capitol Building 1907