6. Rhode Island (kind of the red-headed stepchild, in a lot of ways it is less distinct than CT due to its small size and close proximity to Boston, most of its pros are in very small quantities and better done in other NE states, but Block Island is a lovely place to vacation)
*ahem*
We are much more distinct than Connecticut. We have a strong local culture, we pride ourselves on being independent from Massachusetts and seceding from them to become the first place with Separation of Church and State. As well as starting the American Industrial Revolution. Imagine a USA without religious freedom, that never experienced industrialization. That's what RI brought to the union. We have our own accent, our strong beach culture, the vibrant renaissance city of Providence.
Rhode IslandSome RI trivia, since it's my home*smallest state but longest name ("The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations")
*first colony founded on the idea of Religious Liberty and separation of church/state, by Baptist minister Roger Williams after fleeing Puritan-Massachusetts (who also bought the land from the Native Americans)
*have the oldest Baptist church
*have the first Synagogue in North America
*home of the last battles of King Phillip's War / Metacomet's War (the last war to really ravage New England)
*the RI State House is the 4th-largest self-supporting marble dome in the world (behind the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica and the Taj Mahal in India)
*burning of the Great Gaspee, long before the Boston Tea Party... we actually burnt one of their ships, not just spill some tea!
*first colony to declare independence, 2 months before the Declaration of Independence
*13th colony to join the union and ratify the constitution (we were waiting for the Bill of Rights) in 1790
*Slater Mill in Pawtucket is home of the American Industrial Revolution... we brought the Industrial Revolution to the USA!
*home of Hasbro Toys, the largest toymaker in the world
*home of McCoy Stadium, which hosted the longest professional baseball game in world history... 32 innings!
*we are 37 miles by 48 miles... but the 2nd most densely-populated state in the country
*the only state to still celebrate the end of World War II as an official holiday, Victory Day
*we are double the population of Wyoming... but 90 times smaller!
*home to HP Lovecraft, the first automobile race, and the patent for the first "motion picture machine"
*our religious freedom made us attract very diverse immigrants from the start, and our industrial revolution (the Blackstone River was once called the "hardest-working river in America") attracted many more in the early 20th century, and still to this day is an immigrant magnet and safe haven
*Estimated to be:
19% Irish, 16% Italian, 15% Hispanic,
11% English, 11% French, 10% Portuguese,
6% African-American, 4% Polish,
4% Multi-racial or Other, 3% Asian, 1% Native American
(and the most Catholic state in the country... but also some of the most liberal Catholics)
*our state motto is short and sweet: "Hope"
*nicknamed the "Ocean State" for our great beaches, summer beach culture, and very long coastline.
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