May 3, 1776, Rhode Island, the colony founded by the most radical religious dissenters from the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony, becomes the first North American colony to renounce its allegiance to King George III. Ironically, Rhode Island would be the last state to ratify the new American Constitution more than 14 years later on May 29, 1790.
Rhode Island and The Constitution of the United States
The State of Rhode Island, often referred to as Rogue Island adamantly opposed and boycotted the Constitutional Convention of 1787 because the Constitution lacked a Bill of Rights. On May 29, 1790 Rhode Island became the 13th state to ratify the Constitution on the condition that a Bill of Rights would be included. On December 15, 1791 articles three through twelve were ratified by the required number of states and became the first ten amendments of the Constitution, better known as the Bill of Rights.
