Season 1 Trailer

You may have heard some of the stories that make up the history of Rhode Island. You might recall the tale of how Roger Williams founded Rhode Island after being banned from Massachusetts or how Newport used to be a summer playground for America’s wealthiest families. But what if I told you that amongst these well known moments lie an equally remarkable history of events that you probably haven’t heard yet? My name is Kevin Padula, host of the Story of Rhode Island Podcast, and I’m here to tell you these stories.

For season 1, We’ll start by jumping back to 17th century New England to look at the birth of a radical little colony built around Narragansett Bay. A colony founded on a set of principles so progressive that it was the freest society in the entire western world. But the story of Rhode Island during the 17th century is just as much about survival as it is freedom. because for a while it didn’t look like the colony would make it out of the century intact. For almost a decade the government teetered on the verge of failure, while the surrounding colonies found a way to claim a third of Rhode Island’s territory. Then, America's deadliest war per capita broke out, destroying towns like Providence, Warwick, and Wickford. By the time King Philip's War ended most of the colony was left completely deserted. All these tales and more tell you about a radical little colony that fought relentlessly for its survival. Or to put it more simply, they tell you about the story of Rhode Island and I hope you find them as fascinating as I do. Enjoy!