Need Help?
Suggested Search Terms
To find materials on this topic in the catalog and article databases, try the following terms:
- Keyword search "Rhode Island" AND "politics"
- Keyword search "Rhode Island" AND "history"
- Subject search "Rhode Island -- history"
- Subject search "Rhode Island -- Politics and government"
- URI Libraries SearchLocate books, videos, online resources and more available through the URI Libraries.
Articles & Databases
- Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
- What's included? Citations to and full text of over 8,500 journals and magazines, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals. Covers a wide range of academic subjects including the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, technology, and more.
- What dates are covered? Coverage varies, but generally covers the mid 1990s - present. Updated daily.
- America: History and Life with Full Text (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
- What’s included? Citations to and the full text of hundreds of full-text history journals about the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Includes features such as the ability to search by time period.
- What dates are covered? 1955 to the present
- Providence Journal (Newsbank) This link opens in a new window
- What’s included? Articles from the Providence Journal. Searchable page images available for 1829 to present. Full text available from 1981 to present.
- What dates are covered? 1829 - Present.
Local Resources
- Providence Public Library Rhode Island CollectionThe collection consists of nearly 10,000 books, an image collection containing over 7,000 photographs of people, places and buildings available in print and online, historic and current maps pertaining to Rhode Island cities and towns, newspapers, clippings, pamphlets, reference works, and selected documents from the State of Rhode Island and the City of Providence (Description from PPL website).
- Rhode Island State ArchivesThe Rhode Island State Archives "preserves and makes available for research Rhode Island's historical public records, which date from 1638 to the present. Our reception area also features exhibits that are free and open to the public." (From their about page.)
- Rhode Island State Library's Online CatalogSearch the online catalog of the Rhode Island State Library for state publications and other items.
- University Archives and Special CollectionsCollections in URI's University Archives and Special Collections include materials about the University as well as specialized political papers, oral histories, and much more.
Books
After King Philip's War by Call Number: E78 N5 A17 1997ISBN: 9780874518191Publication Date: 1997This collection of essays explores the Native American experience in the New England states following King Philip's War. Features an essay on the survival of the Narragansett tribe, including the tribe's culture, in Rhode Island.
Journal-Bulletin Rhode Island AlmanacCall Number: URI Serial Stacks AY67 P9 J7Publication Date: 1942 - 1998If you would like to research a particular event in Rhode Island history, you may wish to consult an almanac. You can use this almanac to find information on an event according to when it occurred. URI has copies of this almanac for 1942-1998. The title was changed from Journal-Bulletin Almanac to Journal-Bulletin Rhode Island Almanac in 1973.- The Notorious Triangle: Rhode Island and the African Slave Trade, 1700-1807 by Call Number: URI E445 R4 C68ISBN: 0877222185Publication Date: 1981This text delves into the role of Rhode Island in the triangular trade. The author discusses how the slave trade that flourished in early Rhode Island was a central part of the state's economy, and provides evidence that Rhode Island's share in the American slave trade was a significant one.
The Prince of Providence by Call Number: F 89 P953 C537 2003ISBN: 0375507809Publication Date: 2003A recounting of the history of Providence Mayor Vincent “Buddy” Cianci, Jr.’s reign over the city, the corruption and scandal that resulted in convictions and the revitalization of the city that Cianci was able to orchestrate. Authored by veteran Providence Journal reporter Mike Stanton.
The Rhode Island State Constitution: A Reference Guide by Call Number: URI Reference KFR401 1986 A6 C66 2007ISBN: 9780275983321Publication Date: 2007Includes the Rhode Island State Constitution with detailed annotations, tracking the evolution of the Constitution from its colonial inception. There is also a table of state and federal cases referenced in the author commentary.
Rhode Island Politics and Government by Call Number: JK3216 M63 2001ISBN: 0803232187Publication Date: 2001URI political science professor Maureen Moakley co-authored this introduction to Rhode Island's political landscape. This text describes the structure of Rhode Island politics and how Rhode Island politics have evolved, as well as the qualities that make this state's government unique.
Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul by Call Number: BX6495.W55 B37 2012ISBN: 9780670023059Publication Date: 2012This biography of Rhode Island founder Roger Williams discusses how Williams' background and beliefs led to the establishment of Providence, a colony in which religious freedom was championed. The author argues that in establishing Rhode Island as a colony that supported religious freedom, Roger Williams set the foundation for the separation of church and state in the United States.
Created by
Sara Deignan, 3/2015