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Providence, Rhode Island

1636 establishments in Rhode IslandCities in Providence County, Rhode IslandCities in Rhode IslandCounty seats in Rhode IslandNarragansett Bay
Pages with non-numeric formatnum argumentsPopulated coastal places in Providence County, Rhode IslandPopulated coastal places in Rhode IslandPopulated places established in 1636Port cities and towns of the United States Atlantic coastProvidence, Rhode IslandProvidence metropolitan areaUse American English from August 2022Use mdy dates from September 2022
Weybosset Street view, Providence, Rhode Island
Weybosset Street view, Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He named the area in honor of "God's merciful Providence" which he believed was responsible for revealing such a haven for him and his followers. The city developed as a busy port as it is situated at the mouth of the Providence River in Providence County, at the head of Narragansett Bay. Providence was one of the first cities in the country to industrialize and became noted for its textile manufacturing and subsequent machine tool, jewelry, and silverware industries. Today, the city of Providence is home to eight hospitals and eight institutions of higher learning which have shifted the city's economy into service industries, though it still retains some manufacturing activity. At the 2020 census, Providence had a population of 190,934, making it the third-most-populous city in New England after Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Providence, Rhode Island (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Providence, Rhode Island
Newton Street, Providence

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Latitude Longitude
N 41.823611111111 ° E -71.422222222222 °
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Newton Street 7
02903 Providence
Rhode Island, United States
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Weybosset Street view, Providence, Rhode Island
Weybosset Street view, Providence, Rhode Island
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Macaroni Riots
Macaroni Riots

The Macaroni Riots were a series of civil disturbances that took place in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island, in 1914. The first riot occurred on the night of August 29 and was followed by additional nights of rioting on August 30 and September 7. The food riot stemmed from an increase in the price of food, particularly pasta products such as macaroni, that affected the predominately Italian American population of Federal Hill in 1914. On August 22, socialist activists held a peaceful rally to protest the price increases, and on August 29, another rally turned violent as a mob of about 1,000 people marched down Atwells Avenue and looted the store of Frank P. Ventrone, a local food wholesaler who had been accused of profiteering. The angry mob caused thousands of dollars in damages and threw pasta products into the streets before police officers restored order. Additional rioting broke out the following night. Following this, socialist activists negotiated with Ventrone's associates and were able to broker a deal where he would sell his product at a reduced cost. Following a peaceful week, another riot occurred on the night of September 7 following a Labor Day rally that caused more property damage than the previous two riots combined. While additional rallies and protests occurred after this, the price protests slowly died down. The rioting, which resulted in several thousand dollars in property damage, was the most severe civil disturbance in Providence since the Dorr Rebellion of 1841. In the end, 50 people were arrested and several dozen were injured, including at least 14 by gunshot wounds. Most of the arrested were charged with reveling and given light fines, while two people were found guilty of more severe charges and sentenced to several months in jail. In addition to the price increases, historians point to anti-Italian discrimination, especially among the police, and organization by radical groups such as the Industrial Workers of the World as contributing to the violence.