Rhode Island History Was Made Here

This building was one of 5 State Houses used during the colonial period, with the General Assembly rotating among them throughout the year.

During the British occupation of Newport, the Assembly met here more frequently, typically in October.

From 1776 to 1853, it hosted General Assembly meetings. Court cases were heard here until 1900, when the West Kingston courthouse opened.

This site witnessed significant legislative history, including the debate and passage of notable acts that shaped Rhode Island's future.

An Act to Prevent the Slave Trade

In October 1787, Rhode Island's General Assembly passed an act that prohibited the slave trade in the state and made it illegal for Rhode Islanders to participate in the trade elsewhere. This was the first American law against the slave trade. The act was the result of years of agitation by antislavery advocates in Rhode Island, where moral and religious opposition to slavery had been growing since the 1760s. The Quakers, the majority religion in the colony, were a driving force behind the act.

The act prescribed harsh penalties for Rhode Islanders who continued to traffic enslaved people, but state officials lacked the resources and will to prosecute offenders.

As a result, the slave trade in the area soon resumed.

RI Bill of Rights and Amendments

In March 1790, Rhode Island delegates drafted a "Bill of Rights and Amendments to the Constitution" at a convention in this very building.

The bill included a number of rights, including the freedom to practice religion, and proposed amendments to the Constitution. Many of the ideas in the bill are now considered core American values.

Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the Constitution, ratifying it on May 29, 1790. The vote was close, with 34 delegates in favor and 32 opposed.

Rhode Island's ratification also included requests for a ban on poll taxes and the draft, and a request that Congress not interfere with the state's paper money.

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