All Episodes
Season 1 Trailer
The history of Rhode Island is truly remarkable. This podcast is my humble attempt to tell you some of the stories about the people, places, and events that have made...
S1E1 - Roger Williams, the Lone Radical
1631 - 1632 | Roger Williams arrives in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and begins advocating for religious freedom. My Favorite Books on This Topic:Roger Williams and th...
S1E2 - Roger Williams, the Radical Leader
1632 - 1636 | Roger Williams continues advocating for religious freedom while also developing a devout following in Massachusetts so the leaders of Massachusetts decid...
S1E3 - Providence
1636 - 1637 | After being banned from Massachusetts, Roger Williams founds the town of Providence, the freest society in 17th century western civilization.My Favorite ...
S1E4 - Anne Hutchinson, Portsmouth & Newport
1637 - 1642 | After Anne Hutchinson is banned from Massachusetts, her followers move to Aquidneck Island and create the towns of Portsmouth and Newport.My Favorite Boo...
S1E5 - Becoming a Colony
1642 - 1644 | In an effort to protect their sovereignty, the radical towns around Narragansett Bay unite as one and become an official English colony. My Favorite Book...
S1E6 - Finding Unity
1644 - 1658 | As internal factions attempt to destroy Rhode Island from within, Roger Williams fights to keep the Colony of Rhode Island united. My Favorite Books on t...
S1E7 - A Lively Experiment
1662 - 1675 | When Connecticut finds a way to steal a third of Rhode Island's land, John Clarke fights to keep their colony intact.My Favorite Books on this Topic:God,...
S1E8 - King Philip's (Metacom's) War P1
1675 | After years of tension, a war between the English colonists and the tribes of southern New England breaks out and Rhode Island finds itself engulfed in this dea...
S1E9 - King Philip's (Metacom's) War P2
1676 - 1683 | After the Narragansett Nation enters King Philip's War and towns throughout Rhode Island are destroyed, the English colonists eventually find a way to de...
BONUS: Conversation with Dr. David Weed | The History of the Pokanoket Tribe
In this conversation with Dr. David Weed of the Sowams Heritage Area we discuss the history of the Pokanoket tribe of eastern Rhode Island and the pivotal role their t...
BONUS: A Formidable Force - The Narragansett & Pokanoket People
1524 - 1637 | In part 1 of this 2 part bonus episode we take a look at the Narragansett & Pokanoket tribes and how their lives changed when they began interacting with...
BONUS: An Unfortunate Undoing - The Narragansett & Pokanoket People
1639 - 1676 | In part 2 of this 2 part bonus episode we watch the Narragansett and Pokanoket people fight to salvage their way of life as the power of the English grow...
BONUS: Conversation with Jack Henneman | Early 17th Century Rhode Island
In this conversation with Jack Henneman, Creator & Host of the History of the Americans Podcast, we discuss the world in which Rhode Island was founded in, early Rhode...
Season 2 Trailer
For Season 2 of the Story of Rhode Island we'll explore the factors that led Rhode Island to play a pivotal role in the American Revolution and how the ensuing war aff...
S2E1 - The Dominion of New England
1686 - 1689 | Rhode Island find itself at odds with the British empire when it has its charter revoked and turned into a mere province in the Dominion of New England. ...
S2E2 - Coming of Age
1699 - 1763 | During the late 17th and early 18th century, Governor Samuel Cranston makes a series of changes to Rhode Island, enabling it to become an economic powerh...
S2E3 - Road to War
1763 - 1775 | When the Rhode Island Colony watches their profits and rights as Englishmen come under attack, the people around Narragansett Bay ignite a series of prot...
S2E4 - Independence
1775 - 1776 | With British ships patrolling Narragansett Bay and their economy brought to a standstill the people of Rhode Island decide to make a bold statement direc...
S2E5 - The Price of Freedom
1776 - 1778 | After declaring independence from the British empire and with their towns coming under attack from enemy forces, the Rhode Island colonists learn that th...
S2E6 - The French & American Alliance in Rhode Island
1778 | As the Americans prepare to retake the city of Newport with their French ally, they watch as a series of unexpected changes throw their plan into disarray.My Fa...
S2E7 - The Battle of Rhode Island
1778 | With the French Navy no longer able to support the retaking of Newport, the American army on Aquidneck Island must hold their ground so that they can safely ret...
S2E8 - Nathanael Greene Saves the Revolution
1780 - 1781 | With the American's southern army on the verge of being defeated, an event that would likely lead to the patriot forces losing the Revolutionary War, Geo...
S2E9 - Outcasts Once Again
1781 - 1790 | With the Revolutionary War having come to an end, Rhode Island struggles to see eye to eye with their fellow Americans around what their new national gov...
BONUS - Slavery in Rhode Island Part 1
1638 - 1775 | From almost the moment Rhode Island was founded, indigenous war captives worked for the colony's earliest settlers without pay. Then, in the 18th centur...