Providence possesses superior water-power facilities and has therefore become one of the leading manufacturing centres of New England, whereas Newport is now known only as a fashion able summer resort.
The charter of 1663 and franchise law of 1724 established sub stantial equality of representation among the towns, and restricted the suffrage to freeholders. In the course of time, therefore, the small towns came to be better represented proportionally than the large cities, and the growing class of artisans was entirely dis franchised. Providence issued a call for a Constitutional Con vention in 1796, and similar efforts were made in 1799, 1817, 1821, 1822 and 1824, but nothing was accomplished. About 1840 Thomas W. Dorr a young lawyer of Providence, began a systematic campaign for an extension of the suffrage, a reap portionment of representation and the establishment of an inde pendent judiciary. The struggle, which lasted for several years, and in fact is not yet entirely over, was one between the cities and the country, between the manufacturers and the agriculturists.
A convention summoned without any authority from the legis lature, and elected on the principle of universal manhood suffrage, met at Providence, Oct. 4, to Nov. 18, 1841, and drafted a frame of Government which came to be known as the People's Constitution. A second convention met on the call of the legisla ture in Feb. 1842 and adopted the so-called Freeman's Constitu tion. On being submitted to popular vote (on Dec. 27, 28, 29, 1841) the former was ratified by a large majority, while the latter was rejected (on March 21, 22, 23, 1842), by a majority of 676. At an election held on April 18, 1842, Dorr was chosen governor. The supreme court of the State and the President of the United States (Tyler) both refused to recognize the validity of the People's Constitution, whereupon Dorr and a few of his more zealous adherents decided to organize a rebellion. They were easily repulsed in an attack upon the Providence town arsenal, and Dorr, after a brief period of exile in Connecticut, was con victed of high treason on April 26, 1844, and was sentenced to imprisonment for life. He was released by act of the Assembly in June 1845, and restored to the rights and privileges of citizenship in May 1851.
The Freeman's Constitution, modified by another convention, which held its session at Newport and East Greenwich on Sept. 12 to Nov. 5, 1842, was finally adopted by popular vote on Nov. 21-23, 1842. Only a partial concession was made to the demand for reform. The suffrage was extended to non-freeholders, but only to those of American birth. But a constitutional amend ment of 1888 extended to naturalized citizens the right of suffrage in State and national elections, and an amendment of 1909 par tially remedied the evils in the system of apportionment.
Inequalities still existed, however, as can best be illustrated by Providence, which, with a population in 1927 of 280,600 out of a total of 740,000, had one member in a senate of 39 and 25 members in a house of representatives of zoo. This inequality was somewhat modified by constitutional amendment in 1928. The Republicans controlled the State government, Democrats being elected only occasionally. In 1922 the Democratic candidates for governor, lieutenant-governor, attorney-general and treasurer were elected, although the Republicans retained control of both branches of the general assembly. A long struggle in the senate culminated in the Republican members leaving for Rutland, Mass., on June 19, 1924, where they stayed until Jan. 5, 1925. The Democratic minority continued to meet daily, however, until the newly elected senate took office. The legislative business of the State was practically at a standstill for a year, and the failure of passage of the annual appropriation bill in 1924 led to the ad vancing of money to the State by private individuals and by 23 Rhode Island banks.
The corner stone of the marble State house at Providence was laid in Oct. 1896, and the building was opened to use on Jan. 1, 19o1.
In common with other New England States Rhode Island's cotton manufacturing industries have suffered from Southern competition. The South's advantage of raw material and cheap labour has been overcome in part, however, by Rhode Island's manufacturing its own mill machinery and by training skilled workers in her textile schools, to produce a higher quality of goods. In economic and social legislation Rhode Island has kept up with the changing order of society. In 1921 a workmen's com pensation act was passed; in 1923 a mother's aid law came into effect ; and a State law raising the minimum working age to 15 years (with certain exceptions) came into effect in 1924. Rhode Island ratified the 19th (Woman Suffrage) amendment to the Federal Constitution and the 21st (Prohibition Repeal) in 1933. In presidential elections the State was Federalist, 1792-180o, Democratic Republican, 1804; Federalist, 1808-12; Democratic Republican, 1816-20; Adams (Republican), 1824-28; National Republican, 1832 ; Democratic, 1836 ; Whig, 1840-48 ; Democratic, 1852; and thereafter Republican, except in 1912, until 1928 when Alfred E. Smith carried the State, and in 1932, 1936 when the State returned Roosevelt and the Democrats by large pluralities. BIBLIOGRAPHY.-For general physical description see: N. S. Shaler, J. B. Woodworth and A. F. Foerste, Geology of the Narragansett Basin (1899) and C. T. Jackson, Report on the Geological and Agri cultural Survey of Rhode Island (1840). For administration see the Rhode Island Manual, issued biennially by the secretary of State ; C. Carroll, Outline of Government in Rhode Island, in Rhode Island edu cational circulars ; and the annual reports of the various State officials, boards and commissions. For general bibliographies see J. R. Bartlett, Bibliography of Rhode Island (1864) ; C. S. Brigham, List of Books upon Rhode Island History (1908) in Rhode Island educational circu lars, History Series No. 1 ; and H. M. Chapin, Bibliography of Rhode Island (1914) and Cartography of Rhode Island (1915). History:— For a considerable time the standard authority on the period before the ratification of the Constitution was S. G. Arnold, History of Rhode Island, 5636-1790 (1859-6o, 4th ed., 1894). His work, however, has been practically superseded by I. B. Richman, Rhode Island: Its Mak ing and Meaning, 1636-1683 (1902), and Rhode Island; A Study in Separatism (1905). See also, for this period, T. W. Bicknell, The His tory of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (1920). E. Field (editor), State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation at the end of the century; A History (1902) is valuable for the later history of the State. Two works of special interest for young readers are H. W. Preston, Rhode Island's Historic Background (1930) and A. C. Gleeson, Colonial Rhode Island (1926). See also A. Groton, The Life and Times of Samuel Groton (1908) ; 0. S. Straus, Roger Williams, The Pioneer of Religious Liberty (1936) ; A. M. Mowry, The Dorr IVar ; or the Constitutional Struggle in Rhode Island (19oi) ; Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, 1636-1792 (1856-65) ; H. M. Chapin, Documentary History of Rhode Island (1916-19) ; C. S. Brigham, "Report on the Archives of Rhode Island" in the Annual Report (1903, vol. i.) of the American Historical Association ; Rhode Island Historical Society, Collections (1827–seq.) ; Proceedings and Publications (1872–seq.) ; The Quarterly (1892-1901) ; Rhode Island Historical Tracts, Series I. (1877-84), Series II. (1889-96) ; and the publications of the Rhode Island Soldiers and Sailors Historical Society (1878-1915).